Well I did complete Alan’s vest about a month ago. Trying to get him to model it so I can put a photo on here has been impossible so far. The Knitting Pure and Simple pattern was fun and accurate plus the vest size fits very well indeed.
Letting you into a secret I have started another Knitting Pure and Simple project for Alan. This one is pattern number 991 which is a neck down pullover for men. It is the first top down I have started for Alan, although this summer I made about four for myself all from Knitting Pure and Simple patterns.
The sweater was not the first choice for the yarn I am using. I was so happy with the vest that I thought another vest – with a different pattern – would work really well for him. However the book that I chose the vest from has become a bitter disappointment. I had completed the back up to the neck shaping and did one side easily. When I started to do the second neck and of course shoulder shaping there were some instruction’s missing from pattern. And in fact when I then read the pattern instruction’s for the front shaping that too had a problem. I searched on line for corrections and found many comments about the book – none positive – as knitters were having problems with other vest patterns in the book. I emailed the publisher after not finding any corrections they mentioned a correction for another page, and then suggested I might like to pay for a download of the most recent version of the book. Hello pay for something that I already own I don’t think so!
So many companies are putting out books and patterns with errors in which we the consumer are paying for. Yes I know I can go on line and get the corrections, but in the case of my Mother she does not have access to a computer unless my Father is home too. And I am sure there are other knitters out there with the same problem. This past week I have had to get in touch with a magazine for an error in a lace doily pattern. This is the first doily I have attempted to knit and even the experienced lace knitters at the guild I belong to could not work the pattern out. Fortunately I got a lovely response from the magazine the same day with the correction included in the email. And yes I will try the pattern again and buy the magazine again!
As for the vest book I have with the many errors. I shall keep that until we have a large garage sale probably after Christmas with enough collective yarn for sale to start a small yarn store. In fact I will go through my book case and see if there are other books that I know I shall not be knitting from and sell those as well. These books are taking up valuable real estate on my book cases and there is one book I want to buy BUT is dreadfully expensive. With the sale of the ones I am not going to use I could buy something that I will love use and enjoy.