Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Adventures in pattern writing

I'm writing some new patterns today and I feel compelled to share the dirty truth about what has happened thus far.

1. This morning I came up with a "brilliant" idea, and needed specific yarn for it. I thought I would be clever and go to a different store than I usually go to. There I was met with terrible choices and funny colors in the ONE kind of yarn I needed. There wasn't enough to finish this project. I bought it anyway.

2. Cast on! This is going to be great. I'll start with a different cast on method than what I usually use so the finished piece with have more stretch.

3. After knitting a while, I see the cast on edge is lumpy and scrappy. I hate it and pull the whole thing out to start over. No biggie. This is part of designing.

4. I go back to the trusty long-tail cast on and knit one row. Now I'm getting there. I do the first two edge stitches in garter and start the lace pattern. I get to the end of the row and I am two stitches short. I realize I have cast on two extra stitches for the garter border instead of two extra stitches on BOTH sides. I pull it out and start over.

5. I finally cast on the right number of stitches. I knit the two repeat sections of lace (18 rows). Knit the center panel (24 rows). I take a good look at my progress. Hmmm, there's something off here. It's the gauge. It's not going to be tight enough for the duplicate stitches. What size needles am I using anyway? 8? That's weird. I'm supposed to be using 7's.

6. Pull the whole thing out. Do I have it in me to start over again? Did I mention I'm trying to get it done in time to submit it for consideration for the fall knitty? The deadline is in 10 days. And I have eye surgery tomorrow.

3 comments:

High Power Rocketry said...

: )

Anonymous said...

that's not me!

Star said...

What is going on around here?