Following Knit Patterns makes me Cranky

There is a truism in knitting that says American patterns include too much and European patterns don't include enough.  There are whole classes in how to read Japanese patterns.  I think there are all kinds of reasons for this that are cultural, reflect traditions and accessibility to mentors.  As an American knitter taught by a neighbor when I was 13 and then not coming back to it until many years later I have been slowly trying to knit my way to competency.  Which brings me to why patterns make me cranky.

First, they so often have huge errors.  Errata sheets abound.  Having designed a couple of things,  Errors happen.  I  have had to make corrections; even when I had test knitters.  Personally, I really like inexperienced test knitters, because they really, really read the pattern and ask all kinds of questions which allows one to find the confusing places.

Second, in the digital age I think it is possible to sell a pattern and include a FAQ about the pattern which the buyer does not have to print but they can reference.  I think this should be standard.  I spent a good bit of time yesterday trying to figure out if the designer really intended to have the "wrong" side of the 3 needle bind-off be on the "right side" of the little sweater.  Being somewhat dyslexic,  when things get all inside/outside I start getting twitchy.  I went to two different websites and a project page at Ravelry trying to figure out if I was the only one who found the following instructions

On a RS row make two button holes
Cast on over button holes on return row, knit one more row
Now put right sides together and bind off left shoulder
3 needle bind off right shoulder *

had the stitches incorrectly placed on the needle to actually accomplish this instruction.  I was getting twitchier by the moment.  Was I really that stupid?  How come I couldn't make this work?  If I had started on a wrong side row would it have come out correctly?  Is there an error in the pattern?  Is the error this part or that part?  ACK!!!!!!!  I would love to have gone to a FAQ page and seen a designer say:  "Why yes, the "wrong" side of the 3 needle bind off showing on the shoulder is suppose to be a design element".  I still don't know.  I just "made it up", and in the bigger picture it doesn't really matter, it's only knitting and a kid sweater to boot.  Except I would like to have enough expertise and confidence to actually know I can read/interpret what is being written and understand what the designer is trying to accomplish. 

There is also too much information.  There is a designer who wrote 24 pages for a pattern, the majority, in my opinion, waxing poetical about how clever she was.  Someone else condensed the pattern down to one page and if you cut out one paragraph from somewhere around page 23 you can knit this very simple shawl without ever looking at the other pages.  Yes the design is clever and beautiful and deceptively simple - but in this case just give me the straight instructions.  Give me a FAQ page and let me wax poetical about how brilliant you are.

My knitted knickers are in a twist today over pattern reading.


* short version of instructions

 

 

 

My New Best Friends - Bookwise

Since I have become my dad's primary caregiver, time is at a premium these days and I am still struggling to figure out how to complete the Master Level 1 handknitting program. Time is at a premium and my knitting is the mindless kind these days, the kind I can pick up and put down and not think too deeply about. Having said that, I have been indulging in some knitting retail therapy - book wise. 

Charles Gandy recommended Nancie M. Wiseman's The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques.  I have been knitting a child's cardigan and I was at the point of fitting the sleeves into the armholes.  This gave me the opportunity to practice the joining technique.  Was it a great job?  Not really.  In the Master's Handknit we submit swatches which are to be a reflection of "our best work".  It is easy to get fixated on that one small part of the program.  I think the real value of the Master's hand knit program is the ability to research, practice and expand one's knowledge.  This sweater is also helping me practice weaving in yarn ends.  As a side benefit I learned that the duplicate stitch method is a great way to 'fix' or reinforce sloppy, loose gauge on the sides.  Sloppy side gauge is a separate issue that I need to work on. 

I also picked up The Knitter's Handbook. Small, portable and spiral bound.

I am finding there is a lot of different information out there regarding knitting.  Knitting is a very slippery business with different definitions for many of the techniques.  I am knitting a simple cowl that has mobious in it's title.  It is not technically a mobious.  It is just circular knitting with the cast one row having a twist in it. This does create a twisted fabric, but a true mobious it is not.

I am surprised how my knitting is secretly improving.  I used to look at Vogue knitting magazine and think "Yea right, I will never be able to knit that stuff".  Now it doesn't seem so out of reach.

Master's Knitting Program

I love design and I deeply admire the technical abilities of the great knitters.  It has become increasingly obvious that my technical abilities do not equal the knit designs that are rattling around my brain. I also love stranded work and after designing my Unicorn Hat I realized I needed to learn more techniques than the usual "fly by the seat of my pants" version. I think knitters have many teachers that contribute to their knowledge. 

I think we all learn from each other and the fiber community is amazingly generous in its willingness to share a love of the craft.  But it is time to really explore knitting, hence I have committed to increasing my expertise and have decided to enroll in the Master's Knitting program from the Knitting Guild of America .  This is a three level program with a review committee that guides the learning process. You may not proceed to level two unless you have successfully completed level one.   I have a University level Master's degree and frankly this Master's certification program seems every bit as complex.  It is probably the first certification program that I actually respect, and I have lots of certifications that I have picked up in the mental health field.  I have several goals in taking this course:

1.  To increase my technical abilities and really learn this craft
2.   Learn to design more effectively
3.   I would really, really like to be able to work part time in a knitting shop and know that I had the skills to help those who were just starting out in the very satisfying and addictive world of fiber. 



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

Tams, Shopping and Little Sleep (A fiber and doggie post)

No pony ride for me today.  Nana has been up since midnight with a nasty case of diarrhea.  I thought things were going so well, until the mystery of yesterday.  I have no idea what she might have gotten into.  I watch her like a hawk these days.  You wouldn't know she felt bad, she roared around the dog park this morning, attacked my pant leg, ate well but still seems to have a nasty gut, though it seems to be slowing down and the next couple of days will be key.

So, I find myself puttering around at home, having been up since 4:30 this morning and given up on getting any more sleep I cruised the KnitPicks site moving the sample colors in the Palette yarn line around to try and find an adequate replacement for the color Mustard which will be going bye-bye.  Brass Heather looked like a possible replacement at $3 something a skein.  I am still working on solving the problem of a soon to be discontinued color in my Summer Dragonfly Tam.  $56.00 later and several hours (not all staring at the KnitPicks website) my purchase was complete.  Obviously I should not shop while sleep deprived.  All resolve goes down the drain, but I had to have those size 8 interchangeable needles or a current project would never be finished.  The only size 8 I have are 16 inch circulars and they will never hold the approx 175 stitches I plan to pick up and knit, not even if I jammed them on there.  Things are getting a little disorganized around here so the project bag was a must.  By then it was all down hill.  I've been looking at the Knitting Math software for some time and there I was just $14.00 dollars short of free shipping, I mean really, what's a girl to do.  So I bought the software!  Of course there were a few piddling other things, like the magnetic thingies that hold your place on a chart, a finger strand thingy, all very necessary I assure you. 

I also managed to get the next chart done for the winter tam and can begin knitting that while I wait for my order from KnitPicks to arrive.  In the meantime I have posted a big note on my Computer:

  "STEP AWAY FROM THE CREDIT CARD" 

We will see how long that lasts.

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