Left-handed instructions -- attaching panel 1

[JillD]

Lisa,

I am confused about the left-handed instructions. They aren't making sense to me.

I started the back panel, marked Side A as the right side of the first row. I marked the first sc of the row for attachment of panel 2 and the 6th to last sc of the row for attachment of panel 1.

When I lay the panel flat, top edge up and Side A facing, the sc for attachment of panel 1 is 6 sc from the left and the sc for attachment of panel 2 is the last sc on the right, eg:

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The instructions for attachment of Panel 1 state that side A should be facing when I join with a sl st for panel 1 in the sc for panel 1, which is the 6th sc from the left. The problem with this is that if I join there and crochet as I do, left to right (not right to left as a right-handed crocheter would do), the stitches would be worked in the neckline, not out toward the outer edge:

===> ===> x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x


And, when joining for panel in the last sc of row 1 of Side A, there are no sc to the left of it to work in.

So, my thought is either that lefties need Side B facing when they join, or lefties need to mark the last sc of row one of Side A for panel 1 and the sixth sc from the beginning of the row for panel 2.

Or, lefties need to work with Side B facing when they join for Panel 1.

Or, I am reading everything wrong.

Jill

[JillD]

Lisa,

No hurry in responding to this. I have my two hats to make.

Jill

[carolyn60]

I'll try to see if I can figure out what is going on for you. I'm not left-handed, so I have to try to wrap my brain around this one...

[JillD]

The thing to remember is that lefties crochet from left to right, not right to left.

[carolyn60]

I drew this up on a piece of paper and tried it out and it looks like it should work.

If you have your back panel so the first row with the stitch markers is at the top and side A is facing you, then the stitch marker for Panel 1 is the 6th sc from the right side. Since you crochet from left to right, this should put you in the right position.

For Panel 2, your stitch marker is at the end of the row, which should have you going left to right as written.

Flip your image 180 degrees and you will get the proper placement. You are looking at it as your piece looks right after the st markers are placed. When you get ready to begin Panel 1, you will flip the piece upside down. I hope this makes a little bit of sense to you.

[carolyn60]

This is just a side note to Lisa. This topic/thread needs to be moved up so it is in alphabetical order with the rest of the patterns.

[JillD]

Thanks! I drew it out, too, just to make sense of it.

I think I marked the wrong stitches. Or, I marked the wrong side as Side A. Either way, the mistake was mine (which I was pretty sure was the case; one should not start a crochet project after 10 p.m. ).

Jill

[Lisa]

Ahhh sooo sorry i totally missed this!! I did not have all forums marked as read, and so I did not know there is a new topic. Thank you Carolyn for stepping in with this!!!

[carolyn60]

Thanks! I drew it out, too, just to make sense of it.

I think I marked the wrong stitches. Or, I marked the wrong side as Side A. Either way, the mistake was mine (which I was pretty sure was the case; one should not start a crochet project after 10 p.m. ).

Jill

I'm glad you got it figured out. I make the most mistakes after 10 p.m. too.

[JillD]

Carolyn,

I looked at my work and the stitch markers were not in the location I thought they would be given my sketch of the back, but I figured out the problem. The back is crocheted from the top down, so when the stitches are marked, the piece is upside down, and when the piece is upside down, with side A showing, the stitches are marked as follows (using smallest size as example):

Bottom edge of back
Row 3
Row 2
Row 1 (top edge of back) 2 x x x x x x x x x 1 x x x x

The same stitches (first one on the left for Panel 2 and fifth from the right for panel 1) are marked regardless of right/left handedness.

The instructions for joining the back panel state to work with side A facing. To do this, the back panel must be rotated so that the rows for the back are on the bottom, e.g.

Row 1 Top edge of neckline on back
Row 2
Row 3
Bottom edge of back

When you do this, it reverses the order of the marked sc so that now the stitch marked for panel 1 is the 5th sc from the left (not the right), and stitch marked for panel 2 is the first one on the right (not the left). This again would be the same regardless of handedness:

Row 1 x x x x 1 x x x x x x x x x 2
Row 2
Row 3

When a righty crochets (from right to left), the stitches for Panel 1 go from the middle to the outside edge, and the stitches for Panel 2 move from the outside edge to the center:

<=== <===
Row 1 x x x x 1 x x x x x x x x x 2
Row 2
Row 3

But when a lefty crochets, the stitches will go the opposite direction, from left to right. Thus, the stitches for panel 1 will move from the 5th stitch from the left further into the center, and the stitches for panel 2 have no where to go from the last stitch on the right:

===> ===>
Row 1 x x x x 1 x x x x x x x x x 2
Row 2
Row 3

Drawing out the stitches worked well, but you (and I) forgot that the back panel is worked from top to bottom and thus the stitches that are marked "change location" when the piece is rotated to join the front panels.

When working on Side A, I believe a lefty needs to follow the same directions for marking stitches as righties (i.e., the xth stitch from the beginning and the last stitch worked):

Bottom edge of back
Row 3
Row 2
Row 1 (top edge of back) x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
===>


That way, when the piece is rotated right side up with Side A facing, the stitches for joining the panel are to the left of where those stitches need to go.

top edge ==> ===>
Row 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Row 2
Row 3
bottom edge of back

Does this make sense? I am pretty sure from looking at the instructions that the last stitch would be for joining panel 1 (in order to have the chain stitches worked out beyond edge of sweater for armhole), but when I look at the instructions for Panel 2, I don't see any instructions for the chain to make the armhole, but perhaps that comes later.

Your thoughts?

Jill