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Thursday, May 01, 2008

Knitting has it's challenges

I picked up this magazine, because I really liked the cover project, I'm planning to make that particular sweater for myself. I love the look and it's knitted in one piece top down, which I haven't done and would love to try.
As I was flipping through, I found this adorable baby cardi, and thought it would be a great gift for Baby Abby, so I started knitting and everything was going great, until the pattern omitted the joining of the pieces. The pattern reads " With RS and circular needle k25 sts from the right front holder, pm 38 sts from the sleeve holder etc... til you put all the pieces on the circs, the at the end it states "DO NOT JOIN". So I thought ok why put them all on here if I don't join them. Duh, well it meant don't join the opening, I thought, that's obvious, but maybe not so, I got past that hurdle and then I get to this the part where your joining and decreasing for the sleeves and back and the pattern cuts off after you knit the back portion, you still have the other sleeve and front to do, I know I have to do the same stitching in reverse, but why not write it out? So I got out my post-it notes, which I find are invaluable for knitting notes and wrote the same stitches in reverse, since I have to do it 5 more times, I figured I'll never remember it. Is that a normal process for designer's patterns?

This is what the cardi is looking like after all the duh moments I've had. I guess I need more step by step than what seems obvious to other "more experienced" knitters, is a question for me. I picked a pattern with the skill of level intermediate, because I thought it would be challenging (which it has been) and I don't want to stick to beginner and easy all the time, so I guess I was my own instigator. But I must admit, I have learned and I guess that what knitting, weaving and using my creative outlet is for.

4 comments:

Leigh said...

It's a cute cardy. I do know that some patterns are very poorly written. My problem is that I'm not an experienced enough knitter to always figure that out until it's too late and I've given up. Good for you for persevering through.

DEEP END OF THE LOOM said...

Thanks, I can't give up cause it irks me to not be able to accomplish something that I know can be done. With that said I had to rip out to the begining of the join, because since it wasn't written I screwed up. I've actually written my own instructions to be able to finish this piece, I hope the other sweater will not have the same problem.

bspinner said...

I can't agree more about knitting patterns. I have found an older book "One-Piece Knits That Fit" by Margaret Hubert that I love for sweaters. Everything, both knit and crochet, is from the neck down in one piece and the directions are easy to follow. If you can find it check it out.

bspinner said...

Me again. Just checked eBay and there are three copies of the books I must mentioned.