tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post8003285093926333610..comments2023-12-18T02:12:34.362-05:00Comments on Kate Atherley Knits. A Lot. Mainly Socks.: On Holding of Hands and NotMarilla Wexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00410631303206026127noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-25669534911603543412014-09-19T13:10:23.298-04:002014-09-19T13:10:23.298-04:00I find it amusing that the disagreement is being p...I find it amusing that the disagreement is being phrased in terms of "less intelligent/less creative/less knowledgeable."<br /><br />Does no one else knit in small bursts of time? LOL I love a good, detailed, line-by-line pattern because I can mark where I am on my pattern printout and pick it up without pause when I come back from sorting out the most recent interruption, whether it's "He/She is being mean to me!" or "Mom, I forgot to tell you I need cupcakes for school tomorrow!"<br /><br />The concise patterns certainly save on paper and printer ink, but if you're interrupted mid-row...well, it takes a bit to figure out where you were and be able to pick it up again. :) <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-56396583684355362462014-09-07T08:31:09.231-04:002014-09-07T08:31:09.231-04:00Hand holding...Here's a thought. I have been ...Hand holding...Here's a thought. I have been a knitter and crocheter for over 45 years. Do I have experience....yes. I would rather use my "experience" to make the alterations required for the "perfect" fit since no pattern can do that. Also, there are SO many different techniques out there for construction. New ones are discovered all the time. I like to learn new things!!! I like designs that teach. The more detail the better. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-40549303401242957632014-09-03T20:35:39.412-04:002014-09-03T20:35:39.412-04:00I don't think its hand holding to specify tech...I don't think its hand holding to specify techniques in patterns. I buy patterns because I need the designers expertise. The type of cast on, which decrease to use, where to place the decreases-- this is the type of information that I am paying for. On the other hand, if the type of decrease doesn't matter it's fine to say that (or say left leaning decrease) but if there is a right way to do it, why wouldn't you tell your customers?<br /><br />Also, this encourages me to learn new techniques. Otherwise I might use k2tog (the only decrease in my learn to knit leaflet) for everything, never considering that there might be another way.<br /><br />And one last thought--- what is wrong with hand holding? I know the patterns are more expensive to write, but if people are willing to pay more, what is the problem? Sometimes I play around and create my own designs. Sometimes I just want to knit something that I know will turn out. For most people knitting is a hobby- it should be fun.MichLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14250671474818045950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-32748217541442081432014-09-03T10:58:30.223-04:002014-09-03T10:58:30.223-04:00To add a couple more more points to the concise vs...To add a couple more more points to the concise vs spell it out argument <br /><br />I think one of the things that has changed too is that with the wonder of Ravelry and the internet, it's much easier for a knitter to get a hold of a designer to ask questions. As an indy designer, I put my email address on all my patterns too. If I don't spell things out clearly, I know I'm going to get inundated with a lot of questions that could be avoided. And while it's nice to connect with people, and get feedback, constantly having to explain your pattern is frustrating. <br /><br />The other reason older patterns were more concise is simply a matter of typography. They were in books (mostly) or little leaflets. Paper is expensive, and publishers were trying to keep costs down and profits up so pattern instructions were kept as short as possible. But now with ebooks and pdf patterns (and consumers being the ones who do the printing and pay for the paper) designers aren't so worried about how many pages the pattern will run. Wanderingcatstudiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11459444703722115118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-43203481130792416462014-09-03T10:26:52.395-04:002014-09-03T10:26:52.395-04:00I liken this topic to the game of golf. Experts h...I liken this topic to the game of golf. Experts have noticed that golf is a dying sport, because it is too difficult to master. They are talking about making the holes much larger, the courses shorter, and par greater. I believe the same goes for knitting. If the patterns are too difficult for the beginning to average knitter, it could very easily become a lost art. <br /><br />I have to sign this anonymous because I don't know what the other options are. <br /><br />Nancy DavisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-29369182258722365932014-09-02T21:34:23.162-04:002014-09-02T21:34:23.162-04:00I'm linking to this post in my newsletter tomo...I'm linking to this post in my newsletter tomorrow. I'm interested to hear this debate from the sewist's perspective. Sewing patterns have radically changed over the last ten years. Indie designers often include far more diagrams, photos, and explanations (in plain English) than traditional Big 4 patterns ever did, assuming that new sewists don't already have the common knowledge of sewing that sewists of prior generations were assumed to have had. For me, in sewing, this is all positive, but perhaps sewing and knitting are different enough that the debate is really not relevant?Abby Glassenberghttp://www.whileshenaps.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-16343060080896502792014-09-02T20:33:17.424-04:002014-09-02T20:33:17.424-04:00If you look at patterns from 50 years ago, they as...If you look at patterns from 50 years ago, they assume that the knitter is literate and intelligent. I see some patterns now that assume mostly that knitters are illiterate and stupid. Where is the right medium? After all, 50 years ago, we succeeded in kinitting those 'things' by reading between the lines. When I look back on some of the things I achieved 50+ years ago (and there were some really great flubs among the achievements!), I, too, wonder if we are not holding the hands of people like those parents who walk their children to their first day of middle school -- way overprotective.Purl Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08436143322489741579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-82088410183854346112014-09-02T19:56:03.731-04:002014-09-02T19:56:03.731-04:00Posts like this make me wish I was a tech editor t...Posts like this make me wish I was a tech editor too.Irishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13241149895760914855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17401386.post-9941144770542507592014-09-02T18:45:41.985-04:002014-09-02T18:45:41.985-04:00Hi Kate,
Depending on the pattern I can either ...Hi Kate, <br /><br />Depending on the pattern I can either figure out the concise instructions or get frustrated and give up. Agree with you that to some extent it depends on the pattern and skill level needed. Me, I prefer to have more instructions. It would interesting to see which are most popular patterns on Ravelry and the level of detail in the instructions. Could be informative. Maynoreply@blogger.com