I am a very diligent knitter, so I usually do things as I am supposed to do, BUT when I don't, I fail spectacularly! Very recently I casted on without reading the very important note about the size. It was a cabled sock and the designer was advising to cast on more stitches than one usually would, to take into account the fact that the fabric wouldn't stretch as much as if it was stockinette. I obtained a thick, dense cylinder of wool that couldn't fit a toddler's foot. I also recently had to convince myself to follow instructions that were making no sense UNTILL they indeed made sense knitting the piece. And: I can't stress enough the importance of tracking. One may think that they would remember: no, honey, you won't. On a final note, I can understand why you don't want to bind off your MIL scarf. I send internet stranger's hugs :)
As part of reading through the pattern, especially in sweaters, I look for sections of shaping followed by the dreaded "reverse shaping for the [other] side". If I know ahead of time, I can make the needed notes so my knitting flows smoothly and I'm not stopping to make notes/write out the reverse when I'm in knitting mode. Lol I've been caught by this one more than a few times. Enough that I now check over any pattern for it. I don't see it as often but the old "AT THE SAME TIME,.." used to sneak up on me and cause (at minimum) some tinking. I remember that I went through and highlighted those words on a bunch of printed patterns from the 60s-80s I used to have.
I am a very diligent knitter, so I usually do things as I am supposed to do, BUT when I don't, I fail spectacularly! Very recently I casted on without reading the very important note about the size. It was a cabled sock and the designer was advising to cast on more stitches than one usually would, to take into account the fact that the fabric wouldn't stretch as much as if it was stockinette. I obtained a thick, dense cylinder of wool that couldn't fit a toddler's foot. I also recently had to convince myself to follow instructions that were making no sense UNTILL they indeed made sense knitting the piece.
And: I can't stress enough the importance of tracking. One may think that they would remember: no, honey, you won't.
On a final note, I can understand why you don't want to bind off your MIL scarf. I send internet stranger's hugs :)
As part of reading through the pattern, especially in sweaters, I look for sections of shaping followed by the dreaded "reverse shaping for the [other] side". If I know ahead of time, I can make the needed notes so my knitting flows smoothly and I'm not stopping to make notes/write out the reverse when I'm in knitting mode. Lol I've been caught by this one more than a few times. Enough that I now check over any pattern for it.
I don't see it as often but the old "AT THE SAME TIME,.." used to sneak up on me and cause (at minimum) some tinking. I remember that I went through and highlighted those words on a bunch of printed patterns from the 60s-80s I used to have.
"At the same time' needs its own video. Such a trip up.
Before I cast on, I make sure to highlight my size, and anything that has to do with my size.
Yes always good advice.
Boosted you on Mastodon, couldn't find you there to link. Dfun episode, and moving, too. Thanks!
As a left-handed knitter, I make note of leaning decreases as I change it to the opposite lean.
Maybe, to use up the last bit of yarn, you could make a matching set of gloves/mits/armwarmers?