…then a pattern for a basic jumper might read rather like this…
(NB: Photos are indeed of a jumper-in-progress, but not one based on the instructions in this post. In case you’re curious, it’s Jared Flood’s ‘Cobblestone’, in Malabrigo Rios, colourway ‘Tormenta’. It’s taken years to persuade the Stoic Spouse that he might like to try wearing a jumper when he’s shivering in our freezing cold house. Hope he likes it.)
Instructions:-
- Cast on. Place pretty, Instagrammable stitch-marker and join in round, taking care not to twist.
- Work alternating rounds of knit and purl, to establish garter stitch. Continue until piece measures 3cm from cast-on edge. This stage of the project is known as the Point Of Peak Enjoyment. Savour it.
- Work a further 5cm, slipping marker on completion of each round, whilst battling a growing worry that the piece seems rather on the small side. If necessary, apply wine (to yourself, not to the knitting) in order to quieten these doubts.
- Admit it, you didn’t knit a gauge swatch, did you?
- From this point, all rounds are worked in knit stitch to form stockinette. Replace fancy stitch marker with ugly, plain one that doesn’t snag your yarn or generally annoy you.
- It’s definitely too small, isn’t it? How is this happening? You’re making the medium size, and you always end up fitting a medium, whether or not you faff about swatching beforehand.
- Continue in stockinette.
- If you tug it outwards a bit, it looks almost wide enough. A bit of negative ease never hurt anyone.
- Continue in stockinette.
- Or is it positive ease? I can never remember.
- Please pay attention.
- Sorry.
- Continue in stockinette until work measures 24cm from cast-on edge. Stretch it outwards again, thus losing several centimetres of length, which will need to be re-knitted. This approach is obviously not flawed in any way at all.
- Knit one round, placing a second marker at the half-way point.
- In following round, decrease one stitch either side of both markers, then work even for seven rounds.
- You’re joking, right? You can’t be telling me it’s going to get even smaller?
- Repeat instruction for decreasing and working even an additional four times.
- Oh good grief. You’re not joking.
- Work a further three rounds of stockinette.
- Perhaps the size of this jumper and cost of the yarn will be the incentive you need to go to the gym and lose, er, three quarters of the circumference of your torso. Maybe you could have a couple of internal organs surgically removed, to help the process? Your lungs, for example?
- Transfer the first three quarters of your stitches onto spare yarn. The remaining stitches will be worked back-and-forth to form the front left shoulder.
- At this point, increase the speed of your knitting, because that’s a totally legitimate way to outrun your doubts about whether this thing will fit you.
- Beginning with a wrong-side row, and on the occasion of a full moon, work decreases every five rows at V-neck side of work, whilst at the same time but only on a Tuesday and singing in French, work decreases at the armhole edge every seven rows.
- Recall that it’s your bestest friend’s birthday tomorrow, and lay work aside in order to whip up a hat as a gift for the occasion. Return reluctantly to the jumper three weeks later, after completing the hat, retiling the bathroom, and falling down a weird crafty rabbit-hole of trying to crochet baskets out of grass.
- Maybe it’ll be OK, after a really robust blocking. And everyone knows that measuring knitting is the worst possible way to determine its size. Seriously, you could measure the same piece ten times and get ten different dimensions. Swatching? Measuring? Pah! It’s all just a conspiracy by Big Knitting to get you to… err… buy more measuring tapes. Or something.
- Continue pattern of decreases until you have eight stitches remaining.
- Eight?! How in mohair’s name are you supposed to end up with eight? That makes no sense. There’s obviously an error in the pattern.
- Lay work aside, and open Ravelry to search for commentary on this designer’s blatant incompetence. Discover with mounting shame the unanimous praise heaped upon the designer for their technical wisdom and flawless patterns. Reluctantly return to your knitting.
- As stated above, continue until you have EIGHT stitches remaining.
- Realize that you failed to notice you were supposed to be decreasing at both sides of your work.
- Rip back.
- Try to match up the number of stitches now on your needles with an identifiable point in the pattern. You’ve ripped back too far. Or not far enough. Or possibly both simultaneously.
- As stated quite clearly and explicitly above, work decreases at V-neck side every five rows, whilst working armhole decreases every seven rows.
- Decide to draw a diagram to keep on top of these decreases. Using an HB-weight pencil and A4-sized paper, carefully draw a diagram so that you can tick off each row as you go.
- Fail to have the diagram to hand when you next work on the jumper.
- Cast off your eight-ish shoulder stitches. Your work resembles a pitiful, shriveled thing.
- Work right side of front of shoulder, reversing sequence of decreases to create mirror image of left side.
- Oh sure, like that’s easy to get my brain round. Why don’t I just calculate pi to forty decimal places whilst I’m doing it?
- Please note: there is no need to calculate pi to forty decimal places, now or indeed almost ever.
- I was being sarcastic.
- Oh. OK. Continue to work right front shoulder as described.
- Do you ever lighten up?
- Once again, cast off when you have eight stitches remaining on your needle.
- Continuing with The Stupid Thing (TST) solely out of a grudging sense of duty to your credit card bill, return all remaining stitches to your needles, in order to work back of neck.
- On every seventh row of TST, decrease at start and end of row to shape armholes, whilst dancing the flamenco and conjugating verbs in ancient Greek. (Latin may be used as an alternative if you’re unfamiliar with ancient Greek, but Greek facilitates a more professional-looking finish.)
- It’s almost definitely too small, but… sunk costs and all that. Allow grim stubbornness to win over reason, and continue knitting TST.
- Cast off.
- To begin each sleeve, cast on, place marker, and join in round.
- If you say “taking care not to twist”, I might just twist your needles out of your hands and shove them where the sun don’t shine.
- Taking care not to twist.
- Ha ha, nooo Officer, *tinkly laugh* I wasn’t really threatening the designer of this fine knitting pattern; I was just venting some very normal yarny frustration. Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the emotionally fraught nature of knitting? Oh, you say your partner is a knitter? Well, doubtless you’ll understand, then. How about I make you a scarf in laceweight merino and we call it quits, yeah?
- Work rounds in garter stitch, and consider yourself very lucky that I’m still sharing my design genius with you.
- OK. Erm… Err… I, um… might have, um, twisted the work. A little bit. At least… I seem to have created a mobius sleeve. Not sure how that happened, to be honest. It’s a bit embarrassing. Seriously, I swear this is the first time that’s ever happened.
- Rip sleeve back to start, and pay attention this time.
- I bet you’re a whole heap of fun at parties.
- Work sleeve in stockinette, with increases every nine rounds. Once main portion of sleeve has been worked in the round, work back and forth in stockinette rows for sleeve cap with decreases. Then cast off.
- OK, got that. Done.
- Now work second sleeve in the same way.
- WHAT?! I have to endure this torment again?! HAVE I NOT SUFFERED ENOUGH?
- It’s up to you. Want a one-armed jumper? That’s cool. Your choice.
- Cast on second sleeve with a surly attitude.
- Having completed second sleeve, thread darning needle in order to attach front to back of each shoulder, then sleeves to body.
- Dismiss the fact that the circumference of the sleeve cap seems w-a-y bigger than that of the armhole, so you end up bunching the sleeve cap like some crazed power-shoulder out of a 1980s boardroom.
- Pick up stitches around the inside of the neck, and work six rounds of (k2,p2) rib, decreasing either side of the front centre point, in order to put the ‘V’ in V-neck. Then cast off. Weave in ends. Or don’t. Honestly, I’m past caring.
- It’s done. And it looks surprisingly gorgeous. The yarn is beautiful. The shaping is elegant (shoulders excepted). But… it’s just a bit too… toddler-sized.
- After an appropriate period of sulking, donate the completed toddler-sized jumper to an actual toddler. Refrain from weeping as they do typical toddler stuff in the mud whilst wearing £70-worth of cashmere-yak blend.
BRILLIANT!!! ????????????
This! This! Exactly what happened when I most recently knitted a garment but from the opposite persuasion!
Beingg on the curvaceous side I was anxious not to knit something that wouldn’t fit, and carefully measured an existing fitting garment to ensure fit….and then proceeded to knit something approximating a tent….and it’s such lovely yarn it won’t shrink, and I can’t face frogging and reknitting….ah well, it’s warm and cosy anyway….!
BRILLIANT!!!
Claire, I feel your pain! We’ve all been there, I suspect…
Have you been looking in my window?? Love it!!
Yeah. Sorry. Was hoping you hadn’t noticed. I’ll go away now. ????
ha ha ha ha I’ve only done the exact opposite, the sweater/jumper was so HUGE I gave it to a really, really larger person I know. They were pleased with the Llama wool sweater… I don’t even want to talk about the $$$$. it cost, much less time as it was one of those cabled ski sweaters… looked great, I just wasn’t will to gain 300 pounds to wear it.
Oh yikes, all those fiddly cables and then you couldn’t even wear the result. 🙁 I feel your pain. Hope the recipient realized how much work (and money!) had gone into this thing.
If my knitting patterns were this aware of my commentary, they’d have called the NSPCC** on me years ago. Luckily I mutter to myself in German while using English patterns…no one give them a dictionary please!
(national society for pattern care and cosseting)
No need to worry about talking to your patterns. It’s when they start replying that you should be concerned! ????
Am chuckling at both these comments! Grumbling about your patterns in a language they don’t understand sounds like an EXCELLENT idea.
Oh my gosh, you are totally back. Birthday this week and you are the best present!
Thank you, and more importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I laughed through this whole story! You so understand knitting! LOL! Thank you, Susan
Thank you! I was slightly worried that I’d be the only person who’d ever had these thoughts and you’d all be “Huh, what’s wrong with you?”
Oh my, I do hope that never happened to you. Not with that gorgeous yak yarn. But I laughed all the way to the last line, reading it. I do hope the stoic spouse got a fitting jumper though. Else he will be cured forever of wearing home made jumpers. Hugs dear.
Thank you, as always. The silly thing is that I bought far fancier, lovelier yarn for his jumper than I’d buy for myself, because I so want him to become a jumper/knitwear convert.
I laughed so much I snorted tea down my nose…
Oops, sorry! Well, a bit sorry…
My sister and I knit. Cast on, do about six rows, mistake unpick jumper, start again repeat about three times. Me, oh let me read the pattern again, oh should have increased that’s why not enough stitches. My sister thinks I am the brainiest of the two of us. I’m not. Still haven’t learnt to read pattern first. Wendi my sister said last cast on, you never read about other people making mistakes. Well now I have!!! Makes me feel wonderful that someone as good as you can make mistakes. Sorry that sounds mean and nasty. Take care. Xxx
Too funny! That was a great breakdown of everyone’s knit-related anxiety. Adult beverages for all!
Thank you! I did slightly worry that I was the only person who’d had these thoughts…
Absolutely brilliant. Just what I needed. You nailed it. Keep it coming.
Thank you so much. I’ll try…
This is wonderful and hilarious. It’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only one to have frustrated mental dialogues with knitting instructions. And now that I’m actually typing a comment instead of just composing one in my head, I’ll apologize for not sending my reaction to your previous blog entry, which was that I so happy to see you writing during what I’m sure is a very difficult time, and that I was touched and moved by the lovely tour of your living room, so filled with personal treasures.
Thank you for all of this! And I’m so with you on the composing responses in my head rather than actually putting finger to keyboard. Hence being slow and rubbish at responding to blog comments, emails, texts, children asking me when dinner is ready…
Now I know that I am not alone!
Me too, because I had a slight worry on publishing that you’d all wonder what I was blithering about because this none of this ever happened to you!
And she’s back! And if a knitter of jumpers (sweaters on this side of the pond) can’t relate to this factual portrayal of how to knit a sweater, then they are lying about being a sweater knitter.
I have the yarn specified in the pattern, the correct crochet hook and have ripped it back a* few rows, more rows, back to the starting chain,*.repeat. Ok, let’s try a larger hook, the yarn prefers the larger hook the pattern does not so repeat previous row. Now, let’s undo the whole 3 inches you’ve managed, file the pattern as way too fiddly and get out the knitting needles. Christmas is 3 weeks away and this particular cardigan is supposed to be under the tree. . . his birthday is 3 weeks after Chistmas.
Glad you found your funny again and the yarn and pattern are beautiful.
Oh, I hear you. I totally, totally, hear you. Good luck!
Wonderful! So funny and so true. I love the colours – like metallic swirls of oil in a puddle. I also learned a new word – Möbius. I’m going to try and work that into conversation.
Your experience with this project reminded me of the second thing I ever knitted. It was a mohair cardigan in a beautiful deep bottle green with gold sheen like shot silk. I kept getting the arm hole to shoulder section way too long and thin. My lovely late Dad, noticing my frustration, asked me to explain the ‘language’ of the pattern. He then sat down and did a bit of scribbling. Half an hour later he showed me that the pattern was actually wrong AND he had rewritten it for me. Confidence restored, I completed it and wore it for years and years. How I miss him still, 35 years later!
Thanks for lovely, funny post. Glad you are feeling well enough to entertain us again! Keep well. x
Wow, your Dad was awesome. And clever. And supportive. I’m glad that the cardigan had a happy ending.
May God bless you for sharing your humor. Hugs.
Thank you. And may your stitches always form perfectly on your needles.
This is hilarious- and so spot on.
Increasing the speed of one’s knitting is always helpful, especially when in doubt (yarn chicken, anyone?).
Thank you for this wonderful story – I had to wipe tears of laughter from my eyes!
Oh totally, it ESPECIALLY works in yarn chicken. But who am I to talk, because I ALWAYS lose at yarn chicken.
Absolutely, because if you knit fast enough you’ll get to the end of the knitting before the yarn gets to the end of the ball. Totally makes sense and I do it all the time. ????
Oh this is hysterical. And unfortunately so so true. Great you’ve rekindled your mojo. Knew it would be long before you did! X
Thank you! It was fun to write.
“Tormenta” sounds a perfect name for your experience – perhaps the name should have been a warning?? It is so very disappointing when all your efforts bring no joy in the wearing. thank you for sharing – it is encouraging that expert knitters also have trouble.
Yes, I should have taken account of the name! And EVERYONE has challenges in their knitting – which makes the process more interesting, I suppose.
One of the Eternal Mysteries of Knitting — why we don’t LISTEN to that little voice saying “This is not right.” For some reason, many of us (me!) just keep chugging on in the mistaken belief that the Knitting Fairy will come along and **ping!** this misshapen mess into the correct size. She never does.
BTW, I am in lust with that Malabrigo colorway. Fortunately (for my credit card balance) it was out of stock at Webs. (No, don’t tell me that you know a source where it’s not out of stock.) With any luck, by the time it comes back into stock I will have (a) money; (b) time, and (c) a pattern in mind. (And you don’t need to remind me that I have two sweater-lots of Rios already in the stash.)
Rios is gorgeous stuff, isn’t it?! Sorry, that’s not helping your credit card, is it?
And yes, we just don’t listen to that nagging little voice that knows it won’t work. I’m learning (a bit, slowly) to listen to it when designing, because it’s never worth persevering with something that you know in your heart just doesn’t work.
You gave me a big chuckle. I’m like the other lady, I’m always afraid it’s going to be too small and end up with something 2 people,e can fit in.
Oh, it can go either way. Too big, too small, but never just right! *sigh*
Conjugate ancient Greek?!? Hahahahahahahaha. I’m soooooooooooo happy you’re feeling better. ❤
Thank you! (And just for the record, I’ve never conjugated an ancient Greek verb in my life.)
Are you sure that the knitting police haven’t bugged my house and sent the process to you? I spent 6 months knitting a lace coat for my granddaughter’s 16th birthday. For that 6 months, I had a husband who kept saying « I don’t understand how you enjoy knitting when you have to pull it undone so often ». When at last, it was blocking I discovered a mistake in the lace just above the wrist – I decided to pretend it wasn’t there – I was a broken woman and couldn’t face another 6 months ….my granddaughter loved it for her 17th birthday which made it all worthwhile.
I love your sense of humour!
Noooo! I absolutely felt your pain reading this! Lacework is treacherous stuff, only for the brave. When lace goes wrong, it goes very wrong very quickly. And an entire lace coat? Wow, that’s impressive, and I’m VERY happy that your granddaughter loved it.
Oh yes! You have nailed it once again! I hav been there & done that….only once was enough for me. Soooo Glad you feel up to knitting and hilarious entertainment. Many Warm Hugz❤❤
Thank you so much! I was a tiny bit nervous that none of you would have a clue what I was blithering about because these things never happen to you!
This is hilarious…and sounds so similar to my mind’s ranting while knitting garments that need to fit! I knitted a summer tank top three times before I had the size even close to big enough! That’s one heck of a lot of “enjoyment” over just one project!
Thanks for the fun!!
Kathy
Oh yes, I hear you, I totally hear you. I hope that tank top was just perfect in the end.
You are SUCH a fool, Phil ! [grin] As if anyone whose knitting looks like yours could POSSIBLY have an episode like this !!! But crikey, you made me laugh !!! 😀
How’s it all going, otherwise ?
Sick of being asked that, I imagine, so I withdraw the question.
I’m pretty sure you’re wondering where Robyn is – like, in what climes is she disporting herself, right ?
She’s thinking of you, too .. as we all are.
Thank you so very much! I’m doing OK, thanks. I’ll be starting my radiotherapy treatment sessions next week so I’m anxious about that, but otherwise things are OK. I’m just so fortunate that the cancer hadn’t spread, so everything is going to be FINE.
Like many folk here, I miss Robyn. I HOPE that she’s somewhere warm and safe, but realistically I fear that she reached the end of her life. The last few times I saw her, she didn’t look well. I miss her so much, but she certainly won’t be forgotten. It was such an honour to have her trust.
That’s BRILLIANT, that it’s not metastatic !!! And I remember clearly that Chic found the radiotherapy much eaier to deal with than the chemo.
Dear Phil, everything will indeed be FINE. As are we, your distant friends, to understand this.
HOORAY and HALLELUJAH !
Many big fat hugs from Downunder ..
And there will be another robin: just not another Robyn.
TOO FUNNY!!!
Very glad you posted
Take care and be safe.
Thank you! And you stay safe too, in these crazy times.
This is so true! And with alarming frequency…
Not just me, then! I did worry I was the only one…
I made a poncho and it was so big I decided to sew up the opening for the head and made a blanket. But it’s a beautiful blanket and it’s all mine.
Perfect! And nobody ever needs to know that it began life as an intended poncho. Enjoy your beautiful blanket.
So glad to read your post. Brilliant as always. Take care. Love and prayers for you from British Columbia.
And thanks from Oxfordshire to your beautiful part of the world.
I once made a mohair-blend cardigan with droopy front edges. My mother pulled it all apart(I was a teen) and I reknit as a pullover, eventually handed down to one sister. Last winter I saw it on my youngest sister, a few decades later.
That’s brilliant, that the same yarn has been clothing your family for so long!
The yarn selected for the stoic spouse is spectacular, the pattern directions all too true????. Thankyou for inspiring to pick up THAT jumper again, however I think I will be donating it to a giant…..
Oh dear! May your needles and yarn surprise you, and may THAT jumper somehow magically transform into the perfect size just as you cast off…
Spot on and thank you for the belly laughs this evening! I so know that feeling of “really??? They must be kidding! Maybe if I read it again and again and again it will make sense…”
I have a copy of one of your beautiful photos of Robyn on my computer. It lights up my mood every time I see it.
Thank you for all you do and best from this fan….
Linda from Montana
Thank you so much, Linda! I wish Robyn was still here so that I could offer some more pictures. My friend has painted a wonderful image of her which I’ll probably share next post in case anyone would like to see.
Please do share the portrait of Robyn with us all. I volunteer at our local zoo’s hospital and it is an honor to care for creatures that are truly wild but so sad when we have to say goodbye. If Robyn has reached the end of her short life, you should feel good about earning the trust of a wild creature and giving her a truly interesting – and yummy snack filled – life. Several friends have had radiation for breast cancer over the last few years. They all said that it was the easiest part of treatment. They were a bit tired (although one still managed to golf and beat the pants off most of her fellow golfers throughout) but generally felt pretty good.
its funny. because its so true….
Glad it’s not just me, then! (Was a bit worried when I published, in case these things never happened to anyone else.)
So true! Thank you for such an entertaining read at the end of busy day. Do hope you are feeling better.
Thank you! I’m doing OK, thanks. Radiotherapy treatment begins next week, so I’m nervous, but all will be well in the long-term.
Oh this made my day. THANK YOU Phil and thank you all commenters for reminding me that I belong to this great and glorious multitude of crafters who make wonderful grand mistakes that makes us laugh – at least when somebody like Phil helps us see ourself in all our wonderful flawingness that is always the sign of a FREE ONE 🙂
It’s great to be Flawsome isn’t it. I’m totally embracing being flawed and awesome and I too love being part of this wonderful community ????????
Leelah and Sarah, thank you both! The people who come here and comment (and I’m including you both in this, obviously) are so witty and wise and generally lovely. Also, FLAWSOME is just the best word! Please may I steal it?
I’ve DM’d you the link on Instagram so you know the source. It’s a brilliant word isn’t it.
Been there, done that, and I’m soooooo pleased that you’ve enabled us all to feel like it’s a normal condition (judging by the previous comments) for any given pattern/yarn combination.
I absolutely identify with the knitting faster and then it will fit scenario ????????♀️
I have come to realise that although I enjoy knitting garments it’s a much more relaxing experience to knit a shawl as finished size doesn’t matter and if you have to play yarn chicken it’s much easier to win ????
Take care of yourself and stay safe ????????????
Trust me, the relief goes both ways. I had a tiny worry that I’d publish this and you’d all comment “What on earth are you blithering about, you incompetent woman?” Phew!
And that’s why I gave up knitting and now improvise freely with a crochet hook! Thank you for brightening up a very dark Scottish morning. Hope writing it cheered you as much as reading it cheered me.
Well your comment certainly cheered me, so thank you very much. Happy hooking!
Absolutely brilliant. Just what I needed. You nailed it. Keep it coming.
Thank you! I’ll try…
Oh yes haha! Totally been there. So much so that I’ve stopped trying to understand patterns, learning to write Arabic was easier! As for the twisting in the round….ahem…my latest project suddenly went möbius…aaagh. Luckily I’d only got 3 cms in, so I untwisted. Theres now a strange little blurp in the edging which reminds me that nobody is perfect. Loving your writing and your knitting- that wool is gorgeous. Keep safe and well.
Sooo good to read you this morning, Phil ! I laughed a lot, and realized I was not alone in my woolly adventures… Take care and stay safe !
Thank you so very much! You stay safe too in these crazy times.
I’ve been there. . . I hate it when the gauge turns out to be more important than I thought it was. . .
Hahahaha I once started a hat and got a couple of rows in and realized I had twisted it at the start. Unusual for me – I’m usually very careful about that. Grrr, cashmere treat. I twisted it back and knew it would be a little burp that I could wear at the back of my head and no one would ever notice. I got another couple of rows in and found that it wasn’t a mistake after all. Thinking it was a mistake was a mistake. I ended up frogging and starting over. I don’t know why I wasn’t knitting top down to start as that’s my favourite way to go. BTW Winnipeg here and curious as to why you use the American term stockinette st? I see it’s becoming more and more popular in Canada but I still think stocking st sounds better.
This made me laugh so much! So recognisable.
Seriously accurate. God help me if the pattern calls for stranding. Although my sweaters always come out looking like tents instead of toddler size. And I swear I swatch – Every. Single. Time. But ooh – cashmere/yak? I might have to go buy some . . . there’s another sweater I’ve had my eye on . . .
Please, I should follow your blog. How can I do that?
I am Rachel.shaffer94@gmail.com
Hi Rachel. You should see an option for entering your email address in order to follow. If you’re reading this on a mobile, you’ll have to scroll down to below the post to find it. If you’re on a laptop/desktop, it will be in the sidebar down the right of the screen. Thanks for your interest! ????
Oh my! This was priceless. I agree…your take on the pattern is far more realistic!
Hi, this was hilarious. I loved it. It reminded you of the time I rashly began knitting a quilt in a very pretty apple leaf pattern. Each square was made of four little squares. This was years ago. The pattern was fairly straight forward except when your mind wandered, so it was unravel, start again and it needed so may squares to finish it that I found a hundred other vital things to do, go for a walk, meet friends….. I finally gave up when I got married and left home. Years later, my mother found it, finished it and presented it to me, it looked gorgeous. Loved reading your blog, the first time I have done so. Shall definitely continue to do it.
Ha. As always spot on Phil. X
Just brilliant, and so good to know I am not the only one. But I must say I have come across many patterns that are wrong. It’s very frustrating and I am not proud to admit the amount of lovey wool I have thrown out because I know I am never going to get that sweater right. Thank you Phil, and so pleased you are doing well. Thinking of you x
Dear Phil….you are definitely feeling better judging by this!Praise be. I laughed all the way reading it. Really tickled me. It made me so happy that you are well enough o think these things up for our enjoyment. Thank you SO much
I have given up on any kind of fancy using extra stitches or slipping stitches backwards and forwards when joining in the round, because it always does twist, however much care I take, and if I’ve just knitted straight across the gap there’s a single strand there that I can just twist back again.
Doing an increase two stitches *before* a marker, however…