I was hoping that a long time knitter who is familiar with this pattern could advise me on a few things.
I started making an afghan from a kit I was given 25 years ago.I don't know why I never made it as it really isn't hard. It does require keeping close track of what row you're on. The pattern is lacy and it looked very familiar. I found it in my book of patterns; it is called Fishtail. I also found many instances of people making things with it (sometimes calling it Fishtail Lace) with photos of their work on the web. It's definitely the same pattern. My questions are:
1) In no case does anyone ever say to slip the stitch as if to purl or knit. So, I slipped them as if to purl since that is the rule of thumb I learned. I thought it looked awkward and lumpy so I did a test piece slipping them as if to knit, and they actually look pretty much the same. So does it not matter which way they are slipped, or is there a subtle difference I don't see? Or is it my too-loose tension that is making them lumpy?2) In some of the instructions (people's skirts, scarves etc.) using this pattern, the wrong side is purled all the way in every row. But in my afghan pattern, and certain other instances on the web, the instruction is k1, p9, k1 and repeat to the end of the row. I examined these k1s; they form a purl bump on the right side in the row between two patterns. If purled, there is no purl bump on the other side. I am wondering why the variation? Does it not matter?
BTW this is knitted in strips of varying widths which I thought was curious. Casting on 31 stitches, 41 stitches and 71 stitches (3 shades of yarn - 3 strips of the white and two each of the other colours). I am trusting that it will look nice when they are sewn together symmetrically with the widest one in the middle.
3) The knitted piece forms points as you work. But the finished photo of the afghan has a straight edge. Their instructions are to do single crochet twice around each piece and then sew them together, then crochet again around the whole thing. Presumably this forces the pattern to straighten out? But to my eyes (and almost every instance I find on the web), the pattern looks prettier with the natural points. So I don't understand why they instruct you to straighten the points by making a heavy crocheted edge. Something has to be done to finish the edges or they curl, but I wonder if there is a way to do it and preserve the points.