I read blogs where people talk about liking a particular pattern because it presents a challenge.  I confess with some small embarrassment, that I sometimes avoid challenging patterns.  Often it’s because I want to work on something with techniques I already know how to do - either because it’s something I need to finish quickly (like a gift) or because I want some comfort knitting.

But sometimes it’s because I’m afraid I won’t be able to master the technique and don’t want to spend hours of frustration trying to figure it out.

One of the things I have been avoiding up until now, is any pattern that had an evil yarn-over, that being defined as a yarn-over that occurred between a purl and a knit stitch.  I have tried it before (incorrectly) and wound up with a bunch of muddled eyelets, neither crisp nor clean and looking like a drunk spider had attempted a web in their interiors.  Not good :)

You all remember that on Monday I was moaning about having fallen for Persephone’s Socks but not being able to easily get the pattern.  Well, Monday evening I received a note from Sue, reader and occasional commenter.  She had the pattern, but didn’t think she wanted to make it, and was therefore passing it on to me.

The kindness of people continues to amaze and, sometimes overwhelm me.  Thanks again Sue - most thoughtful and most appreciated.

Aside:  Is it always the case, when ordering patterns, that the shipping costs are seemingly ridiculous?  I’m not accustomed to mail-ordering patterns so when I saw a $6 shipping charge for a $5 item, I nearly swallowed my tongue!  Would the shipping price remain the same if I ordered, say, 5 patterns instead on one?  Those of you who do obtain patterns through the mail, how does this work - or how have you worked it out so that you’re not getting soaked with an absurd shipping charge?

Of course I immediately sat down and read through the pattern, looked at the charts, determined yarn and needles and cast on.  Got through the ribbing in fine style and then began the leg pattern only to run into my dreaded nemesis - the evil yarn-over!

Well, I didn’t let it stop me for long and did eventually figure out how to manage the things so that the eyelets actually looked like eyelets.  It took a few pattern repeats, but, at last I got the hang of it.  I suppose I could have ripped back to the ribbing to re-do the pattern repeats that I was learning on and which are, I’m afraid, a little lame looking :) A better knitter certainly would have.  But I kind of felt that I wanted their presence as a reminder of the learning process.  Working those eyelets helped me to figure out how to work better eyelets and I felt they had earned their place.  So they stayed in :)

There will be more techniques to master as I go on - this isn’t a standard sock.  But you know, I feel that I can manage whatever this pattern wants to throw at me.

I’m up to the challenge :)