Before knitting a garment for your baby, it is suggested to spend some time reading and understanding the pattern. El Atelier de Valena uses (*), signs, etc whose meanings are explained as follows. Knitting tips!
When the explanation shows a series of stitches between asterisks (*), the stitches included between the asterisks should be repeated during the whole row, unless a certain number of repetitions is specified.
In some patterns, the number of stitches to be increased or decreased is represented by two figures separated by the x sign (for example: decrease 2×3 sts); in these cases, the first figure (2) corresponds to the number of times you should decrease, and the second (3) to the number of stitches to be decreased each time. In the example given, you should decrease 3 stitches, 2 times.
The numbers indicated in the explanations to show the stitches contained in each motif are sometimes accompanied by another number separated by the + sign, for example 10 + 4; in this case, 10 represents the number of stitches required for each motif, and 4 the stitches necessary to frame the motif in the work.
For each tension (gauge) swatch some measurements are shown; since the swatch has been worked with a given tension, these measurements may not be valid for another one worked with a different tension. In this case, it will be necessary to adapt the resulting number of stitches in the new swatch proportionally to the total measurements of the garment, or to change the needle size.
When beginning a piece of crochet, the foundation chains should not be excessively tight. Likewise, when finishing a piece of knitting, it is advisable to cast (bind) off the stitches loosely to prevent the finished edge from being too tight.
Time to start knitting! Knit for your baby!
Knitting tips by El Atelier de Valena