& They call it Tuesday

Feeling lazy. I think it's all the spinning. I have a pair of socks and a LOT of yarn to show you but the thought of transferring the photos from the camera to the computer makes me tired. Never mind, the editing and the living nightmare of trying to get them onto Typepad.

Spinning like crazy for the Tour. I seem to be in frog hair mode, which I love but does tend to take up more time than other weights of yarn.

In other news...

Just because you can design a knit item does not mean you can write a pattern. 

Last week, our Joan gave me a pattern that she wanted me to knit with some yarn she sent me a couple/few months ago.  The pattern was for one of those garter stitch shawl(ette) things that make me sad.  Looked simple enough.  Lots of garter stitch with some lace at the bottom.  We've all seen those patterns and we know that there isn't a lot skill required.

This one, however, was a surprise.  It was written for garter but the "designer" had also written out the st st version because her people may not be smart enough to figure it out on their own.  I was a member of her Ravery group for awhile and I can see why she would need to spell things out for her lot.  In two columns on one page, she wrote out how to knit this stupid little shawl(ette).  At some points, she used bold font and a couple of places, it was bold in color.  To me, the colored font is a sign of an issue.  Either an error or something that could confuse someone silly enough to knit this pattern. 

Way too many shorthand knitting terms in too messy a put up.  This is not something that one can glance at whilst doing something else at the same time.  Then there were the charts.  Charts that she wants you to print out, cut apart and TAPE TOGETHER.  Because, ya know, we've go nothing better to do.  And the chart taping?  Yeah, TWO different charts need to be cut apart and taped together to knit a simple shawl(ette) with lace at the edge.

Did I mention that you work these TAPED CHARTS while following the written pattern?!*

Maybe it's a joke.  

Or maybe the joke was on us.

Either way, I can't get Joan her money back and I'm stuck with a joke of a pattern and yarn that still needs to be knit into something.   & Yes.  At some point, I will knit it and tell all y'all about it again.  Of course, I'll have to fix the pattern first and we all know how much I enjoy doing that.

Then there's the other pattern that arrived last week.  

This one is a quality pattern.  Designed by an actual DESIGNER!, who is not pandering to the dimmest bulbs in the box.  This lady put her line by line pattern instructions in a table.  Simple, clean and easy to read.  Nice charts that do not require extra time and/or attention.  It's a no drama pattern that was a joy to read after seeing the first one.

Once I've spun the fiber...

Wait...

Once the fiber as arrived, I'll spin the fiber and try to find time to knit that lovely and promising pattern.  That's after I finish this...

 

* Don't get me started on "designers" who dumb patterns down so much that people who know what they're doing end up feeling insulted by the whole thing.. then then are the "designers" who are just plain insulting, but that's another talk for another time.

 

Comments

[Annie]

If Cookie is ranting for ten minutes, it must be Tuesday!

[gayle]

Purple!!!

There have been patterns that I've suspected the designer was drunk while designing, knitting, or writing-up. Or all three. Cuz no one would have written a pattern that way stone cold sober.
On the other hand, I've seen knitters who got confused with an instruction to 'Work k1p1 ribbing for 3 inches.' Even when it was written out for them. ("Rnd 1: *K1,p1,* repeat to end of round. Repeat Rnd 1 until work measures 3 inches." "But what about the even numbered rounds? Do I just knit them or should I purl them?")

[Marilyn]

Good luck with the pattern revisions. There should be a law that you can't sell a pattern that is stupid. It's like fraud.
Oooo, pretty purple!
Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

[CindyCindy]

I wish I had the confidence to know when it's the pattern and not me. Srsly. It might happen some day. We never know. Your spinning is beautiful. And, yes, ma'dear. I'm still slogging away at the Cabin Cove. I swear.....oh, never mind. Hugs, hunny!!

[Kitten]

Seems like that shawl thing should be easy enough to "fix" by ignoring her pattern completely...

[silvia]

Oh dear. Knit something else and tell Joan that that is what the pattern said...must have been a misprint...heh heheee!

[Datagoddess]

Yeah, that sounds like someone thinking way too hard about a pattern (the 'writer', dear, not you).

That's awfully pretty yarn you're spinning there...

[Bev]

Must be by a popular blogger. It burns me how some bloggers turn out a pattern a day, post and charge for them, when there has clearly never been a test nor an edit.

[Big Alice]

Damn, I love tables.
We keep an internal wiki at work and I love me some tables. WAY better than stupid bulleted lists all squished together (my coworkers enjoy bulleted & sub-bulleted lists. I find them difficult to read and follow). And both are miles better than paragraphs of text. I just want to yell at them, for Pete's sake, people, have you ever tried to follow your own directions?

I guess I just have a "special" relationship with editing.

That purple froghair is gorgeous!

[Gale]

I think I just knit that shawl. Send it to me and I'll do it for Joan.

[Carrie#K]

I think patterns should be released into the wild for all to enjoy. Charge for them! No! They should be free, free! Especially when they're basically garter with an edging.

They don't call it Tuesday. They call it another Terrible Day. And geez louise, it's STILL Tuesday. O.M.G.

[Amy N]

I agree with Kitten. Ignore the pattern. Knit a pretty shawl.

And what's with all the "patterns" for garter stitch scarves on Rav anyway. A scarf is a rectangle. Garter stitch is all knit. What else is there to know?

[KellyS]

Although I'm not in the cum laudes of knitting, I feel this way about many Other Things...as you know. I think. So dammit I <3 you!

[KellyS]

and apparently, the idea of this pattern was enough for my 7-month-old to puke. Seriously.

[Carole]

Spinning frog hair thing makes for a long time at the spinning wheel before you finish! I want to know what the pattern is.

[Natalie]

You can barely see the singles there, as usual.

I find trying to keep going on the TdFleece helps me remember to upload photos, but it's only day 5 and I'm already feeling worn out. I'm only spinning. Those crazy cyclists.

[Doris]

I love the frog hair. I am looking forward to having things in order in my house after the power outage so that I can sit down and spin. I haven't picked up knitting needels in a week and that is a very bad thing...makes me much less pleasant to be around.

[Helen]

A pattern that you have to cut and paste? Sorry, I don't have time for that.
That yarn is spinning up so fine, I can barely see it. Beautiful.

[Kelly]

Pretty purples! Ugh, taping charts together, no way! And written plus charts? Ugh.