Here is the first Skirt Tier completed. I am using a 20″ circular so there isn’t room to spread out more than a single repeat of the stitch pattern. You can see that I use markers to separate every pattern repeat across the row. This makes lace so much more manageable for me. It allows me to see quickly if I have made a mistake simply by counting stitches, and because each segment is separated, I can take in that bit more easily, both while knitting and while trying to find a problem. If When I do make a mistake, it is apparent almost immediately because I will not end my pattern correctly. I will admit that I rarely use a lifeline. I think because of my marker use I don’t feel that things will get too far before I find a mistake.
I have lots of things like lifelines that I could do, but don’t. I have referred to my laziness and this is often due to that, and that I am always trying to move things ahead. Those of you who are more careful can probably see the potential pitfalls in this sort of behavior, but I persist. My husband is, by nature, a risk manager, so I’m covered where it is really important! But I’m willing to take a little risk in my knitting: I never use point protectors, I often stop in the middle of a row, I rarely use a marker to keep track of where I am in the pattern/chart, and I don’t use lifelines. I will use a folded piece of paper to measure if I don’t have a ruler/tape measure handy. I’m sure there are other bad practices that I use–oh, like using whatever type of needle (of the right size) I have handy instead of getting the right one.
Other knitters assume that because I am able to create beautiful knitted things that I am an awesome knitter. I would say I’m good, but I don’t knit many complete projects, I am not noted for my ability to slavishly follow directions (even my own!), and I get bored, so I’m not as good as I could be. I make lots of mistakes, but notice them quickly and repair. Last night I tinked an entire row, only to find that I’d done it right. Now that is frustrating and it was my fault for not looking at my pattern!
I have just the spacer rows to finish to complete the Second Skirt Tier. As planned, it is feeling like I’m racing to the end as stitches diminish. When you start with 336, 286 (or whatever my current count is) feels great! No time to update my photos today.
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