Ins and outs

It has a week of ups and downs and ins and outs as I have wrestled with knitty maths.

It is obvious really: every "yarn over" is effectively an increase of one stitch, so has to be balanced by a "knit 2 together" or a "slip slip knit" depending on the direction you want it to slant (herringbone weave lace, remember?). So up one, down one, equals a straight piece of knitting.

But when you reach the part of a stocking where you have to decrease 6 stitches over a 12 row stitch pattern, simply knitting 2 together on every second row doesn't do the trick... because sometimes you find you have decreased-away the "knit 2 together"stitches which kept the stitch pattern straight, and kept the "yarn overs" to retain that lovely lacey thing that is going on... so instead of losing two stitches, you have gained them! Aaargh!

So it has been a week of counting. I think I have cracked it. But somewhere in the midst of "Friends" last night I forgot to write down exactly what I did on row 10, and somehow found myself with the stitches set up to do the next row 1 when I thought I was ready to do row 11...

You need your wits about you for this knitting-design lark, I can tell you!

Edited to add:

Oops. There has been a Friday afternoon stash enhancement accident. Just discovered the website of Cnyttanpatterns and discovered that the Heartstrings pattern "Lead or Follow" I had been eyeing up at GetKnitted was only £1.80 instead of £3 (and it was £4 at Angel yarns!).

AND they sell Claudia Handpaint sock yarn! How did I manage to stop at ONE of these delicious colourways?

AND orders over £15 qualify for free p&p!

Oops.