Tuesday 3 March 2015

Kat Goldin's Waterfall Shrug: crossed shell stitch helping hand

On my Ravelery wanderings I came across a distress beacon. A fellow hooker was in peril from a pattern based perplexity and had called on me for aid.

Me? Village idiot me? A girl who's ironing board looks like she's been dousing it in Newcastle Brown and nicotine (I promise I did neither I don't know how it happened, does anyone else's ironing board cover get weird brown stains?).

Well I had to leap into action... though on my leaping I realised it highlighted one inexcusable flaw. I had not bothered to swatch my waterfall shrug. For the uninitiated this is when you do a little test square to make sure it'll be the right size not comically huge or doll size teenie.

I'd like to say this was based on a conscious decision of the type of garment and the likely importance of gauge (how many stitches per given measurement). It wasn't. I'm lazy. I will pay the price for this one of these days.

Anyway on looking at the image of the test swatch of my Ravelery compadres it appears to me that I've spotted the problem. The crossed shell stitch was demonstrating dastardly defiance. This is the same stitch that for the first row had me starting goggle eyed at the pattern wondering how, HOW it could be considered easy. Then I came to Humbug's 8th rule of Crochet: The set up row is a pain in the particulars.

So without further ado my solution. Once you've done the 29 chain, set up row, 1st row and nearly completed 2nd row you'll get to here:


Now it looks to me that this is the point that the work is being turned and 3rd row is started leaving only three crossed shell stitches. This of course will not do. I believe that the last two instructions of the 2nd row are being missed out. Namely the three trebles in the missed three chain space. Basically into the gap where my finger is pointed. Once you've done that you do a double into the very last stitch and then continue your merry way into row three. 


The six chain then goes into the 2 chain space between the first cross shell stitch. This leaves you with three full cross shell stitches and an edge type one. 

DISCLAIMER: This is the way I made Kat's shrug, it is quite possible I have completely misinterpreted how it should be but it did work for me. Plus edging covers a multitude of sins ;) 

Any further questions please feel free to comment and I will do my best to help where I can. 

1 comment:

  1. Hi there, I'm currently trying to make this waterfall shrug. I'm stuck on the first row. The trebles are piled one on top of the other. I love the look of it and really want to be able to do it. Please help...

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