UNDERSTAND THE WORKING PROCESS.
It is not always easy to understand a knitting pattern, even for a seasoned knitter. Often in magazines and newspapers, patterns are compressed as much as possible and consist of a lot of abbreviations. I always try to avoid too many abbreviations and short descriptions in my patterns. Read the pattern carefully so that you understand the workflow in the pattern. For example, do you knit from the top down or from the bottom up?
CHOOSE A SIZE.
A pattern often contains several sizes . These are written as e.g. S (M) L. You then choose your size, e.g. Medium (M) and that means that every time a different number of stitches is specified in the pattern, you follow the place in the first parenthesis. If your size was L, you choose what is written last. For example, if it says: "cast on 10 (12) 14 stitches, you choose 12 for size medium.
YARN.
In most recipes, they recommend a yarn brand for the recipe, this is the yarn that is often used in the pictures in the recipe. If you use a different yarn, remember that the knitting tension must be the same and also preferably the yarn type. This means that if you use, for example, a wool yarn that contracts a lot (elastic yarn), it may give a different result if you use a cotton yarn that does not contract. Especially if there is a pattern and rib, this can be important. So if you want the same look as the pictures in the recipe, it may be a good idea to use the same yarn. When you have been knitting for a long time and know several yarn types well, it can be easier to have an overview of which types of yarn can replace each other.
If you use a different yarn you may need to use a different amount.
Example: If you are going to use 50g (1 skein) in a pattern and you are using a different yarn, it is the running length that you need to look at. If the yarn in the description has a running length of 150 meters and you are using another yarn with a running length of only 100 meters, you should use 1.5 skeins instead. In a pattern, the number of skeins will almost always be rounded up to the whole number of skeins. This means that when it says, for example, that 200 grams are used, between 150-200 grams are actually used. But you have to count on 200 grams in your calculation.
KNITTING TENSION & NEEDLE SIZE.
Be true to the knitting tension . The knitting tension describes how many stitches go in 10 cm. Therefore, make a knitting sample of a little over 10x10 cm and see how many stitches you have in 10 cm. If your knitting tension is not correct, you may end up with something that is too big or too small. Therefore, when it says that you should use a needle size 3, for example, you should only use needle 3 if you have the correct knitting tension with that needle size. For example, if you knit tightly, you may need to use a thickness of 3.5 to achieve the correct knitting tension.
ABBREVIATIONS.
Knitting patterns often contain a lot of abbreviations . A good knitting pattern will always explain its abbreviations. Over time you will learn them by heart, but at first it may be necessary to google a little.
REPETITION:
*-* means repetition . Repeat what is between the stars the number of times indicated before continuing with the recipe.
RIGHT & WRONG.
Knitwear almost always has a right and a wrong side. If you knit in the round on circular needles, the right side faces you, and if you knit back and forth, you alternately have the right and wrong sides facing you. When you knit stockinette stitch, the right side will be the "smooth" side with the knit stitches, but if you knit garter stitch, for example, the right and wrong sides will look the same. Therefore, mark the right side with a stitch marker at the beginning if you are unsure. The first row after casting on is on the wrong side, unless otherwise stated.
DIAGRAMS
Patterns (both structure and color) are often described as a diagram that must be repeated x number of times. It quickly seems a bit intimidating, but you will quickly be glad that it is written as a diagram and not as text as it will often take up much more space. A diagram is also easier to remember in your head and learn by heart. A diagram consists of a number of squares with signs in them. Each sign describes a type of stitch, e.g. knit and purl. So instead of being intimidated, you should really just take it stitch by stitch and do what the diagram shows. Large diagrams can be printed out so you can mark where you have reached. There will always be an overview of what each sign means.
If you have never read a diagram before, you start at the bottom right corner (unless otherwise stated) and then knit to the left. Each row in the diagram describes a row. So row no. 2 will be row no. 2. You follow the diagram as you knit, i.e. if you knit back and forth, you follow the diagram back and forth, i.e. row 2 is knitted the opposite way, i.e. left to right. If you knit in the round, all lines in the diagram are knitted from right to left. When a diagram is shown, it always shows how the pattern will look from the right side. This means that when you knit from the wrong side, the stitch shown as knit will have to be purled. Sometimes the diagrams skip every other row altogether. This is especially the case if you knit back and forth in stockinette stitch with a pattern and every other row (the purl row) simply has to be purled each time - this will usually be mentioned in the pattern, but always check the numbering next to the rows in the diagram and see if all rows are mentioned or only every other row. In that case, it will say, for example, pins 1, 3, 5, 7, etc. without mentioning the other pins.
Often the diagram must be repeated several times, and sometimes only parts of the diagram must be repeated, this is often marked with a bold mark where it must be repeated.
