Help, I think I messed this up!

[donnalynn2]

Ok, so after considering it long and hard I decided to make the Ruwana from Crochet! Magazine (March 2004 edition, page26)

 

First off, I had to frog quite a lot as I'm a dunce and didn't realize that this is a very odd pattern in that you never turn, you just fasten off the end of each row and start at the beginning again (very dumb IMO), Well this is a bit tricky as it start with over 240 stitches and it's easy to mess up and skip a stitch. I've been working several rows and there it was staring me in the face. I have been doing this wrong! Clear as day it states "unless noted, work all CH and STs in back bar". UGH!

 

First question, has anyone worked a pattern like this where you fasten off at each end and never turn? It is really important that I work in only the back bar or will my item look goofy if I don't do it right?

 

THANKS!

[Cuddlefish]

What is the Ruwana? I just don't know what it is you're making. Sounds big.

[funkyreporter]

Well, stick up a picture of this thing and we'll say, "yup, that's way messed up." or "No - much better than the original.":D Having no idea what a ruwana is it's hard to say... (a foreign pasta dish? "Ah, ruwana with sautee'd rabbit ear - the house special!" Yuck. A plumbing part? "Well, if you put a washer in before your ruwana then your faucet won't leak!... duh!".... Okay. I'm being silly

 

Nope, never had one that said to fasten off after every row... I'd probably get frustrated and relegate it to the UFO pile...

 

As for as 'only in the back post' that's gonna give the fabric a different look - I don't think it's wrong if you don't, you'll just have a different look... and different isn't necessarily a bad thing!

 

I'll await your posting a picture... maybe a scan of what you're trying for and a picture of what you're ending up with!

[Chrome Kitty]

I noticed you said "back bar" and not "back loop". I bring this up because I've seen a stitch that is done in the bar behind the back loop which causes the front & back loop to come to the front of the work, creating a knit looking stitch. If that's the case, that would explain why they have you working only on one side - so the knit looking stitches are all on the "good" side.

 

I've had a few patterns that were worked on just one side and had to cut after each row. The one I've done most is the Navajo afghan, which is worked in BLO with a long dc in the free front loops on rows below to make the diamond design. Here's the best close-up pic I could find on the web: http://www.prisonart.org/artwork/Textiles/photos/Indian%20X.jpg

[donnalynn2]

I noticed you said "back bar" and not "back loop". I bring this up because I've seen a stitch that is done in the bar behind the back loop which causes the front & back loop to come to the front of the work, creating a knit looking stitch. If that's the case, that would explain why they have you working only on one side - so the knit looking stitches are all on the "good" side.

 

I've had a few patterns that were worked on just one side and had to cut after each row. The one I've done most is the Navajo afghan, which is worked in BLO with a long dc in the free front loops on rows below to make the diamond design. Here's the best close-up pic I could find on the web: http://www.prisonart.org/artwork/Textiles/photos/Indian%20X.jpg

 

I think you are right about this. That would explain why all one direction instead of turning. The "back bar" thing really has me confused. Looking at the stitches I just can't see where the back bar is...

 

I cannot post a pic as it's from Crochet! Magazine and I'm pretty sure those pics are copyrighted...

 

Here's a pic of the ruana from Lion Brand

The one I'm working on doesn't look like that. It's kind of a "diamond" motif and it's basically a giant rectangle with a section out of the middle (vertically) that's open where your body goes.

 

I'm sure I'm explaining this wrong.

 

Well, now that I understand why it's all going in one direction I need to understand how to do that back bar thing as I'm beyond confused with that. There's a pic of it in the instructions but my SC's don't look like their pics! LOL

[funkyreporter]

OH, I think I know what it is now!!!! Is it a rectangle-shaped thing, like a blankie, but then it separates so when you wear it half of it falls behind you and the separation comes at the back of your neck and then the two sides drape over your shoulders and sorta 'wrap around'... If THAT's what you're talking about, I've made one of those... not the stitches you're talking about ~ you all lost me there - but at least I know it's not a plumbing part

 

 

Good luck!

[donnalynn2]

OH, I think I know what it is now!!!! Is it a rectangle-shaped thing, like a blankie, but then it separates so when you wear it half of it falls behind you and the separation comes at the back of your neck and then the two sides drape over your shoulders and sorta 'wrap around'... If THAT's what you're talking about, I've made one of those... not the stitches you're talking about ~ you all lost me there - but at least I know it's not a plumbing part

 

 

Good luck!

 

YUP! That's what it is!!!!!

[Chrome Kitty]

The "back bar" thing really has me confused. Looking at the stitches I just can't see where the back bar is...

 

 

I'm still looking for a picture to help you, but in the meantime . . . Do a few scs. You see the front loop, then behind that is the back loop, well behind and a little below that back loop is a horizontal bar parallell to the back loop. That's where the stitch goes. Did that help at all? I'll keep looking for a picture.

[Chrome Kitty]

Here's the best I could find for a picture. This shows the back side of a row of scs. The bar is shown in red. The green is what would be your back loop and the blue would be your front loop (it's reversed here because you're looking at the back instead of the front side). Your stitches will go in this red bar instead of through either of the two loops (blue and green) you'd normally use. I hope I didn't confuse you more by posting a backwards picture, but you can't see the back bar from the front.

 

[donnalynn2]

Ahh, maybe that's my problem. I was looking at it the wrong way. Ok, I'll see if I can figure this durn thing out! THANKS!

[Aggie May]

Remember that the back loop is always the loop on the side which is away from you, regardless of the right or wrong side of the actual piece.

With this pattern they are doing all the rows from the same end, simply because there is only one row of each colour and the repeats are too far apart to carry the yarn up the side.

Hope this is helpful.

Colleen:hug

[donnalynn2]

Remember that the back loop is always the loop on the side which is away from you, regardless of the right or wrong side of the actual piece.

With this pattern they are doing all the rows from the same end, simply because there is only one row of each colour and the repeats are too far apart to carry the yarn up the side.

Hope this is helpful.

Colleen:hug

 

Thanks but if this pattern called for the "back loop" I would have no trouble at all. It's the "back bar" thing that's driving me crazy... I have never heard of this whole "back bar" method until coming across this pattern. Honestly, if I didn't love the way this looks so much I would not be making it! Actually, this ruana is made all in one color so I'm not sure the reason I am fastening off at the end of each row is to change colors... The pic of a previous post it NOT the pattern I'm working on, it is a pic to show another poster what a ruana was as that was the only one I could find online. I would scan the pic from the magazine but we aren't allowed to post pics from magazines or books and place them on here... (Thanks so much for the suggestions though!)

 

Oh, and am I the only one who hates working in the "opposite" side of the beginning chain? UGH! This durn thing is huge! You start out with 241 of them... I think it'll take me all day just to work into the chain in the opposite side...

 

WISH ME LUCK!

[threeolivemartini]

so I'm not sure the reason I am fastening off at the end of each row

 

to create the unique texture of working in the back bar

that is why..

not so dumb is it ?

[donnalynn2]

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

Ok, I now totally understand what I was doing wrong and where exactly the "back bar" is located.

 

I am about 1/2 way done with row #3. Considering there are over 130 rows this is going to take me a long time to finish. It's going to take longer than 130 rows of regular SC would as the whole "back bar" thing is really a pain!

 

Oh well, that means while I'm working on this, I won't go through yarn as quickly! LOL