As is true with anything in life, our hobbies can sometimes be frustrating. Just when I think I am doing pretty well on my knitting journey, I get some setbacks that tell me otherwise.

This is all part of the learning process so I try to take it with a grain of salt and trudge onward.

The Problem is Mine

I always like to have some sort of Fair Isle project on my needles and had decided on knitting a vest from my Lopi 40 book. After having success with the Farfuglar sweater, I figured a vest would be quicker, if not easier.

Wrong. I can’t understand the directions for dividing the top. So I have moved on and will make the vest into a sweater. Fingers crossed it will be wearable. I am not a good enough knitter to accomplish this pattern – I’m sure there is nothing wrong with the design.

The Problem is Theirs

Then, I began a baby blanket pattern – which I paid money for – because it looked cute and fairly simple. Wrong again! The directions are horrible with a pattern mistake on the first row. I ripped it out. It makes me angry that pattern writers don’t pay attention to knitters who have had difficulties (and they did) and fix the problem! Things like this make me doubt the designer. If they don’t care enough, why would I want to chance buying anything else from them?

This is not the first time I’ve bought a pattern that was ridiculous. I had most of the Oxbow sweater knit and found it too frustrating to complete. I now avoid that designer, and she is very popular. Carbeth ended up a disaster for me and I found the pattern lacking in explanation. This designer is another one I now avoid.

Live and learn. I’m slowing building a list of my favorite pattern designers. It’s trial and error and the only way to figure it out is to try.

Why Not a Pattern Rating System?

Truthfully, it may just be that these designers write for experienced knitters who can interpret what to do. I wish patterns had a numbering from easy to difficult rating of some kind. As it is now, we have to go by what other knitters say. And they are not impartial because they may be experienced too!

Sometimes a knitwear designer will offer their own warning for knitters saying that experience is needed. One such designer is Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. His patterns have a star rating / skill level attached. I’ve knit the Skiff hat a few times and it has a rating of 3 of 5. If anything is true, he goes overboard with directions and instructions! That is not a bad thing, it just takes time to go through the entire pattern before beginning and making notes. I love his patterns and have knit quite a few. I know by now that I never have to worry about a lack of instructions. Each pattern will be worth the money.

Keep Going

We learn best by trying, whether we succeed or fail, or fall somewhere in between. Keep knitting and keep trying new things. I have lots of yarn to use up!

One important thing I have learned is that I can’t trust the reviews of previous knitters! Either they know too much or can’t be honest, but relatively few reviewers ever note problems that are blatant in horrible patterns.

I’m thinking that maybe I need to go back and revisit some easy, favorite patterns and stick with them. All I wanted for my Mrs. Crosby yarn was a simple knitting project. The baby blanket will never be, but perhaps it will become a Honey Cowl, as that was a fun project (and it’s a free pattern folks). It might look good in a fingering weight yarn.

Relax, it’s only knitting

Fellow Knitters, Please Keep Reading