The edging I tried was called 'faggot and scallop', and my first results were hilarious because I ignored the first line of the pattern: "This edging is worked sideways". Even though there was a photo right there in the book, I managed not to notice that the stitches went sideways. I did wonder why the picture looked like it was a few repeats and yet the pattern appeared to only give one. I also wondered why it wasn't presented in a more user-friendly way - as, you know, 'a 9-stitch repeat with 4 edge stitches' instead of just 'cast on 13 stitches'.
So yes, I tried to work the edging the other way around - imagining I would ultimately knit the whole thing in the round. I calculated how many stitches appeared to be part of the repeat. I ploughed ahead, making things unnecessarily complicated. As I cast off a puckery mess, I began to wonder if it would really block out to look anything like the picture. Then it finally clicked - the edging is knit sideways. And that would certainly make it easier to get it the right length to go around whatever you are trying to edge - you just keep going until there is enough.
I picked this one to try first because seemed to meet my requirements of not being overly 'lacy' for the t-shirt edging. I think it is because it is kind of angular. Yet when I held it up to the t-shirt, all that mesh just looked wrong. I could see that it could be kind of interesting sewn a little above the edge, on the right side, so that some of the fabric showed through. But it was too 'lacy' looking overall - both because of the see-through mesh and also the larger scallops. The one I settled on the next day was more subtly scalloped and less holey.
I think it's interesting that I have certain criteria in my head for something like this, but when I actually try it out, they end up shifting significantly. It's not the first time this has happened. I have to be willing to question some of the things I think I'm sure about.
4 comments:
It is nice to share and hear about how knitting issues are worked through isn't it?!!
I think I often miss something simple but important like that because I'm so excited about what I'm doing that in my rush to start I don't quite read carefully enough, or make assumptions based on my idea of how it works (hey, I cast on 30 so why would it be a 2 stitch repeat not 3?) hehe =)
i'm with Bron. That's exactly how I make those mistakes. Or it's about assumptions, like you're sure you've worked out how it's going to go, how it SHOULD go, only to find out it's entirely not like that at all.
And lace can be so different to how you think it might look, too, even if you have a photo of a sample.
I still think this is a great little project.
I like the sideways lace. It might not work with the t shirt but it's such a nice, not too frilly pattern. Now you'll just have to find something else to use it for.
LOL - nice to know you're human too!
btw have you got a link to that edging pattern? it's not in any of my dictionaries - I just looked - and I really like it.
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