First, Denise reminded me that the key for the charts is reversed. As of today, unless there’s been an update I haven’t seen, dark squares should be background! Light squares should be your color changing yarn. The designer is aware of this and has promised an update but please pay attention when you first start knitting and get those colors in the right place.
Second, as to using waste yarn and knitting back and forth vs. in the round the first row or two (or three), a reader, Dot, left this comment:
TECHknitting calls this provisional cast-on COWYAK, as described here:
http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/10/cowyak-waste-yarn-method-of-provisional.html
It wouldn’t matter if you did the first few rows back-and-forth, then switched to in-the-round for a couple of rounds, still using the waste yarn. I really like it. You get a nice even row of loops when the waste yarn is removed. You do need to “tink” out the waste yarn stitch by stitch, which is easiest to do from the back, purl, side of stockinette.
Please take a minute and visit that link.
This is where my inexperience as a knitter comes in. I would never have thought of that and it makes perfect sense. I’m going to think this through a bit more but I’m thinking if I put a lifeline through that first line of “real” stitches (when I’m done with the waste yarn and starting on the solid yarn that will be the background for my cowl, that should make the “tinking” back a little less stressful
Thanks, Dot, for that great tip.
The KAL begins tomorrow. I had hoped to get my waste yarn cast on and at least one or two rows knitted, as well as the knit row with my background fabric but so far . . that has not happened. Maybe before the day is over!
Karen Sutton says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve struggled with provisional cast-ons trying every method I find on youtube and I haven’t been happy with any one of them. I think COWYAK is going to be perfect for me and I can’t wait to give it a try:)
Denise ~ Justquiltin says
I’ve used that method on a sweater that I wasn’t sure if it would be long enough so I could adjust the bottom after the fact if I needed it longer and it worked well. Putting in a life line in that first row of “real” stitches would work great.
I cast on last night and have a couple rows done. 🙂
Dot says
You’re welcome! I love TECHknitting’s blog. She has innovative ideas and wonderful illustrations. When you go there, spend some time looking around.
A lifeline is a good idea, although I haven’t had any trouble working without it. Maybe because I use wool yarn, not anything slippery. I’ve been making hats with a folded stockinette hem at the bottom, and just tink the real stitches one by one onto a spare circular needle.