I need a couple volunteers to test knit Sherwood and Crocus Pocus. Both are smaller scarf projects that involve basic lace skills and crochet hook beading. Samples do not need to be completed in original yarn, as I will use my own versions for the pattern picture. Let your own imagination fly free...
What d
o you get? You get the pattern free of charge and get to be the first on the blogosphere block to knit one of these beauties!And if you call within the next five minutes, we'll throw in a set of ginsu kn
ives...Not really. I just got carried away.
..What do I get? A chance to de-bug and
make sure that other knitters understand my pattern.What do we get? A chance to make new knitting friends (my favorite part!)
Time is of the essence, so please take a pass if you can't free up the time to knit one of these within the next 2 weeks or so.
And now for something completely different...
It astounds me how many designers resent people pointing out their mistakes. I have heard horror stories of non-responsive, angry people insisting, even when confronted with the truth in black and white, that there could not POSSIBLY be an error in their pattern.
I don't do that. For many reasons:
- I believe no one is perfect
- I believe my mistakes teach me humility
- I believe humility brings me closer to God
- I believe there is an unspoken contract between designer, yarn producer, and knitter: to work together in good faith to bring forth, not only a beautiful and satisfactory FO, but also a rewarding knitting experience.
- I believe denial and self-delusion are defeating attitudes
- I believe in my knitters: when you're right, you're right
- I believe we are all in this world together, and we had better help each other through
- I believe you've probably had enough manifesto for now...
Anyway, I have held off on a comprehensive errata posting for Moroccan Days/Arabian Nights. (Forgive me if I've already told you this, but...if I had had any idea how many times I would type that extremely l-o-n-g moniker, I would have named it, "Fred!" Or maybe, "Omar!")
Not because I didn't want to admit my mistakes. But because I wanted to make sure all of them were corralled into the same enclosure, before I started branding them with the Sunflower logo. Now that four different knitters (some chart-readers, some written direction aficionados) have completed the first half (making it through the pattern once, before repeating) I am hopeful that we have hogtied them all. But I make no promises...
Errata are wily little critters. They run when they see someone comin' round the mountain. And they are notably ornery cusses, throwing off numerous attempts to tie them down. But most of all? They are masters at camouflage. They hide out in the sagebrush, right under our noses, resisting many attempts at detection until some intrepid knitter actually looks closely at the directions and hollers, "Wait a minute, sheriff Pandorf! I think we got us a live one..."
So, a big and humble thank you to all my deputies. Without you, our wild world of knitting would be a lawless wilderness.Moroccan Days/Arabian Nights Errata
Chart A, row 41, stitch 20:
Should be purl, not knit. Written directions are correct.
Chart C:
On rows 7, 9, & 11, 2nd stitch in from edge should be a knit 2 together. All right side rows on this chart begin with a beaded yarnover, k2 tog. Written directions are correct.
Chart G4, row 19, st 40:
Should be YO, not knit, as written.
Schematic:
I meant to put G1 & G3 on the right side triangles and G2 & G4 on the left side triangles. Directions are correct. Diagram is correct. Label is specious.
Pg. 8, Written Dir. Chart A
Row 8 should read: (P1, k1tbl) twice, (bead1, k1) twice, k2*, not k1* as written.
Row 17 should read: Repeat to last 7 stitches, not 8 stitches, as written. Chart is correct.
Page 12 at bottom:
Should read:
End panel
Row 1: (WS) Purl. Row 2: Knit. Row 3: P1, slide 20 beads close to RH needle, k1tbl, forming a beaded loop, k2; rep from, end p1. Rows 4 -8: Knit. Row 9: Knit 94, knit 2 tog, knit 94 (189 stitches)
Pg 13, one third of the pg. down, after line beginning with Next Row:
Should read: work chart D (leaf shadows) over next 27 stitches, not 26, as written.
“It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
27 comments:
love to be a testknitter if you need more.
sign me up!
I'm game, if you need more.
I was one of those with eagle eyes. I'd love to test knit.
I'd love to test knit one!
but... I'm concerned about the timeline. How many yards are needed? If I have the yarn in my stash than no problem but if I don't and I have to order it than I should probably pass...
Hi! I'd love to be a test knitter/trouble shooter.
My resumé: my knitting on Ravelry (wells201) and I LOVE green!
Treefrog again. Guess I should leave a contact in case you say yes:
treefrog303 on ravelry.com
Test knitting first for me!
You are right...no one is perfect and almost every pattern out there has an errata to go along with it :-)
Thankfully most designers are gracious. It's a shame that not all of them are. It's ok to have mistakes, as long as you correct them.
Unfortunately, this is my busy time at work or I would love to knit it up. I will just wait till it is available and then I want to knit it as it looks gorgeous so far.
I agree with Kim, mistakes happen but as long as they are admitted and corrected, it is fine.
I will not be volunteering to test knit. I'm slow, I like to step back and look at what I'm doing. So deadlines are not a big part of my vocabulary.
What I do like is your manifesto about errors and your Ghandi quote. I was at a talk given by his son(grandson?) who talked about wanting a new pencil but he still had about 1 1/2 inch of old pencil left. He ended up breaking the old pencil so he could get a new one but admitted he broke the old. The gist of the discussion he had with Ghandi was similar to what your quote said and included more about the haves and have-nots. Good memory so thank you!
It looks like you have several volunteers already, but if you need another, I'd love to! I've done a couple of test knits (for Mama Llama and for Woolgirl), and I'm currently trying to decide on a new lace project. My ravelry name is SusanS, if you want to take a look at my projects!
I would happily test knit anything you come out with, oh please oh please. If you want to get in touch with me, I'm Brose on Ravelry ^^
Thanks for the errata info. The next one looks exciting as well.
I'd happily test knit any of your patterns if you have need!
yeah for "fred" or "omar" I could just picture all of us knitters drooling over your patterns and saying "Isn't Fred amazing, Gosh the beading on Omar is really snazzy." That gave me a good chuckle.
If you still need test knitters let me know. I'd be happy to dedicate most of my time to one of your projects (not to mention I love the idea of telling the DH "don't bother me I'm on a knitting deadline."
=)
hugs
Megan
Alas ! Too short on time because of a growing addiction to Moroccan spices and marvels... But you should find enough test-knitters in those eager comment-writers. Sherwood is another promise of good times ahead, count me in when the pattern is out !
You're very sensible concerning pattern errors : I think each of us "Sunflower Design's knitters" are aware of your talent and willingness to help.
I would love to be a test knitter, however I am going on my annual "knitters retreat" with 3 other lovely women I "met" over the internet 8 yrs ago!!! As we are together 5 out of the nxt 15 days, I guess I wouldn't be a good candidate, as much as I would love to. Perhaps next time, your patterns are glorious!!!!
you know..... ordinarily i don't like green..... but i have to say... i do like it in that sherwood
and i think that sherwood is going to be another morocco......
i think that's a hit susan
vi
you know..... ordinarily i don't like green..... but i have to say... i do like it in that sherwood
and i think that sherwood is going to be another morocco......
i think that's a hit susan
vi
If you are still in need of a test knitter, I'd be game. You can check out my knitting skills on my projects page on Ravelry...knithappened.
I'm glad you got lots of volunteers!
Thanks for the errata. Humility is a good thing!
I bought the kit and couldn't be happier. I'll start knitting after I finish petting the yarn. You and Kim make a great team!
Michele :)
I do agree that no one is perfect & it's alright to admit mistakes. I once talked to a designer about mistakes in her pattern & she refused to accept that & insisted that I was wrong. Till today, there are still mistakes in her other patterns. Thank god we have designers like you!
I'm not sure how anyone can be sure their work is error free. Jeez, I make errors all the time doing things I do every day. I call those "auto pilot" errors. When even the simplest things are beyond me. I just admit the mistake, try to fix it and move on. I would think designers would be pleased that someone liked the design enough to spend the time working on it and looking closely enough to find the errors. Isn't that better than being ignored?
Hi Susan: looks like a lot of eager beavers have beat me to the punch... but if you're still in need of a test knitter... :-)
The pattern looks fabulous.
susan, it looks like you got alot of request to be test knitters if you need another one I would like to help out. I do some knitting for some yarn companies, e-mail me and I will tell you who. I have the yarn and pattern for Moroccan days, I just need to wind the yarn. Hopefully this week I can get to it, my sewing/craft room has been a huge mess so I have been redoing it to get it organized better and so I know what yarns I have. Thanks for the corrections.
I'd have been happy to test knit, but the whole world beat me to the punch.
Have you seen a book called Mistakes Were Made (but not by me)? It explores the psychology of mistakes, and of refusing to admit them. It's quite interesting.
i've just discovered you and your brilliance. is it too late to be a test knitting for this.
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