{"id":71,"date":"2012-07-20T17:04:42","date_gmt":"2012-07-20T16:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/?page_id=71"},"modified":"2015-02-05T17:04:45","modified_gmt":"2015-02-05T17:04:45","slug":"chart-reading-101-part2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/?page_id=71","title":{"rendered":"Chart Reading 101 – part2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 2\"PDF\"<\/a><\/h1>\n
\n

Written by TuesdayFortnite<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ok, if you followed Part 1 already, you should have a little sample of crochet that looks something like this:<\/p>\n

\"Row<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
Row 1 of chart<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

This week we are going to look at some more rows of our \u201cslowly getting bigger\u201d chart.\u00a0 Let\u2019s start with Row 2.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Row 1 and 2 of chart<\/p><\/div>\n

Remember <\/em>that Row 1 read from right to left, so Row 2 is going to read from left to right. \"directions<\/a><\/p>\n

Handily, this chart is numbered to help you along!\u00a0 Now I\u2019m going to \u2018shade out\u2019 Row 1 so we can focus on what is happening in row 2.<\/p>\n

\"row<\/a>

row 2 of chart, row 1 shaded<\/p><\/div>\n

This time we have a new symbol to deal with<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

New symbol with the legend – can you see what it is yet?<\/p><\/div>\n

Referring back to our legend we discover that this is a \u2018shell\u2019.\u00a0 And that a shell consists of 3dc, a chain and 3dc into a single point.\u00a0 If we look closely we can see that this \u2018new\u2019 symbol is indeed created out of symbols we already know \u2013 the dc\u00a0 \u00a0\"Double<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and the chain \"Chain\"<\/a>,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 so even without a legend we could have worked that out.<\/p>\n

Row 2<\/h1>\n

So for row 2 what do we need to do?\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chain 5 (the first 3 chain acts as a DC, which is why they are beautifully stacked on top of each other like that)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be honest.\u00a0 When I see chain at the start of a row \u2013 turning chain<\/strong> – then I tend to work those BEFORE I turn my work.\u00a0 So in this case my brain would automatically read this line as \u201cChain 5, turn work<\/span>, next bit\u2026..\u201d\u00a0 Other people prefer to turn the work and then do their turning chain.\u00a0 It\u2019s up to you.\u00a0 However it is important that (unless otherwise told )you turn your work inbetween each row<\/span>!<\/em><\/p>\n

So now we make our \u2018shell\u2019 into the top of that solo DC we did in Row 1.\u00a0 You can tell this is what we are doing on the chart by the way the base of all those DC point at the same spot.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This would probably be written longhand something like (Chain 5 \u2013 skip 2Dc and 3Ch, 3DC,ch,3DC into DC of previous row)<\/p>\n

Note<\/em>: It is normal for these stitches to be worked through both top loops of the stitch being worked into \u2013 there are different symbols for front loop only, back loop only and post stitches.\u00a0 However<\/em> \u2013 this is your interpretation of a stitch pattern, and you can change quite dramatically how a stitch looks by changing one of these three things.\u00a0 It\u2019s particularly good for creating texture!<\/p>\n

Now we move on and we have 5 more chain.\u00a0\"\"<\/a> In some Russian and Japanese patterns they are super helpful and add a little number (like I have here) to the chain so you are not counting chain the whole time.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re also going to skip the [3 chain, 5 DC, 3 chain] section in the middle of our little swatch.\u00a0 See how the 5chain arches over those stitches?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Now we have another one of those shells.
\nThis one is worked into the other lonely DC from the 1st<\/sup> row.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally we have Chain 2 and a DC into the 3rd<\/sup> \"\"<\/a>of our turning chain (or the last of our starting chain \u2013 whichever way you want to think of it)<\/p>\n

Wow! You\u2019ve completed Row 2, and should be starting to think you\u2019ve got a handle on this \u2018chart reading\u2019 lark.\u00a0 You hopefully have something that looks a bit like this:<\/p>\n

\"end<\/a>

end of row 2<\/p><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s plough on and see what we can make of Row 3!<\/p>\n

Row 3<\/h1>\n

We\u2019re back on our \u2018right\u2019 side \u2013 and we are reading from right to left.\u00a0 We have yet another new symbol \u2013 can you work out what it means before I tell you?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Row 3, new symbol<\/p><\/div>\n

The other thing to notice is that these symbols are drawn<\/em>\u00a0physically<\/em> smaller than the ones on the previous rows.\u00a0 This does not mean they are a different stitch, or that they are worked at a tighter tension.\u00a0 It means that the editor who produced the chart made them a little bit smaller to make it all fit nicely.\u00a0 A bit like going from 12pt to 11pt in a Word document to make it all fit on one page.<\/p>\n

So did you work out what the new symbol meant?\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>That\u2019s right \u2013 it\u2019s a 5DC worked into a single point.\u00a0 On our legend they\u2019ve called it a \u2018fan\u2019<\/p>\n

Now here is where chart reading can get a bit tricksy, as there is no way of showing if a stitch or a number of stitches goes into<\/em> a specific chain, or around<\/em> a specific chain (meaning into the hole created).\u00a0 If a number of stitches is shown going into another stitch (like we just had in row 2) then those stitches go into that stitch<\/span> \u2013 the ambiguity only<\/em> comes with chains.\u00a0 Obviously written instructions will tell you, but if you only have a chart you have to make a judgement call.<\/p>\n

Personally I decide what I\u2019m going to do depending on several things:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Is it possible to go into my chain? – it might not be worth the effort to try and find a specific chain<\/li>\n
  2. Is putting (for example) 27 trebles into a single chain sensible?<\/li>\n
  3. Is more strength gained from going \u2018over\u2019 a chain than \u2018into\u2019 a chain? (I.e. would going into the chain create a weak spot?)<\/li>\n
  4. Does it matter if my stitch can move? \u2013 I might want my single stitch to stay exactly where I put it, or it might not matter (or even be beneficial) if it drifts slightly to one side or the other.\u00a0 Or it might not be able to move anyway due to the stitches around it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We\u2019re going to discuss what I would do<\/span> for a few of these points in a moment for THIS chart.<\/em> A lot of this is going to depend on personal preference, what you are trying to achieve and the demands of the item you are making.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    So starting at the far right, we have Chain 6. (note the 1st<\/sup> three are stacked to be a pretend DC?)<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>Next we have our \u2018Fan\u2019.\u00a0 This is drawn as being worked into the single chain between the 3DC groups of the previous row.<\/p>\n

    What would Tuesday do?<\/span><\/em> \u00a0Here I would work my 5DC into<\/strong> the 1 chain SPACE<\/span><\/strong> rather than into the chain itself.\u00a0 Why? Because the DC\u2019s either side prevent the 5DC from spreading out or moving too much, and it\u2019s too fiddly (for me) to try and get 5DC into that one chain stitch.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Now we have Ch3 and a DC.<\/p>\n

    Again we have a choice moment.\u00a0 You can either\"\"<\/a><\/em>
    \na) work the DC over<\/em> the Ch5 loop of the previous row and roughly centre it.\u00a0 This would allow the stitch to move slightly side to side and not be absolutely centred during use or<\/strong><\/p>\n

    b) you could find and work into the 3rd<\/sup> chain along.\u00a0 This prevents that DC from travelling anywhere.<\/p>\n

    Having done your DC to your liking, you Ch3.<\/p>\n

    What would Tuesday do?<\/span><\/em> Personally it would depend on what I was working on as to what I would choose to do here.\u00a0 A shawl in worsted weight? I\u2019d probably go over<\/span>.\u00a0 A shawl in cobweb weight? I\u2019d definitely go over<\/span>.\u00a0 A lace doily where everything has to be crisp and perfectly aligned? \u00a0I\u2019d go into<\/span>.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 A shawl moves about in use so a stitch being one chain off perfect won\u2019t bother me.\u00a0 However a lace doily, because of its size and usage, if a single stitch is out of alignment it\u2019s really<\/span> obvious.\u00a0 Remember there is no \u2018right\u2019 way here \u2013 the designer can tell you what they did in written instructions, but in a chart it\u2019s up to you.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>Now we\u2019re back to our Fan again.\u00a0 This time worked into our next 1ch space (or into the Chain stitch itself if you prefer)<\/p>\n

    And finally to finish this row you have Chain 3 and a DC into the 3rd<\/sup> of the 5 turning chain of the previous row.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    What would Tuesday do?<\/span><\/em> Here I\u2019d work into the 3rd<\/sup> Chain because it is the edge of a scarf (in my head it is anyway) and I want to ensure my edges are as stable as possible and don\u2019t move about.\u00a0 However, this one does kind of depend on how I feel on the day \u2013 see the further note below!<\/em><\/p>\n

    Note: It\u2019s up to you how tidy you want to be here \u2013 you can work into the 5 chain loop and have movement, or into the 3rd<\/sup> chain and be exact.\u00a0 When working triangular, nape of neck outwards shawls (like a traditional half granny square shawl) I\u2019ll often work over the loop rather than into a specific chain \u2013 that way I can \u2018nudge\u2019 the edge when I\u2019m blocking into the shape I want \u2013 it also gives me a little bit more stretch on that edge.\u00a0 Working into a stitch gives an inelastic, stable edge.<\/p>\n

    So, what we\u2019ve got so far is a chart and (hopefully) a swatch that looks like:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Row 4<\/h1>\n

    Hey, we\u2019re rattling along now aren\u2019t we? Let\u2019s see how good you\u2019ve got.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to give you the chart for Row 4 \u2013 but I\u2019m not going to give you the walk through just yet.<\/p>\n

    Have a look at it and see if you can work out what\u2019s going on.\u00a0 Feel free to try it if you want to, or you can wait for the walk through in the next part.<\/p>\n

    \"Chart<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Part 2 Written by TuesdayFortnite   Ok, if you followed Part 1 already, you should have a little sample of crochet that looks something like this: Row 1 of chart This week we are going to look at some more … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":11,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5Ifg0-19","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=71"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":549,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71\/revisions\/549"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuesdayfortnite.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=71"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}