Alexandra Scarf from Gauge Knits - Day 2

Why I love knitting...

I’m pleased to report that my roll-prevention efforts seem to be paying off.  It’s still a bit early to call those six extra stitches a complete success, but I’m over eight inches into the scarf and nothing is curling in on the edges so far.  Hooray!

Look at all those pretty green zig-zags!  There’s something about a pattern repeat stacking on itself so nicely, that swells the heart, isn’t there?  Beautiful, precise, order.

The creation of order in a chaotic world was one of the reasons I started knitting in the first place.  With small kids underfoot and the unpredictable nature of a writing career, I was hungry for things that gave me a sense of accomplishment and control.  When I knit something, it generally stays knit (unless I have to rip it out, but that’s another issue).  I can’t say that for an empty dishwasher, a clean counter, or even a well child.  None of that has changed, even though those little kids are now young adults—everything still feels as if it is in constant motion.  Knitting is my antidote to that non-stop shifting.  It establishes something that wasn’t there before, something that stays where I put it.

Have you ever tried to explain the deep satisfaction you feel when you look at your knitting? Especially to someone who isn’t a creative type?  It’s hard. The sense of “I made this, and it is beautiful,” even if it’s something as ordinary as a garter stitch dishcloth, defies explanation.  For me, knitting becomes visual time…it is effort you can see and feel, it is tactile and concrete.  Even my writing—which you can see 100 words as concretely as you can see 100 stitches—doesn’t give me the same deep sense of accomplishment.  

It’s why I love knitting so much.  And I expect I have lots of company in that affection.

Just in case you missed it:  Authors Who Knit will shift to READERS Who Knit for 2015!  I’ve been telling my publisher (and anyone else who will listen) that readers are knitters and knitters are readers.  What better way to celebrate that marvelous symbiosis then by highlighting my readers who take to the yarn and needles?  Starting in February, I’ll feature 11 Allie fans and their knitting—one each month—and those featured readers will get a few special goodies as well as some kudos here on DestiKNITions.  Email me at allie [at] alliepleiter [dot] com if you want to submit to be featured.

Mapes Shawl from Lovin' Knit - Day 3

Before we get into my Mapes progress, let me just say how much fun it was to give away copies of THE FIREFIGHTER’S MATCH at VogueKnitting Live in Chicago this past weekend.  This is made possible not only by my publisher, but by the splendid DestiKNITion stores that host my appearances like this event’s MiaBella.  VKL is always a top-notch event, with quality vendors and the best garment-watching you can imagine.  I saw garment after garment that I adored, needing to gush to the wearer how astounding their handiwork was and getting the pleasure of watching their eyes light up at the compliment.  It’s always a delight to introduce knitters to the knitting characters in my books, and I’m grateful my publisher shares my view that knitters are passionate readers worth getting to know.  

The Mapes shawl is at my favorite point in a top down shawl--the middle.  By this point in a project, I can see how the stitch patterns come together and begin to appreciate the shape and texture of the finished piece.  I haven’t yet gotten to the end where the rows feel ten thousand miles long and I’m impatient to get the thing done.  Middles are the hardest part of novels, but they are the most pleasant part of shawls.  

One tip:  Make sure you photocopy the pattern because you’re going to write all over this thing.  You are forever doubling back on directions, (i.e. “For rows 35-38, repeat rows 33&34 twice, etc), and I had to write the new row numbers over the old ones to keep track.  A simple row counter won’t really get the job done here--you need the paper.

“Selbucozy” bottle cozy from The Sow’s Ear - Day 3

Coping with complicated...

Some projects require that you stay close to the pattern.  Detailed instructions, while they produce intricate, beautiful work, also demand attention to detail.  I find charts--common to most colorwork pieces--particularly taxing on my brain cells, so I’ve come up with a few coping mechanisms to help me follow instructions well.

1) ALWAYS work from a photocopy.  I generally write on complicated patterns, and the fact that they have to be out and in sight whenever I’m working exposes them to terrors like coffee, water, chocolate, dogs, leaky pens, you name it.

2) Cross off rows as you do them, but only with a single line.  I know knitters who use a highlighter as well.  You need to be able to see the details of the row you just completed, to know that the white stitch you just made ought to be sitting atop a black one.  Magenetic row markers, while cool gadgets, never seem to work as well as the trusty pencil.

3) Divide and conquer.  That yellow line you see down my pattern?  It marks every 10th row.  And it matches up to a stitch marker in my work.  That way, I’ll see a mistake quickly and won’t have to take out an entire row of intricate colorwork.

Complicated knitting is fun and satisfying.  It can also be frustrating when things go wrong, so it's best to stack the deck (or in this case, set the stitch) in your favor.