St Brigid progress. Warning: a lot of knitting detail.

Since my last post I have made some progress, and further changes in my tools for this project.

First, I decided the plastic, grooved cable needles I was using were holding me back, so visited The Yarn Trader to buy some metal ones. I bought a pack of aluminium ones, and two steel ones, one slightly curved and one a J curve.   I'm now using the slight curve steel one.               

I've also changed my chart management. I removed the charts I now remember -  2 edges and 3 regular cables. 

That leaves the centre panel and a complex panel on either side. I taped these charts together, matching the rows, and placed them on a magnetic board, so I can mark the row. The board is a bit clumsy, but, with my row counter, keeps me on track.

It is certainly a complex pattern and requires quite sophisticated charting. I  finally worked out the logic of the symbolism used.

The vertical lines represent knit stitches on the right side, and the horizontal lines represent purl stitches. The bent lines represent cable direction. A line underneath signals cable needle in front of work. Line above signals cable needle to the back.The stitch symbol is the one you end up with, not the one you start with So, reading from right to left, the red circle marks an instruction to place two stitches on a cable needle in front of your work, purl one from the left hand needle, then knit the two from cable needle. The green marks an instruction to place two stitches on a cable needle at the back of your work, knit two from the left hand needle, then purl two from the cable needle. 

It made sense if I considered the stitch instruction as separate to the cable position instruction. There may be a better way of explaining it, but I am now able to read this from the chart without constantly looking up the codes. It is still slow knitting, but not as slow as it was. I finally did a bit of a search on knitting symbols, and found an equivalent symbol system on Stitch Maps. While other systems work on integrated symbols, this one works on using two separate symbol systems in combination. I'm relieved I worked it out.

Last night I finished the back. It is quite long - 65cm.

I am very pleased with it. It looks lovely.  At the top of the photo is the remainder of the fifth ball of wool - almost spot on my calculation.

I have now started on a sleeve. If that takes no more than 3 balls, I have enough.  I'm hopeful.

I have made up another chart for the sleeve. While it looks simpler, the instructions are more complex. As you add stitches to shape the sleeve, you need to adjust the pattern and charts. I'm taking it one step at a time.

I'm gaining in confidence and can now imagine it finished - which helps.