Sunday, September 6, 2009

My First Pattern!!

I finally overcame my fear of patterns! For so long I've been wanting to expand my knitting abilities (I can knit very well in a rectangular shape!) but I was too chicken to actually try a pattern. I have issues with patterns anyways. Even when sewing I really get annoyed at using patterns. I prefer to make it up as I go along.

I got the book One-Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn Shop Favorites (edited by Judith Durant) from the library a few weeks ago and marked all of the patterns I wanted to try. I love this book. There are a ton of great projects in it! I'll definitely have to buy it, because I don't want to return it to the library!


I picked out something that looked really easy for my first project- the Swift Cell Phone Carrier.




I've been working on it little by little this week, doing a few rows at time. I was sloppy. I started by casting on 24 stitches, and I think I ended up with around 28. Oops. Not sure how that one happened. I also dropped 3 stitches. We're talking a 4" x 6" rectangle with that many mistakes. I think I was so determined to make it harder than it was, I just didn't try. Finally today I made myself finish it. I had to call my wonderfully patient sister to ask a few questions about the pattern. She explained everything over the phone and I understood perfectly! The handle ended up wider than the pattern called for. The button hole is slightly off center. But, surprisingly, it doesn't look that bad!

I love how the strap is stripey!



I learned the mattress stitch so I could sew up the side seams, and I think it looks great! You can't even tell there's a seam there!



I made another one in a different color tonight. This time I paid attention and made it the way it was supposed to be made. Honestly, they don't look all that different! :-) I think I'll make some a bit bigger to hold different devices, and I'd also like to try felting (fulling) a few of them.

2 comments:

Becky said...

Katie!! It's fantastic! You can't tell at all that there are a few mistakes! I have yet to knit something without a mistake in it... but you know what? In the end no one can ever tell :) I love how the handle came out! Good job seaming!! You're a natural :)

Linda said...

Cute cozy. Great matress stitch! Mistakes are "design features"

You might want to check out some of Elizabeth Zimmerman's books. Her pattern ideas are great for those who don't want to follow a pattern. She's opinionated. Not everyone likes her writing. See if you can find her DVD's to rent. Hers are the only ones I purchased.

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