the beginning: stitch reference, the pattern, and info

So, yesterday's post contained a simple pattern for a top-down triangle shawl with a garter stitch border at the top. I fought with my software, and have come up with a reference guide that shows what the symbols mean. I will re-link to the image of the pattern as well in this post.

First, it's important to know how to read lace. Lace charts are read from bottom to top, and from right to left. If you click on the chart to make it bigger, you will see that it has numbers on the right side. These represent the pattern row that you will be knitting. The even numbers are skipped because the return row will be purled over the lace pattern.

high res version available by clicking image

So, in this case, the 2 stitches that begin each row will always be knit because it creates the garter stitch border at the top of your triangle.  The middle stitch is treated as part of the lace pattern and then purled back.  When returning across the wrong side of the knitting, you would then knit 2, purl back to last 2 stitches, knit 2.  This will hold true no matter how many repeats you knit.

Here is the legend for the pattern.  I am still learning this software, so I did use the symbol for a center double decrease;  however, I find that a slanting decrease looks better in the pattern, so this is what the legend indicates should be used.

This is a less-lacy lace, however I find the results to be quite pretty.

Here is an example of how it works up:

Something I knit for myself, that wants final finishing.

Next post, casting on for a top-down triangle with a garter stitch top border.