MKAL - Game of Thrones

I am participating in a MKAL through Jimmy Beans Wool on Ravelry.  For those who need a translation this means:  a Jimmy Beans Wool designer a has proposed "Mystery Knit A Long (MKAL).  The theme is from Game of Thrones, a very popular book and HBO series.  The mystery is we have no idea what the designer has in mind.  We get a new clue once a week for 5 or 6 weeks and happily or fearfully knit, trusting we will recognise the item at the end.  Whether it is something we will ever use is not the point.  It is the experience of mystery and stretching our skill set we are chasing (at least it is for me).   There are apparently some 500 individuals who are participating in this and the skill range runs the gamut from beginners to seasoned beta knit testers who have no fear of plowing there way through any thing because they have this incredibly broad skill set from which to draw when things get wonky.  This MKAL is on the website, Ravelry.  Ravelry is a knit and crochet social networking site and one of the best  social networking sites I've ever seen.  Absolutely brilliant and free.   Everything was just honky-dory until Clue #4.  Then all hell broke loose and the "we all play nice" gloves came off.

Clues 1-3 were pretty simple knit/purl in the round stuff.  Clue #3 added short rows for some shaping which caused some of the beginner knitters a crisis in confidence.  But everyone made it through.  The forum provides chat, feedback, pictures and encouragement.  There were some very seasoned knitters that provided advice, pictures and were the vanguard - they also managed to knit the entire damn first 3 clues in less than 15 minutes.  Personally, I think some of them have magic knitting wands - but that is a separate issue.  Clue #4 got a bit tricky - you have to separate the front from the back, start knitting flat and do this birds eye lace piece and oh yes....add some button holes on either side.  Just to add some spice - the instructions were wrong, some lines of instructions were missing and .....well......the designer was at a wedding.  Between last night and this morning there were some 200+ comments about this clue and some of the opinions were less than courteous.  It seems everyone has an opinion about Clue #4.  Typically, both sides have valid points. 

Crazysalad had this to say: 

Everyone is so patient and expects so little. Not me. I expected the instructions to have been written in advance, tested and proofread. Some of the knitters seem to feel that the designer is offering this Mystery KAL as an act of charity. Jimmy Bean’s is a multi-million dollar company that is taking advantage of a hugely popular TV show. At least 500 knitters joined, many of them purchasing (as I did) Jimmy Bean’s own custom-dyed yarn specified in the pattern. I assumed that all the blog postings were prepared and ready to go BEFORE the first clue was even published. I never dreamed that we’d have to wait for someone to recover from a family wedding to post the 4th clue two hours late.
As for the mistakes in the pattern…
When you offer a Mystery KAL, it is essential that the instructions are crystal clear because we are following BLINDLY. We have no pictures. We don’t even know what the finished object is. We are trusting that, at least, the instructions are correct. We follow on faith.


Lilb had this to say in response: 

I think everyone here has had patterns where there are errors. I’ve been a beta tester for knitting/needlework/beading patterns for years & it ALWAYS happens. The most common types are the one we had with the lace “I knew what to do so it just slipped my mind to put it in” I’ve seen that on almost every pattern I’ve checked & done it myself more times than I can count when trying to write out instructions or teach someone a new technique (I’m no designer, having the ‘honor’ of having FLUNKED kindergarten art & I’ve got the report card to prove it). To expect perfection all the time is unreasonable especially when the person posting the pattern in a KAL is in the middle of a big, happy family event.

I think these two individuals pretty well represent the two sides and are both correct.  Most of the other commentary is clarifications or comments on the comments.  Having designed a couple of things - it is amazing what gets overlooked, or isn't clear in the instructions when it is all so clear in one's own mind.  Test knitters catch all kinds of things.  Knitting patterns often end up with mistakes some knitter out there catches after dozens have knitted it up without comment.  Experienced knitters often just wing it, fiddle, or go their own way when they run into a confusing bit and mistakes don't get noticed until some new knitter tries to follow the instructions literally.  This MKAL has some 500 test knitters of different skills levels and I have to agree a greater attention to detail and clarity in the 4th clue would have been appropriate and helpful.  I also agree that to expect perfection is unrealistic.  But above all - I would expect courtesy which is so much a part of the Ravelry experience.

One of the things I have always appreciated is the courtesy, support and generous sharing of experience and skills on the Ravelry website.  While Clue #4 definately had some instruction difficulties, time and good intent on the part of the designer (and the other eperienced knitters) would and is making it all come out correctly.

In the meantime, some rules from the road of life:

Patience is a virtue
I don't think everything that can be said, should be said. 
Our moods shouldn't dictate our manners.
Criticize in private and praise in public.

The Master's - The Process is the Destination

It has been a very busy last 30 days what with one daughter turning 25 and the other married last Saturday, being offered a space to set up a weaving/fiber studio in which to work and the acquisition of a community garden plot.  Seems like it has been one long party and not a lot of time for The Master's Hand Knit endeavour but I have managed to knit a few swatches here and there.  Okay, actually I have managed to knit the same damn swatch a gazillion times and I still can't get the decrease stitch to not look elongated.  I am going to try knitting it while standing on my head and chanting "Ommmm" next.

I have taken a lot of classes, workshops, certificate programs, and formal academic studies in my life and I have been reflecting on some of the things I have learned or am discovering in the Masters:

1.      It is no "give me" process.  This is course work which will make you really think about your knitting, you will gain a much better understanding of how fabric is made and how to get the look you want when you want it.  It will also frustrate the hell out of you.  But it is no meaningless achievement to complete all three levels, and I have some really meaningless certificates kicking around in folders.  You will earn every bit of it.  Being a completely illiterate knitter I came to the table and hit the floor stumbling. 

 2.     Being somewhat dyslexic is not helpful in understanding the structure of knit stitches since it requires a certain amount of spacial ability I apparently don't have - so things take me longer to understand - probably why I love color knitting and hate lace.

3.     It is non competitive only if you don't count yourself.

4.     The support from TKGA and Raverly is phenomenal, they do want you to succeed but they won't do the work for you.

5.     The long tail cast on creates a series of "purl like bumps" on the first row if you knit it.  Generally I have always assumed the first row would be a knit and therefore the "right side", but you get a purl like appearance.  But if I purl the first row it looks much more in sync with the cast on edge.  This may or may not work depending on pattern, row counts, etc. but I still prefer the smooth side being the knit side.  Did I just learn something or am I making myself crazy?  Only time will tell.

I think we have all heard that it isn't the destination but the journey that matters.  I have come to the conclusion that the journey is the destination; they aren't separate things.  Each moment is both journey and destination with life as well as in the Master's.

The Unicorn Hat

Nana in the background

This hat has been hanging out waiting to go live with Knitpicks Independent Designer Program.  I posted it today at Ravelry  http://www.ravelry.com/ under my Victoria Johnston Designs Store, and it should hit Knitpicks next week.

Yep, it is a little hippie or at least the model pronounced it so, the model being my oldest daughter.

  I am really going to have to improve my photo techniques.  My youngest modeled the last hat so I was using my oldest daughter this time around.  Took me almost 3 weeks to catch up with her to take any kind of pictures at all.  Next time I'm going to just grab the nearest body, jam a hat on their head and start snapping pictures - the OMG and WTF moments should be priceless.  The Rav pattern has pictures of my daughter while the Knitpicks pdf  will have pictures of one of their models wearing the hat (I think they preferred a less earthy look).

As for the pattern, I liked the idea of experimenting with stripping and a large one color motif.  This unfortunately made for more fussy color work, but I like the effect.  One of the best things about knitting hats is if you absolutely hate what you are knitting at least it will be over soon.  I would not like tipping into hate territory early in the process with a huge complex sweater thing.  I know this because it took me 17 years to finish "The Sweater from Hell".  I even tried to pay someone to finish it for me, but nooooo.  I finally made a resolution last year to finish everything that was left undone.   I buckled down and finished it in no time.  Amazing what 17 years of practice can do - didn't seem hard at all and knit up really quickly.  I actually don't mind seaming and even that was enjoyable.  The moral to this story is: yes sometimes it is better to put off till tomorrow what you could be doing today.

Happy knitting

The Problem of Fair Isle

I have just discovered a problem with designing Fair Isle....what the *bleep* do you do when they discontinue one of the colors you used for shading?  I thought I was so done with that pattern, I sure don't want to redesign it again.  Blech!   Call me naive, but it didn't occur to me how quickly it would become stale dated.  I, of course, posted my dilemma to Ravelry and got some wonderful advice - Rav is really one of the nicest places to hang out.  So I am trying to figure out what color will work as a replacement and then if I can weasel some friend to knit a swatch with the new color and compare the results to the old colorway.....    I have an email in to KnitPicks to see if they have a color recommendation, but haven't heard back yet.  Maybe I should try just sticking to one color or maybe create my very own line of hand dyed stuff......that would be a no.  I can hardly find the time to continue on the winter tam what with the tawny tornado around the house, much less start dyeing and selling yarn.

Much of my time lately has been caught up trying to entertain a year old animated dust mop who after a bit of a tough go with her tummy is now on an eating regime that works for her.  Of course the relative down side of this is she feels so much better and is one very, very busy girl.  Trying to keep her entertained is time consuming. I finally broke down and took her to the groomers to so they could do something with her bangs.  They are so long they generally need a scrunchy so she can see.  This is relatively ineffectual.

This before picture shows that the eyes are completely hidden - can't see a thing. 

After a facial trim, you can see eyes!!  Rather sad eyes actually and her ears are all wilted from the stress of the groomer.  Poor puppy, but she has recovered and is currently sleeping after a morning at the barn. 

Well, I am avoiding the Summer Dragonfly Tam problem hoping it will magically solve itself, but I had better get back to it and patch together some solution for those who don't already have the color "mustard" from the Palette fingerling line

Pixels vs. Paper (a fiber post)

There has been some discussion lately on Ravelry which is a knit and crochet community, on pricing of knit and crochet patterns.  It might be helpful to know that Ravelry is the Facebook of the knit/crochet world and there are some amazingly gifted individuals there creating and offering patterns for sale (and a bunch that offer free patterns, I mean really good free patterns).  Money in the knit community is made from patterns, not from knitting an item and then selling it.  Okay, you can also make money being really, really clever and doing workshops and teaching people things or writing wildly funny blogs that get you book contracts, like the Yarn Harlot  http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/.  But for the rest of us, we make a pattern, then post it for sale here, there, or submit it to magazines or Independent Designer Programs, etc. This brings up the question of how do we price?  I waded in on a discussion that was occurring regarding this issue on Ravelry with the comment that we are selling Pixels not paper and that if we are selling a pdf download it should be cheaper than if they were selling a paper pattern we then mail to a customer.  I received not a few "disagrees" over that opinion.  But I still hold to it.  My panties haven't untwisted over one of the big publishing houses fight with Amazon.  Amazon wanted to sell the Kindle version for less than the trade paperback version.  The big publishing house wasn't having it.   Amazon lost over what I see was definite corporate greed by the publishing house.   

If I create and actually print the pattern for sale I have costs I don't have when I create a pdf download.  I have paper, ink, printer wear, storage, my time, postage for mailing.  These are hard costs and it seems reasonable to factor them into the price of the pattern.  But if I create a pdf download then the majority of those costs are yours not mine and if does not seem reasonable to pass those costs on to you as if I actually incurred them.  But that is essentially what that big publishing house did when it faced down Amazon.  I'm reminded of what I used to say to my kids (I'm sure they hated it)  "Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should".  I don't think you should charge paper prices for pixels.  My pattern is priced at $1.99.  I think it is probably priced a little low, but I don't think it should be priced higher than $2.50 max.  It is a pdf download, all associated print costs are yours.  If you want me to print, mail, etc.  I will charge you $5.00 for the pattern, otherwise $1.99 is reasonable in my opinion.

Just because I could charge more, doesn't mean I should.