Stephanie, who is a great knitter, designer and who has one of the best blogs around, stopped by to say that "reading" your knitting was "a darn valuable skill". If anyone would know a good skill she would be the person. You must see the amazing Snowdrop shawl on her sidebar (and you can knit one for yourself). The story about the shawl is also worth looking up on her blog.
If you look at Sandy's post of May 30th, you'll see why reading your knitting is a good skill to have. Here is a close up of the pattern from my Char. 
The single stitches line up and the 'points' are also stacked one above the other. This is a skill that you need to work on and practice as it takes time to train the eye. "Reading" my knitting has made Fair Isle, textures and lace much easier and less problematic. Even if you keep your markers in place as you practice you'll find with time they can be removed and you will enjoy watching the pattern evolve and grow. Check the row below as you create the next and it will become second nature.
It is so much fun to see all the different Charlotte colorway's as the grow. Don't you just want to find ALL the Koigu colors in one place and play with them until your heart is content? It might take awhile, however and some of us would have a dozen Charlotte colorway's when done.
Don't forget to check out the contest posted on the 28th. You have until Thursday to send in your answers.
Charlotte is looking lovely. I don't know if it is my dyslexia or what but I have difficulty reading patterns. I used markers when I started Na Craga but they kept falling off so I stopped using them but those purl rows in between the patterns helped.
Posted by: Kathleen | June 01, 2004 at 06:18 AM
Sharon Alderman of Handwoven swatch collection fame, last I heard an SLC resident, gives a truly amazing class in reading woven fabric. She made drawdowns and fabric structures make sense. Her class also helped me see knitted fabric in a different light. A highly recommended class even if you don't weave!
Posted by: Sylvia | June 01, 2004 at 08:04 PM
While I'm very good at reading crochet patterns, I'm still developing this skill for knitting. I'm up to 84 rows on Charlotte, and I'm getting a feel for it. After all, Charlotte is my first knitted lace project.
I've worked on her in little parts--two or four rows a day, but did 16 rows today, so I have gotten feelings for when there was something wrong--not doing my passovers seem to be my thing today, but I have fixed things before they became a real problem.
I call this my "Spider Sense."
Posted by: Vera | June 06, 2004 at 05:59 PM