So I decided to buy this Berroco pattern leaflet, for this one pattern. Beauty eh? But what a disappointment I found when it finally arrived in the mail.

Firstly, it calls for something like 20 skeins of Ultra Alpaca. You do the math - (don't want to? allow me - that would be 170ish bucks not including shipping.) But thats an easy adjustment.. Patons Merino.. my fave felting fiber, at half the price, or even less if you utilize coupons at AC Moore and JoAnn Fabrics. Not to mention the monstrous amount of Patons Merino which I've accumulated specifically for fair isle felting - I'd only need to buy a few more balls to have the right amounts.

But when I glanced over the pattern to plan my project, I found myself completely shocked (and admittedly, a little peeved.) Firstly, no chart. A colorwork section, with no chart. I don't care how easy it is.. fair isle patterns, at least in my opinion, require a chart.

But worse.. the whole damn thing is knit flat. Fair isle.. FLAT! Who are these crazy people who write fair isle patterns to be knit FLAT? (Sorry Nance - I know you prefer flat - I think your crazy, but you know I mean that in the best possible way *wink wink*)

OK.. I am not about to knit this huge project flat. I'm just not. So my only option is to rework the pattern myself to be knit in the round (knit flat bottom, pick up stitches for body - knit the pocket section flat and sew on) And before I even do that, get out my grid paper and colored pencils and make myself a chart.

My point? I could have looked at the picture on the Berroco site and done it myself.  Silly me, assuming the pattern would do the work for me. One might think that the saving grace in this, would be the additional patterns in the leaflet. Think again.  The shawl is rather icky. The baby layette is hideous. The throw, while sort of pretty, is something I'd never spend that much time and fiber on. I truly bought the leaflet, specifically for the bag pattern. Lesson learned.

Around a year ago on this day..

• finished objects! - 2005