Twist and Shout

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Yeah. So, that happened. Fortunately I only worked the first band before realizing what I had done. Has this ever happened to you? If so, now you can prove that you are not alone. If not, shut it: no one likes a showoff.

But of course, jacking up knitting is just one more service I provide: I have seized this teachable moment to share with you how I proceed when this happens. First, I cussed a blue streak.

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Next, I bound off all 6 steek stitches. Then, with a hand needle and sewing thread, I secured the knitted stitches on either side of the center. Sorry; there's no photo of that part because I couldn't sew and hold the camera at the same time. Visualize what sewing looks like. Sewing while still swearing.

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Then I cut the infant steek, and removed the twist from my round. Swearing began to slow at that point.

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Being careful not to put too much pressure on the stitches at the cut edges, I picked up and knit new steek stitches through the bound-off ones. The stream of invective dissipated after that. And I felt better without the twist in my round.

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Now that I've knit away from it a bit more, you can see that the cut area is really small. The rest of the steek will get cut too, before we're done, and then covered up with something. So it's only ugly for now, and only for the first inch or so. 

And swearing is super cathartic, at least the way I do it.

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Oh, and I got so excited about getting started knitting, I forgot to tell you the winner of the blog poll on which yarn I should choose: Paragon, by Knit Picks. It's actually on sale, as of this writing, which is a bonus if you want some too. I'm really enjoying the sheen of the silk, and the awesome twist, too. It is a bit slippery, but thanks to a nice, toothy wooden needle, it's tensioning okay. I would not want to work with this yarn on a metal needle, though, if it could be helped. Oh, and that blue strand at the bottom is a provisional cast on, in case you're wondering. I just couldn't commit to an edge treatment, so I started without one.

Notice how the braids and the vine-y bits are mirroring each other exactly? I love it when a plan comes together.

Getting Centered

First of all, a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who are requesting the "Permission Denied" chart! Your outpouring of love and interest in this project is proof of the kindness and generosity of knitters everywhere. For those who asked, the e-mail mary@maryscotthuff.com is linked to PayPal, if you would like to send me (your personal knitting friend), a little something because you like the chart. The other question I've been asked is "Can I share the chart with my other knitting friends?" YES! Please do. I think the more Permission Denied projects that get out into the world, the better. And do feel free to modify any and all parts of it to suit yourself, too. My hope is to make this a design that is fun and easy to knit, so your input and modifications are welcome and encouraged. Not sure you want to get involved in this particular circus? Request a copy of the redrawn chart anyway: Comparing it to the original HERE will be fun and helpful for any chart you'd like to modify for circular knitting.

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CLICK TO ENLARGE

And now down to business! Now that you have determined your perfect knitting gauge by swatching (remember: we are ignoring gauge suggestions on ball bands and in that other pattern), in stitches per inch, multiply it by the number of inches in your preferred silhouette. Round up or down to get an odd number, and that is the number of stitches you'll cast on.

Casting on! What could be better? Use the diagram above (feel free to print and share) to center each motif. You'll see on the "Motif Repeats" version of the chart I sent you that each of our 6 motifs has its own stitch count, and I've drawn separate versions of each for left, right and center placement. Each time you begin working on a different set of motifs, make sure to count and center them on your body cylinder. Remember: the center motifs may have different stitch counts than the left/right versions, so count carefully.

Getting started can be a bit fiddly ("Crap! I was off by one stitch somewhere!"), but once you have the first set of motifs properly centered, the rest should be much easier. For this part of the project, we are just making a body-sized tube of stranded colorwork: Easy! Enjoy the process and take your time. 

Do check in on Ravelry if you need help. If you have a question, chances are good others do too, and it's so helpful to share. Posting photos there is also wonderfully useful, both to me as I help you, and to others knitting along.

Oh, and if you are like me and just can't decide what lower edge treatment is your favorite right now, do what I did and use a provisional cast on to get started. That way you can jump right into the fun part! Knit On, Gentle Readers, and thanks again for the love.

Permission Denied.

Hello, Friends! Madrona was a complete delight, and I "may" have recruited a few more brave souls for our big knitalong. Yay!

I've hit a bump in the road, however, by being honest. To understand this, you must be aware that:

A. I am in no way affiliated with Rowan, so when you buy the original pattern, I don't receive any payment.

B. Because I didn't create the original design, even though I paid for my own private copy, I have no right whatsoever to tamper with it for anything but my own personal use, without express permission from its owner(s).

I sent a request to Roan for their permission to publish my redrawn chart for you:

Dear Rowan;

I seek permission to use a Rowan pattern as the basis for a newly reinterpreted design. To whom may I address my enquiry?

I have been asked by my students and followers to rework Martin Storey's "Roan" so that it may be constructed circularly, with steeks, rather than knit flat. I also will be altering the silhouette so substantially that it will bear little resemblance to the original. This requires me to redraw the chart, to which I will make other modifications that will allow my students to knit it more easily. Having invested many hours in this project, I would like Rowan's permission to charge a nominal fee for the new chart and instructions. I intend to fully credit Storey as the original designer, and Rowan as its publisher. I believe that my modifications to the design will be substantial enough that it may be considered a different pattern in its own right, simply "inspired by" the original. I'd be delighted to send a digital copy of my work for your consideration, if you agree. Please let me know with whom I should correspond in this matter, going forward.

Thank You Sincerely, Mary Scott Huff Independent Knitwear Designer and Author, USA

And finally, here is their response:

Thank you for your enquiry.

We have consulted both Martin Storey and the Rowan Design Manager and on this occasion, they feel that this would breach our copyright too much for them to give permission.

Kind regards

Knitrowan

Which means that not only have they denied permission to me, but also that Rowan is now aware of this project, and they are likely to check up on me.

It also means that I may not put the redrawn chart anywhere online, and I can never be paid for it.

Having already done all the work to redraw the chart, and promised you to deliver it, I now have only one option. I must, as your casual personal knitting friend, send the chart to you individually via e-mail, free of charge.

While I'm happy to still be able to share my work with you, I now am prohibited from posting it anywhere online for future knitters. And of course, I am forbidden to be compensated for it.

So here's how it has to work: If you would like a copy of my re-tooled Roan chart, please send me a personal e-mail at mary@maryscotthuff.com. The "contact" button on my website also goes to this same address. Please put "Permission Denied" in the subject line, which is what I am now naming my chart. I can't reference Rowan or Martin Storey regarding this project any longer, because to do so opens me up to legal action. You can now search here for all the blog entries about it by typing "Permission Denied" in the search bar.

If, after you receive your copy of "Permission Denied", you like it and think I deserve to be paid for my work, you could maybe sometime take a class from me, or buy a book of mine, or download a pattern I DO own from HERE. I'm sorry to make the delivery more complicated, but it's the best I can do to keep being honest, and keep myself out of trouble. Thanks for your understanding, and of course feel free to tell your knitting friends how to obtain their FREE copy of "Permission Denied".