Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Otterwise Knit Tip of the Day

I have difficulty reading charts. My eyes don't focus in the same place, so following a line across can make an otherwise pleasant fiber experience harrowing.

I often make patterns using magazines or books, which will not fit on a standard chart-reading thingy.

I found a great solution.

Some businesses give away promotional magnets for the fridge. I took the largest of these, sliced that puppy across its length and voila, a handy dandy chart line marker.
I took one part (the larger, if they are different sizes) and put it face down (magnet side up) on the page beneath the chart. I took the other piece (face up) and carefully lined up the straight edge above the row I wanted to work. All rows above are blocked from sight, I need only concentrate on the row below the magnet edge, and when I finish a row, I just move the magnet up one.
It worked great, as my ogee skirt can attest. It was the first time I successfully made anything using a chart.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Diana, that's so smart! I use a Super Sticky PostIt Note, but I put it under the line I'm working on. (When I tried putting it above the line, I found that I'd go ahead to the next one and forget to move it!)

Lynx said...

excellent recycling! my mom used to make photocopies of the chart and color in the squares as she went with a highlighter, to keep track of where she had finished and what still was to be done.

Do you need some stitch markers? I am going to try to make some from old laundry detergent bottles. Any other ideas to re-use the plastic would be greatly appreciated. Already using bleach bottles as planters...