A brief rant

On why all patterns need skematics and measurements and things to help me not be crazy.

I would have sworn that my stepbrother's baby was due in February, so I wasn't worry about knitting anything for them for Christmas. Apparently, December. Oops.

So, at the LYS the other day, as I was picking out buttons for the two Oh My sweaters, I spyed a Plymouth pattern for a Matinee coat. Pretty adorable, knit on biggish needles, no problem, I thought. I bought the recommended yarn (Plymouth Dreambaby DK) in a lovely antique rose.

This pattern drove me crazy the entire time I knit it for all sorts of reasons -- to save space, presumably so the back of the pattern could be a full page ad for two patterns that are not included in this pamphlet, short lines (i.e. k5, purl to last 5 stitches, k5) of knitting code are included on the same line as the end of the last line, or the beginning of the next row. I missed rows a couple of times and had to frog back.

But what really got me -- gauge was given for the pattern in stockinette. no part of this sweater is knit in stockinette. No skematic was given for the pattern, no sense of what the various pieces should measure. Now, after a full day of knitting, instead of a sweater that is about 18" in diameter and about 9" long, I have a sweater that is about 14" in diameter, and about 7" long. So, instead of a sweater that would fit a newborn, and probably be useful until summertime, I have a sweater that would fit a large preemie.

I am very, very irritated. I'm not frogging the entire thing, I'll lay it by and know it's there when someone -- as someone always does -- delivers a little girl a little too early. And I have two more skiens of yarn, so I have enough to knit another sweater. But I am seriously annoyed. Should I send Plymouth a letter, or is this all my fault?

Opinions gratefully received.