Tiger eyes scarf-Help

[Lucy78green]

Has anyone made this (http://www.tmooka.net/blogs/stitchingirl/patterns/tigereyescarf.pdf), I cast on tonight and I'm on row 8 of the chart. I've noticed that in the middle of the row (13 symbols along not counting the blanked out squares) there is a knit stitch but there is a ssk two stitches along, everywhere else on the chart where there is a k2tog there is a SSK "opposite it" but not here, is this right???

[Jax3303]

If I'm understanding what you're asking, you're talking about the middle of row 8, where there's 3 knit sts, YO , ssk, and then 2 knit sts. There's no mirroring decrease to that ssk because the ssk is there to compensate for the addition of a stitch with the YO, to keep the stitch count the constant. That yo, SSK is in the middle of the row, so there's nothing to mirror.

[Doublereeder2]

The chart is correct. I made this a few years ago (you will love it - it is gorgeous) and wondered the same thing. It has to be that way for the "eyes" to be centered. Trust the pattern - it is right.

[Lucy78green]

Thanks, I decided to chance it anyway and I think the pattern splits at that point for the little diamondy thing above it (I'm not very good at explaining it) so it it's not entirely symmetrical (which threw me) but it's not noticeable when knitted up. I did two repeats last night but I was too tired to concentrate and made a few mistakes and had to keep tinking back so I went to bed!
Anyhow my camera is rubbish, but this is what it looks like so far.http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/lucy78green/arucania019.jpg

[blueygh2]

Very nice. I also knitted it some time ago, or rather, I started knitting it, unfortunately my yarn was not a good choice, there are knots in every skein, so I abandoned it,...
I also wondered about that strange thing in the pattern, but as some people told me, I trusted the pattern, and it turned out right (I did two repeats)

So keep up the good effort. Nowadays I'm almost always changing patterns to suit my own taste :D

[MMario]

The DESIGN is symetrical, but the KNITTING PATTERN is not. Because if you have an odd number of YO's, you cannot pair every one.

[Lucy78green]

agh right, that makes sense, It's been ages since I tried anything too fiddly and the recent lace project I did was symmetrical so I thought it was odd in comparison

[Sknitter56]

I really love that pattern, but I have one question. On the chart the shaded squares mean "no stitch". What do you do for those stitches? I'm thinking about making that, but want to see if I understand the chart before I start. Thanks.

[blueygh2]

I was worried about that too, but trust the pattern. Just do as it says, and jump the no stitch stitches, there are no stitches. There are more decreases than increases, so that you end up with fewer stitches, but to keep the chart symmetrical, there are placeholders.

[Lucy78green]

It goes from 25 stitches up up 39 and gradually back down to 25 again by YOs and decreases

[Dianeadae]

This is so incredibly beautiful! I hope you do finish it, and love it as well. I am going to go out and buy some yarn today to make it with. Thanks for sharing!

[lulubell]

Beautiful scarf pattern. I have finished two scarves and am part way through a 3rd for Xmas presents, this one looks lovely, and now after reading all the notes from people I will knit the next one in this pattern. I am quite new to the whole internet thing and am amazed at the number of lovely free pattern available. And thanks to everyone for putting links to the ones they have done or are working on.

[Lucy78green]

I've done about 11 repeats now, and this photo is slightly better to give you a better idea of what it looks like the colour isn't too exact though - I'm getting a new camera for my birthday!
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/lucy78green/ravelry111.jpg

[lulubell]

That is looking wonderful!!!! Does it want to curl under at the sides? Does the garter stitch border at each side stop it curling? Are you going to do two halves and graft together in the middle so the pattern goes upwards on both ends?

[blueygh2]

Mine didn't roll, I suppose it's due to the many yarn overs, so that there is almost no "stocking stitch" to cause curling.

[Lucy78green]

The garter stitch prevents curling and also stabilises it at the edges. The yarn is a "semi solid" according to Ravelry (though I'm not sure exactly what that means). It's Araucania Ranco Solid, but there is a slight stripe to it which I'm not sure I could replicate if I knit it in two pieces and grafted together, plus I should have thought that far ahead and worked out how much yarn is half the skein. I hand wound it into a very tight ball! I was planning on knitting until I ran out of wool, then frogging back to the end of the last pattern repeat and finishing. It's for my sister who doesn't knit so I don't think she'd be that critical if it wasn't perfect, but still!

[blueygh2]

Semi solid would refer to the color, telling you that it was not entirely a "solid" color, meaning uniform in color.
As to the grafting problem, you can also knit the scarf without grafting, just doing pattern repeats and ending the scarf.
I thought I'd do x repeats, then place the half scarf onto other needles and do x repeats again, then graft it together,...

[Lucy78green]

I didn't prethink this one! I started my knitting at the start of the yarn which was in the middle of one colour repeat, and not at the start of the colour change so I'd have to find the same point on the other side if I did it in two parts. The stripes are staggered as a result but I'm pretending it's tiger pattern... but the colour difference is really subtle in real life and hard too see the difference. I'll just keep going til I run out, or it gets too long - I think the yardage on the skein is longer than recommended in the pattern so I'll see how it works out

[lulubell]

I think it is more the tiger eye pattern that makes me think I will do it in 2 halves and join in the centre. Otherwise when one is wearing it the pattern will go up on one side and be 'upside down' on the other end!

[lelvsdgs]

Wow!! That is gorgeous!! I am too intimidated by charts but someday I will try one. You are doing a fantastic job and your scarf is going to be beautiful!

[lulubell]

Your lovely scarf has so inspired me that I have just bought some Crucci 100% wool to start knitting as soon as I get home from work! There is very little choice here in Kaitaia as the only place that sells wool only has a little corner of an already small shop devoted to yarn. I am also going to get going on the gloves that Irrevocable is knitting, lucky it is a 3 day weekend. it is also raining and although I have got the fuel for the mower today, hopefully it will be too wet to mow!!!

Yehah, more knitting time!!!!

[lulubell]

I could kick myself! Not only did I leave the pattern for the Tigers eye shawl at work on Friday, I also left the one for the gloves I want to do, AND the oil to mix with the petrol for the mower so my weekend was not what I expected. I have definately got all three things in my bag now (Tuesday).

[Lucy78green]

Well I worked out how to do it in two halves even though I'd already done loads. I have a balance type weighing scale in the kitchen. I put the scarf on the needle in on one side and the remaining ball of yarn with the other needle (to balance the first one) on the other side and broke the yarn when they were roughly the same weight - hopefully this works out - I have 18 repeats on one half - but I might have to frog back to 17....

[lulubell]

I am going to do mine in two halves too. I think that the way the pattern has such an obvious up and down it will look better. I started my one last night, have only done 4 repeats so far, but looking good! I was going to do the two halves at the same time (2 balls of wool) but couldnt wait to see what the pattern looked like. You are going great guns on yours.

[Lucy78green]

Just finished my scarf there tonight. I got 34 repeats out of my yarn. I put more detailed info on ravelry. I've never blocked a scarf before so I am trying to work out how to do it without proper blocking tools as it's a long skinny thing! My sis grabbed it though the minute I finished it, so it'll have to wait til tomorrow probably!

[lulubell]

Congratulations!!! I am 75% of the way through my one. We had spinning club on Saturday so I left my wheel at home and only took the scarf. I have not found it to be relaxing knitting at all, I have to read the chart for almost each stitch. Have you got carpet anywhere, I wonder if you could put a long line of thick towels on the carpet and pin it out then cover with more towels?

[Lucy78green]

Yep, I had to read every line, it's not a pattern that's easy to memorise apart from line 2. I couldn't watch tv at the same time! A few times I missed a YO, or put in an extra one and had to tink back to fix it.
My sister vetoed using her yoga mat for blocking (apparently it has a "special" coating I can't stick pins in) so maybe living room carpet might work!

[Dianeadae]

I have tried this pattern 4 times already, frogging each time. I am about to start over, my 5th time, and if it doesn't work: THE END. No more patience.
I even wrote out each line on an index card, flip each one after a row.

You are sure there is no mistake in the pattern?

and 'no stitch' means, just skip what looks like a stitch but is really a yo, and jump to the next stitch?

Heaven help me, here I go again....

this was one of my frog's:

http://www.soapmaker.ca/SoapPics/GrScarf.jpg

[Dianeadae]

Ack!.... wrong again. I think I've got a different pattern here. What DID I write on those cards?

eek!...I'd like to try the one you made, but I really don't understand the blank stitch idea.

[Lucy78green]

Don't skip or jump anything, the number of stitches on each row Changes as the yarnovers increase the number of stitches and the k2tog decreases, so there aren't the same number of stitches on each row, the blanks are just to make the chart look even. I wrote out how many stitches I should have at the end of each row (including the 3 stitches garter stitch either side)
row 1 = 31
row 2 = 39
row 4 = 37
row 6 = 35
row 8 = 33
row 10 = 31
row 12 = 31
row 14 = 31
row 16 = 31

[lulubell]

Lucy78green is right, just pretend those blank spaces are not even there and go to the next stitch showing and do what it says. It is well worth the effort. I photocopied the chart and enlarged it til I could see it easily and highlighted the centre stitches in one colour, and each alternate row on the chart a different colour so my eyes could follow more easily.

Make a cup of tea, sit down quietly and start again!!!!

[lulubell]

I have finished mine!!! 38 repeats all up. I tried to graft the two bits tog, but just got a mess so cast off with three needles. The edges curl in and it rolls into a tube, but I will wash and block it tonight if I get time and see what happens. Even rolled in it looks OK on.

[Lucy78green]

I still haven't gotten around to blocking mine, I usually only steam things with the iron. I'm a bad knitter - I don't block - however lace I think requires it!

[Abbily]

Diane, don't skip any stitches in your knitting- just skip the blank squares when reading the chart.

Lucy, your scarf is beautiful!!

[Lucy78green]

I just pinned it all out for blocking, oops it's now 8 inches wide and 10 foot long, suppose my sis will have to wind it round her neck a good few times
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/lucy78green/ravelry169.jpg

[lulubell]

But dosent it look impressive!!!! I had some left over cream 100% cotton, and have made two cloths and two little bags for homemade soap to add to the Xmas pressie stash. I went to the Waimate North Agricultural and Pastoral Show on Saturday, a woman was selling homemade soap so I got a few bars and made the little bags to fit the cakes of soap. They look quite good.

[blueygh2]

Wow it looks great, and those foam blocks for blocking is a great idea. Now I only have to find some...

[Crycket]

I am 11 repeats into mine...I hope it looks as good as yours...

I have been skating around ravelry, trying to find a good length...someone said 34 repeats....

I am going to try and graft mine....Kitchener stitch?

[Lucy78green]

Wow it looks great, and those foam blocks for blocking is a great idea. Now I only have to find some...
Someone in the Irish knitters group found them in a toy shop so I thought I'd try my local one and they had them for £5.99 (about $12) for 10 but they had bigger bags for £12ish.

[Lucy78green]

I am 11 repeats into mine...I hope it looks as good as yours...

I have been skating around ravelry, trying to find a good length...someone said 34 repeats....

I am going to try and graft mine....Kitchener stitch?

Mine is 34 repeats, I got impatient waiting for it to dry, it was nearly dry but not quite after a day so I unpinned it and put it in the hot press (hot water tank cupboard) it only shrank by about 2 inches but widthways it came in a bit - not sure if that was because it was still a little damp when I unpinned it but it was taking up the backroom floor. I put the finished pictures on Ravelry but I'm not the best photographer in the world.. I used Amy's video on grafting here as it has been YEARS since I've done it, you can do a 3 needle bind off but I didn't want a ridge. I did it on a row 16 as I had them going in the "wrong direction" when I finished it on a row one and I couldn't work out how to do it backwards

[Abbily]

GORGEOUS!!

And darn! My daughters had those foam ABC blocks, and I got rid of them before I started knitting! I'll have to keep an eye out for some more. :)

[lulubell]

Mmmm, I would never have thought of using them! I too am going to keep an eye out for some in garage sales etc.

[lulubell]

I have finally found a pack of foam interlocking blocks for NZ$5 in the local Salvation Army shop. Wonderful things they are! I have put them together in so many different ways and can see they will be usefull for what ever one knits, jersey shapes, scarves, 2 tog for a sleeve, 6 to make a jersey shape etc.