Welcome to the Knit Nurse Pattern Reading Clinics
One thing I often hear from knitters, whether complete newbies or 'old hands', is that that they sometimes struggle with following knitting patterns. If this is an area that has proved difficult for you too then read on…..
Knitters often assume this is a failing on their part and they lose confidence and heart in their knitting which is a terrible shame, especially as it’s something that can easily be remedied at least to some extent, and may not be their fault at all.
There may be a number of reasons why knitting patterns may we difficult to follow, not least of all the challenge for designers in translating their creations into written form and the limitations this poses when trying to describe practical activities. I’ve listed some other challenges below:
There is no single standard format
There are strong conventions but no set/fixed rules.
There are geographical/cultural preferences and variations.
There is good practice but no standardised template for what should be included.
There is a need for keeping it concise
Includes a need to limit use of space when printing for economical and ecological reasons.
For clarity - too much ‘waffle’ is like white noise and you can keep losing your place - it’s easier to follow if instructions are simple, line by line and not free stream of consciousness!
They assume at least some existing level of expertise
One of the things I love about knitting is there is always something new to learn. However when writing a pattern it would not be feasible to start from the absolute scratch each time and it would be tedious reading for those with even a little more experience.
More experienced knitters will have preferences for certain things like how they work their increases, how they work their selvedges (side edges) etc.
However a good pattern should try to bridge the gap a little to help the less experienced knitted such as writing in the pattern where and how to work your increases.
Quality of the pattern
It is great that we can now access so many patterns on line, but the downside is that the quality if not always as good as it could be - Check out my blog called 6 tips for writing your own knitting patterns for a little more about this subject.
Even with an experienced designer and the best efforts to ensure a quality pattern, it is inevitable that sometimes errors will occasionally creep into the publishing process - it’s not as easy to spot a mistake on a pattern instruction as it is when you are reading a normal sentence or paragraph for one, and also things can go awry in the layout process.
It will also depend on the sensitivity of the designer/writer to the needs of knitters and their commitment to ensuring the pleasure of the knit for the person who knits it.
Having difficulty in following a pattern is such a common problem for knitters that I am starting a series of Knit Nurse Pattern Reading Clinics to help you to get to grips with just that. I’ll be kicking off next time with The Anatomy of a Knitting Pattern, as this will get you off to a good start on your pattern reading journeys. Over coming weeks I hope to demystify the process for many and to increase your confidence and enjoyment in your craft.
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