Puzzled over an increase

[afuna]

I am having some trouble figuring out the increase in Tony's Cashmere Scarf and Gloves (link goes to pattern on Ravelry).


The instructions say:

Make 1 right = pick up and knit the loop beneath the stitch on the left needle, then knit the stitch originally above

Make 1 left = pick up and knit the second loop down from the stitch on the right needle, then continue with stitches on left needle in pattern

Special note: for this pattern, M1 is just the additional stitch and does not include working the stitch above the loop picked up

I feel like I'm missing the obvious, but I can't tell if that means that I should count an increase symbol on the chart as just a M1, or if it should M1 + one more knit stitch (or purl stitch as appropriate).

To complicate matters, when I try to figure it out by studying the chart, I get something that maybe is correct if I sometimes treat the M1 one way, and if I sometimes treat the M1 another way.


On the 1st Needle Chart, Row 16 has 19 regular stitches + 5 empty/placeholder stitches, while row 17 of the 1st Needle chart has 19 regular stitches + 5 M1 stitches, which leads me to believe that the symbol on the chart only counts to mark the increase -- that is, I need to do:
* pick up and knit
* continue knitting in pattern, but don't consider the next knit stitch as part of the M1


However, the only way I can make the stitches line up in the chart once I hit the Thumb Stitches section of the 2nd Needle chart is to assume that one increase symbol is equivalent to the M1 and a subsequent knit stitch. Otherwise, I'll have too few stitches.

That is, Row 20 has 24 regular stitches + 16 empty/placeholder stitches, while Row 21 has 23 regular stitches + 16 empty placeholder stitches + 1 increase. The increase took the place of one of the regular stitches, which makes me think that when I hit the increase, I should:

* pick up and knit
* knit another stitch
* continue knitting in pattern



I am going back and forth, and I can't decide which interpretation to follow, or whether I should follow one interpretation half the time, and the other interpretation the other half. Any insights much welcome ♥

Also, one more thing: I'm somewhat confused by what it means to "pick up the loop beneath..." (it is entirely possible I am doing it another way *g*). Any idea if doing the M1 using the instructions from KnittingHelp.com would cause a noticeable difference from those written in the pattern?

Comments

[sedge]

Whoa - I've never seen anyone call this kind of increase M1. (On the other hand, I don't use patterns much.)

Anyway, this kind of increase is usually called a lifted increase; it is quite possible you've never encountered it before. You can substitute whatever you like, but the visual effect will be different.

There are a bunch of videos on YouTube

This is Cat Bordhi's video, if you like her style.

Two good picture tutorials:
Knotions magazine
Daily Skein

Now I will go back and read your post and see if I can figure out your other problem.

[sedge]

There is a note in the pattern description that says this: "If you got this pattern prior to 11/28/2008 you may wish to download again as I originally uploaded the wrong version. The current file corrects the increase row immediately following the cuff."

If that is not related to your problem, I'm not sure what to tell you because this bit of chart (excerpt seems like it should be fair use):


shows a chart symbol for an increase that just means an increase. Do you see how one of those two stitches is above a dark box? The box indicates a place where there wasn't a stitch previously. The knit stitch that's above the nonexistent stitch and the increase are made from the column of stitches directly to the right of the dark boxes.

Have you tried contacting the designer, or if that doesn't work out, someone who's successfully knit the mitts? I note that some of the folks with projects talk about difficulty with the problem, and someone adapted the thumb area and made broad notes about what they did.

[sedge]

Aha! There is definitely an error in the chart. Do you see on the right side there are two dark columns, but three increases shown on row 17? I suspect there's a stitch missing from the right side of the 2nd Needle chart.

[afuna]

Wow, you are my hero. You just saved my (last-minute) holiday knitting :) Once I slot in the missing column, everything fell into place. Thank you!

Incidentally, I'd checked out the comments and forum posts, but I hadn't seen anyone mention my specific issues. Never would have thought to look at other people doing the projects. It is comforting to know that I am not the only person who's had trouble with the pattern!

[afuna]

Oops, I was wrong about the missing column fixing things. It fixed the pattern stitches that came after, but the thumb stitches weren't lining up into 1x1 rib, the way the written description said they should.

I also noticed that in the thumb pattern, the empty rows match up to the increase stitches, while in Row 17, the empty rows come below the increase stitches, so it looks like something just isn't lining up properly.

So I did Row 17 the same way as before, with the arrow just marking an increase, and then fudged the thumb pattern so that the increases spot in the chart for the thumb section are two stitches wide (the increase + the original stitch)

Thank you so much for all your help!

[sedge]

I'm glad you made it work!

[afuna]

Oh, thank you! I've found that I learn best once I've checked out instructions from several different sources, and I could find nothing that resembled the M1 in that pattern no matter how hard I searched (and now I know why)

...wow, Cat Bordhi is funny.

[sedge]

Glad I could help!

Cat Bordhi is a trip - it's worth watching her other videos, too. And her patterns are really wonderful and twist the brain. (If I recall correctly, she used to be a math teacher.)
http://www.catbordhi.com/