Oy. We have now achieved more blog entries than classes about this shawl. But we are almost there, knitters! We are on the second -and last – section of Chart B. You have only 12 more rows to the bind off.

Now the not-so-good news – you have over 500 stitches on your needles, so each row will take you about 1/2 hour to complete. YOU CAN DO IT!!!! I ALREADY DID IT!!! TWICE!!!!!!!!

Okay, so let’s look at the second half of Chart B. Again, you should have already read designer Emily Ross’ very fine “Overview of Chart B” before you read on here. I am supplementing, not supplanting, her very good work.

What do we notice when we look at the second half of Chart B, , rows 17-28? First off, the edge stitches change! Notice that now every RS row begins with a slipped stitch, a knit stitch, a ssk and a yo. Likewise, the last stitches of each RS row – the edge stitches on the other end of our shawl, change too – they are now yo, k2tog, k2. We are bringing the edges of the shawl in around the first and last pairs of leaves made by the rest of the chart.

Next, note that this section of the chart has grey, white and pink sections – no yellow. Now is time to just forget about yellow.  Like the first half of the chart, the grey boxes represent NO STITCHES. Just ignore the grey. They literally are not there. The white sections are a continuation of the leaves we are making, and the pink section represents the lacy part between the pairs of leaves. The slender column of white stitches at the left of the chart – marked as stitches 40-42 at the top of the page – represent the space between the paired leaves. So what we are doing in the half of the chart is tapering down the points of our leaves (the white sections, which show decreases and no increases), increasing between the pairs of leaves (the pink sections, which show lots of yo’s, more yo’s than decreases!) and marking time between the individual pairs of leaves (stitches 40-42).

CONFUSED YET?

Also like the first half of Chart B (and all charts), we read the RS rows (which are the only ones charted here) from RIGHT to LEFT and from BOTTOM to TOP.  Also like the first half of Chart B, the center stitch IS NOT CHARTED. You know it is sitting just to the left of stitches 40-42.

Okay, how do we read this row by row? What do the colors mean to our repeats and what do the single black square and it’slonely black diamond partner mean?

First, as we work across each RS row, we move through the first white section, then the pink section, then the  second white section and we finish with the white column of stitches (40-42).  Then we go BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE ROW and do that same sequence all over again. We end each half of the shawl with THE SECOND WHITE SECTION – not with stitches 40-42. Got that? It’s tricky. You will end each RS row – before the center stitch and before the final edge stitches – with the second white section.

Now, earlier in this pattern we had a center stitch, but now we have a center section. When you reach the first marker before your center stitch, slip it and work the PINK SECTION of the chart. On Row 17, this means you would slip the marker, yo, K1, place bead and knit that stitch, K1, yo, slip the next marker and BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ROW AGAIN. Tricksy, isn’t she?

Also new and different here – the last edge stitches of each RS row are worked as . This makes it the mirror image of the edge stitches on the other side. Get it?

The black diamond and square – You work these stitches ONLY on row 17.  As you begin the row, the FIRST TIME you hit the black square, you work it as a ssk. All other times you hit it, UNTIL you hit the center, you work it as a slip 2, k1, psso. Likewise, the black diamond is worked as a slip 2, k1, psso on all repeats – until you get to the last one before the center marker. On that repeat it is worked as a k2tog. Then you do it the exact same way on the other side of the center section. TRICKY!!!!! But doable. Just work it step by step, section by section.

Okay, see you guys Monday when we’ll talk about and work the bind off. If we haven’t put knitting needles in our eyes yet.