on knitting backwards

Posted on Posted in lace/shawls, projects, Uncategorized

well, if i could actually knit backwards i might feel like i had a new accomplishment to share, but right now, i am “knitting backwards” in the sense that i am making less-than-zero progress. and counting “backwards progress” as a learning experience is reaching for it.

(i swear this is not the same photo as the other day . . . it just looks like it—amazing, right??)
it’s not that anything is wrong; all componenets that i’d like to work with are coming together more or less nicely. it’s the glue.

i need a few more pieces to act as edges and transitions, and i’ve been trying different things out, then tearing back. knit and rip, knit and rip. it’s a little frustrating, even for me. so i got out a second needle late last night and cast on another one of anne’s beautiful colors, this time the brighter green-yellow. after i write this post then i’ll go play with that. tandem swatches . . . that should be fun.

one tree scum sock is almost done—woo-hoo. i’m almost to the toe decreases. i’m still not sure that these are going to fit david, even with the extra stitches. but they look handsome.

i don’t know why, but i’ve been feeling a little irritated in general the last day or so—i would rather be immersed in a project that is moving forward i guess; i’d rather be in the middle of something right now than trying to start something. i get annoyed at myself when my thoughts are scattered.

i’m sure by tomorrow i will have swung completely in the other direction.

maybe what i need is some spinning this evening instead of knitting and designing. that would give me a breather for sure, and some time to think. hmmm. maybe that’s exactly what i’ll do.


a word about pattern updates . . .

for anyone who might be new-ish to my blog and my patterns, i always welcome an email if you find any typos or problems with instructions. when i get a correction from someone, i post it on the page which has the pattern sales information, with changes in bold text.
these pages are easily found by using the search tool in the sidebar, and typing in the pattern name. corrections are dated, and the PDFs updated immediately so that newly-purchased patterns are always up-to-date.

there have been two tiny corrections to the morning glory shawl pattern since it was released.

i was wondering though, if this is a convenient system for posting updates. would it be easier to have all pattern errata on one page instead? your feedback is appreciated.

this is another fritillaria, cousin to the checkerboard one i showed the other day. i just love these tiny flowers—so odd and dark. it’s hard to even notice that they are there unless you look for them; they tend to “blend”, with their bladelike leaves and stony colors.

36 thoughts on “on knitting backwards

  1. Oh, I’m sorry to hear about the shawl progress issues. What a rut to get into. I hope you get out soon! Your tree scum sock looks great. I really, really, really love that color!!!

  2. Definitely take some time off. I did an hour of knitting not for anyone but me and myself today and it felt wonderful. Two woulda been better, but take what you can get. 🙂

  3. Spin….sometimes being away from something is just the way to make progress. Personally, I like the stuff for the pattern all together….I hate hunting for information that I need.

  4. I think your system for posting errata is a good one, as long as you can get to it by typing the pattern name OR pattern name errata OR just errata. Seems like all will work, right?

    That shawl looks like it’s being knit out of granny smith apples. Awesome.

  5. the design muse will definitely be singing again for you soon – until then, a night off to spin and empty the mind sounds fabulous. I’m going to be doing just that myself in a few moments.

  6. Oh, I hope some spinning will help! Besides, your spinning is so so beautiful, looking at your yarn will probably make you happy.
    As for errata, it might be easier to have it all in once place. I’m glad you mentioned it too, or else I wouldn’t have known where to look. I’m casting on my morning glory tonight (right after I pretend to study for the one hour I allotted tonight…)

  7. Sorry to hear about the shawl progress. Hopefully it will go smoother for you tomorrow.

    Yes I think some spinning is in order. =)

  8. I was feeling much the same as you are when I ripped my yellow taxi socks back to the beginning….sad and irritated. Guess what I did this evening??? I spun 🙂

  9. Oh yes, I vote for spinning (since I just got my first wheel). Many years of architecture school taught me that sometimes you have to step back from a design challenge to see the solution.

    I say put all the errata in one place as more than one of us has more than one of your patterns and it would be easier to find that way.

  10. Sorry to hear about the rut, that’s always a frustrating thing to get into. I think that’s why I have so many projects going on right now…I get into a rut with one and feel a need to start another one to bring back the knitting excitement. I think spinning sounds like a good idea to help bring back the fiber love 😉

  11. I absolutely like those springy colours on that shawl and the sock. Delicate and full of energy, just like the seasons nature. Love all those excuisite flowers in your garden. A while ago you showed a checked one. That’s actually the ‘flower of the region’ Uppland where I live.

  12. Blegh, must be something in the air…I’ve been feeling a bit out of sorts the past couple of days, too. Last night I was organizing my projects, and instead of feeling relaxing me I just felt irritated. Blah. I hope you are feeling better!

    I like the idea of the errata being on one page is a wonderful idea.

    And have I mentioned how much I love love *LOVE* those colors you are playing with for the bee shawl? I adore bees and earthy colors, and I am thrilled to see this beauty emerge!:)

  13. Planning is always harder (at least for me) than doing, but it is often more satisfying to work out a problem than to slog through the knitting that follows.

    Consider posting the errata in both places if it is not a problem. If there is an option to check for errata, then I usually look for something labeled that way (as in the way the commercial knitting book and magazine publishers gang up their corrections for various books and magazine issues). If others are now used to checking for corrections this way, then they will be used to looking for corrections this way (one list)for your patterns. But some of your pattern purchasers may look first on the individual pattern page (or you can direct them on that page to the master list of correx).

  14. Oh, those springy greens–still no leaves on the trees here, but a few hints of green on the willows–so I’m happy to get a hit from your photos.

    I vote for errata on one page. I have several of your patterns, and in the course of checking on one before knitting, it would be convenient to note if there are others.

    Kathleen

  15. backwards progress is so hard! you do learn a lot, but the frustration is quite a bit to take. I’m sure the results will be beautiful though (that new yellow/green is amazing!)

    I’d say have all the errata on one page – that way if people have more than one of your designs, they can just scroll to see all of them in one place.

  16. It’s the process. Just not the most enjoyable part of the process. 😉

    I think I can see the bee shapes in the shawl–at first I thought of leaves, but then it occurred to me that those were the bee wings. 😉

    As for errata–a master errata page would be concise and very handy. Maybe with a clickable TOC at the top to take you to the relevant part of the page without scrolling.

  17. With regard to pattern corrections, I propose making notification and dissemination of the updates as easy as possible for those who have purchased the patterns.

    An errata page organized alphabetically by pattern is fine if we know that changes have been made. Even better? Send a corrected pattern download link to verified purchasers or set up an errata RSS feed by pattern.

    The idea is to notify us and remove the need for us to search your site, then print out and insert corrections to the PDF ourselves. I know this may be more work for you (depending on how your customer database is designed), but it sure makes it easier for us.

    Thanks for considering the input.

  18. I would put the errata in one place. That way, if for some reason – heaven forbid, we miss some of your blogs-days, we might miss the fact that you mentioned a correction has been done to a specific pattern.
    The green is beautiful, makes my mouth water for really tart apples!

  19. I think all pattern errata on one page is a good way to go. So that those of us addicted to your patterns can just go to one central location for possible problems with ANY of our patterns.

    Also, if we ever meet in person, I will personally teach you to knit backwards. However, I tell my students to think of “tinking” as knitting backwards, therefore, you are still knitting. =) Because it’s all process, process, process, no matter what direction.

  20. I checked my email this morning and Williams-Sonoma sent one announcing their Beehive Cake pan. I don’t know if you bake, but it’s a non-knitting bee idea!

    and thanks for sharing the fritillaria pictures — they’re really neat!

  21. Scummy is a chameleon! It’s looking great in green today. I showed radioactive yellow Scummy to husband, and he really liked it. Perhaps Tree Scum is a “guy” color.

  22. So, at the risk of being thought a know-it-all (which is about as far from the truth as you could get), I actually can and do knit backwards when I’m doing, say, a button band. I learned it from the book “Knitting in the Old Way”–which is truly a hard-core knitting book. Although the technique is weird at first, it ends up being as much of a time saver as cabling without a cable needle. I highly recommend it!

  23. i’m really liking the pale yellow/greenish swatch colors. they’re so nice and springlike–it’s taken so long to get to spring around here that i just love to see spring colors anywhere about now. good luck with the swatching and enjoy the spinning!

  24. I think spinning for an evening sounds like an excellent antidote to knitter’s block. Good luck on the design front. Scummy is looking good!

  25. I second Karen B.’s suggestion of some kind of notification mechanism, if only because I don’t necessarily know to check the main info page for errata. It would only occur to me to check for errata if something isn’t working right, and with my past history, it’s as likely to be MY fault it isn’t working correctly, so I still might not check. 🙂

  26. Oh the fritillaria are so beautiful. We have nearly run out of white stuff here, but not much green to speak of yet (except the spruce trees, but they don’t count).
    At least Pink Ragg #2 is behaving now.

  27. Hi, if you think about knit stitches when you execute them you pull the new loop towards you, when you purl, you push the loop away from you. To knit backwards, or lefthanded, you will still pull the loop toward you through the stitch. This takes practice and concentration as you need to “read” your stitches to make sure you poke your left needle through the stitch without twisting it. I am a self taught knitter and it took me a long time to learn how to purl, I had accidently knitted backwards because I had never actually turned the work. Good luck!

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