The main reason I have this website is because I love Herbert Niebling patterns and would like to see them preserved. To that end, I collect as many of his patterns as I can find and rechart them. Then I post the recharts for free on the Charts page. This is because, as a friend said recently, the best way to preserve these patterns is in a sort of dispersed archive, where many people save the charts on their own computers. Someday, perhaps, someone will put together as complete an archive of HN patterns as is possible. Until then, this website is my contribution to the "dispersed archive" of Niebling patterns.
You can download the charts for free. I haven't monetized Niebling's patterns by charging money for my recharts. I have overhead costs for this website, which I cover myself. I have a rule to only work from original patterns and never claim someone else's work as my own. I have an original pattern for each one on my site. Any mistakes are mine. Other people rechart Niebling patterns and sell them, producing high-quality work with tech-edited charts and knitted samples. I admit their work is better quality than mine. I rechart as I please and post the charts online in a more casual manner. People who knit from my charts often kindly report back any mistakes they find. I make no promises except that I do my best.
Things to note:
- There is no systematic naming convention for the patterns, and an individual pattern might have been published under two or more names. Ravelry has no systematic naming convention for Niebling patterns, either, but those are the names I generally use. If the Niebling fans on Ravelry get together and agree on a system of naming the patterns, I might have to change a lot of names on this website. At the moment, though, I just use the name that is assigned to the pattern on Ravelry.
- It would probably be handy if I had all the different pattern keys explained on one page, but I haven't done that yet. I use mostly well-known stitch names and abbreviations. I'm happy to explain a specific stitch if you ask me about it.
- For patterns knitted in the round, in general only pattern rows are shown on the charts. The rounds not shown (usually the even-numbered rounds) are generally knit plain. Sometimes a pattern will tell you to knit the stitches as you find them, which means knit the knits, purl the purls, knit through the back loop if the stitch below was ktbl. Where there are double yarnovers, in the next round knit the first loop and purl the second loop, unless the pattern gives different instructions. Usually patterns are bound off with a crochet hook. The last round shows a series of decreases: combine each group of stitches with a single or double crochet stitch. Usually patterns say to chain 9 to 12 stitches between the decreases. If a pattern consists of a set of individual motifs, you can sew them together, graft them together or crochet them together as you please, unless the patterns gives specific instructions.
- For patterns knit flat (back and forth), the return rows are usually purled. Generally when a pattern is knit flat, slip the first stitch of each row purlwise with yarn in front. This creates a neat chained edge, which allows you to pick up stitches easily if there is a border knit in the round.