You Want Me To Do What?

I mentioned in my first blog that I’m a professional writer, but I don't think I mentioned that I really have an obsession a passion for editing. I can’t read through ANYTHING without trying to edit it. It has become one of those burned-in-my-brain kinds of things. I don’t want to mentally edit everything I read, but I can’t help it. Sometimes I read through the online news and wonder “what fourth grader wrote this?!”

So when it comes to reading knitting patterns, I must admit that I get a little mental and re-write many of the patterns before starting the project. It’s not a matter of abbreviations being written out or anything like that. It’s writing the pattern in a clear way that really makes sense to the knitter. Some designers/publications do it really well and others not so much.  I sometimes secretly wish I could become a pattern editor just so I could help designers improve their pattern writing style.

The reason I’m going on about this is because I’ve recently completed two projects that troubled me almost to the point of frogging. The first was a hooded cowl. It’s a great design, but the pattern was so poorly written. I posted my pattern re-writes on Ravelry and others seem to have found it helpful. This was also the case for a short-sleeve cardigan I just finished last week. The pattern was just plain unclear at times, and others commented the same on Ravelry too (I always like when it’s not just me having trouble). I couldn’t wait to get that cardigan finished! And as it turns out, although I blocked it to specifications, it’s way too roomy and shapeless. After all that work, I have no desire to wear it. That really sucks. I should have blocked it to my measurements specifically and not the pattern’s specs. Lesson learned.




The end results for both projects.


So, where am I going with this? Well, I’ve really been thinking about creating my own patterns. I find it hypocritical to criticize the way people do things when I’ve never tried it myself. Maybe I’ll write a pattern that I think is the best written pattern this side of the Mississippi, but someone else (maybe on the other side of the Mississippi) will find it confusing as hell. So, I’m setting a goal for myself … create an original pattern and post to Ravelry within the next 60 days, then sit back and wait for feedback. I’ll report back on that later.

Happy Trails!