Hint for knitting a repeated pattern

Here’s a silly little hint for working with a pattern repeat, such as in lace knitting. I used this tool when I was knitting my Little Leaf Shawlette.

Make a copy of your instructions onto cardstock. Or you can glue your copy onto cardstock. Cut it just outside the edges of the printing. I like to use my paper-cutter, but scissors will also work.

Measure how tall just one line of print is. Mine was 1/4″ tall. Measure how wide your paper is. Mine was 3″ wide.

Now you are going to make a moveable sleeve to fit over your directions. You can make these in any size or shape for different sized pattern directions.

 Using a contrasting color cardstock that is an inch or so wider than your directions (I used a file folder), draw 2 lines that are your measurement apart (for me I did them 1/4″ apart). Then make a mark on the lines that is the length of your paper width measurement (mine was 3″). Center it as best you can by eye on your paper.

Then using a box cutter knife or exacto blade with a straight edge, cut on both the lines, going just beyond the marks you made. Make sure to protect your table with some cardboard underneath first. You don’t want the sleeve to fit to tightly that it won’t slide, or too sloppy and big so that the sleeve doesn’t stay in place, so cut slowly to your measurements.

Now insert your directions in the slots as shown. Move your window opening up or down to the line you are working on.

Also, if your directions are 2 lines long, make the window opening big enough to see two lines at a time. If some of your directions are 2 lines long, and some are one line long, just remember to follow the instructions that pertain to the top-most line.

When I finish knitting for the day I hold my place with a paper clip so that it won’t get moved accidentally.

This little home-made tool is helpful in conjunction with a row counter, as sometimes the directions send you back to repeat the stitches on a former row.

Happy knitting ~ Karen