To Think I Thought I Loved a Challenge

Nothing like getting a dose of reality, just in case I had a single shred of an illusion that I wasn't in completely over my head with this knitting thing.

The instructions for the Doctor's Bag read "pick up and knit 60 sts along the long edge of the Base. Break yarn. Repeat along straight edge of the Front." Fine. Except there are 78 stitches and 76 rows, respectively, along those particular edges.

In order to join the sides I'm supposed to "pick up and knit 28 sts along the shaped and straight cast on edge." It's 42 rows. Then I "pick up and knit 20 sts along the straight edge." Of the bottom, I think; the bottom is 48 stitches.

No, there are no errata posted for this book at the STC website. I had hopes. They were dashed.

I'm putting a lot of faith in the designers here. I'm trusting that the 3 needle bind-off will stretch the seams and that reducing the number of stitches will compensate for this. But why not a nice easy number? Or directions along the lines of "skip every 4th stitch"? I begin to understand the mindset behind "Dear Designer" letters.

After producing numerous visuals,















I did finally figure out that if I took the number of stitches/rows I had and divided them by the difference between what I have and what I'm supposed to end up with, I would get at least a rough idea of how to space out the stitches I'm supposed to pick up. The non-math-challenged may keep their snickers to themselves.

As a reward, I made the lining.













Well. A reward and to prove to myself that not all acts of creativity leave me betwixt, befuddled, between and bemused.

All quotes taken from Knit 2 Together; Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark, authors; Stewart, Tabori and Chang, publishers; copyright 2006.