Kitchen Sink Dyeworks

While it may have been an unrealistic project goal with all the freelance deadlines creeping up on me, I cast on for a personal project, Snowden Becker’s adorable, wearable, classic Myrtle cardigan.  Lace, sock yarn, cardigan, SOLD.

So I dyed up 4 skeins of Merino Fine in a slightly lighter shade of Edgar (less black, more charcoal to show of the texture of the lace, because I’m the dyer and I can totally do that), and cast on.  Skipped the gauge swatch, which I would scold a student for doing, so naturally, it bit me on the butt, I ripped, and cast on again with smaller needles. Then I got to the lace charts.  Very clearly laid out, worked my way through row-by-row and realized: I am NEVER going to memorize this chart*.  Well, then.  Time to break out cheat sheets.

Lace cheat sheets (or flip cards, or reference cards) are one of my favorite tricks for making lace enjoyable when it could easily turn into “shut the %&$* up, I’m counting!!”.  While a lot of knitters may be capable of memorizing lace and texture charts, myself included, you don’t always HAVE to.  As Einstein once said, “Why should I memorize something I can so easily get from a book?”  Or some handy pocket-sized cards, for we knitters.  By putting it down into easily scannable chunks of the pattern, you can free up your brain from the stress of memorization and do other things while you knit, like say, think, daydream, converse with friends and family, or watch tv.

So first, grab some index cards, or cut some card stock into smallish-sized cards, say 4″x5″ or so.  Punch a hole in the upper corner (I go upper left, but do what works for you) of as many cards as you have “real” pattern rows.  As in, if it’s just a “purl all stitches” row, don’t bother.

I like to paste a copy of the chart onto an extra card, which I use for the “cover”, but this isn’t crucial.

On each card, write the row number, and then the written-out version of the stitch pattern for that row.  If you’re using multiple charts in a row, write the instructions for each.  If you like, write a reminder for your wrong-side row instructions for plain rows.  If you have varying stitch counts or special instructions, jot those down, too.

Use a binder ring to assemble, and use a paper clip or binder clip to keep the pages from flapping around in transit.

To use, simply flip to the page that correspond with your row.  When you’ve completed the row, flip to the next row card.  Clip the pages in place (every time, trust me!) so that if your little book of cards gets knocked over, the pages won’t flip on their own.

So now you’ll be free to watch tv, chat with friends, take your project to Stitch and Bitch, and enjoy your lace project, rather than have it languish in your knitting basket because it’s too fussy for public knitting.  And if I can get my other knitting work done, now I’ll be able to finish up this little cardi, too!

*This realization really hit home when I botched several rows while attempting to simultaneously knit this while watching the LOST premiere.  Bad move.  It took longer to pick out those rows than it did to knit them!