Kickoff of BLC Knit Along

June 16 is the kickoff of the Beginner Lace Cardigan Knit Along (BLC Knit Along). The pattern is available free from Love of Knitting here. We have scheduled 12 weeks (plus a wrap-up week) of knitting, and have weekly prizes, a runner up prize, and a grand prize all lined up. More importantly–I think!–LindaLovesLace and I are available to help you with the BLC Knit Along. Linda is knitting along, and I’m providing support. I think you will find the BLC Knit Along well supported.

I go into everything thinking it will take less time and effort than it actually does. Does that sound familiar? This leads to unfinished projects, or things that take longer than I expected to complete. I struggle with this all the time, but I am finding that Planning and Scheduling are really the keys to getting done what I really want/need. There is still tons of stuff that I would like to do, but I’m focusing on the high priority items!

The Kickoff of BLC Knit Along has been no different than anything else–lots more work than anticipated! We have combed through the pattern and hopefully found all the mistakes. This is a free pattern, so I don’t think anyone can be critical of Love of Knitting. I will provide them with the errata so future knitters can benefit from my work and I will, eventually, get it on my errata page as well.

For the Kickoff of BLC Knit Along I have created a schedule, swatch, gauge, and blocking instructions, errata, charts for the swatch, charts for the bottom trim, and a chart for the decrease to body. I have some early-bird knitters on Ravelry:

Beginner Lace Cardigan Schedule

I’ve  created a weekly schedule that will allow us to realistically get the BLC knit. This is available to anyone who joins us by creating a pattern page on Ravelry, or asks to join the closed Facebook group.

Beginner Lace Cardigan Swatch Instructions

I like to do a sizable swatch before I launch a garment project. I’ve put up written instructions (in my Jill Wolcott Knits format) available to participants. Why do I do a large swatch? Because, there are a lot of stitches in this garment, and the body is knit in one piece to the armholes. I like to get things right so it is mostly forward progress I’m making. I explain blocking and swatching and taking gauge in the Swatch Instructions.

Beginner Lace Cardigan Errata (page 1–more to come)

Most of the errors are at the beginning of the pattern, so be sure to get the Errata from me before launching into this one. Linda and I have had our calculators out, been comparing charts to written instructions, and vice versa, and generally combing through this.

Note:  I have no idea if the errors originated with me or with LOK. I don’t think that is relevant, but I think it is worth noting that I did not have the pattern tech edited before submitting it for publication and honestly don’t know what their process is. Patterns I publish go through a rigorous tech editing process where someone else catches my mistakes and transpositions!

Beginner Lace Cardigan Charts

I like to work from a combination of charts and written instructions, so I created charts for the swatch, the bottom trim, and the decrease to body (what we are doing this week!). I will create more charts as we go.

My charts are “action” charts and tell you what to do based on what you are seeing. That is, for instance, a purl is always shown as a purl, regardless of what side of the knitting you are looking at. I have to chart this way because my brain cannot make the transposition of what to do on the wrong side easily. I want to work quickly and easily and this is what works for me. If you find these difficult to use, I suggest 1) using the basic chart in the pattern, 2) putting the pattern into Stitch Maps, or 3) making your own charts. I will provide the Action charts!