Now, every knitter with a blog has to pay homage to the Yarn Harlot. For a while, I resented her. Why should she get to be popular for writing about knitting when I don't? Other than the fact that she is clearly more talented than I am at both writing and knitting. But then I caved and read her book. And it's funny, and is possessed by the same yarn demon I am that makes me stash, take on bigger projects than I can handle and be emotionally connected to my yarn. I was seduced by the Yarn Harlot.
Today's post is something that I can totally relate to. She picked up a pattern in Finnish and decided to try to knit it. Not two months ago, I did the exact same thing with German.
Now, I speak a little German. I'm of German decent, I have German relatives (though none that are both German and knit). I was pretty sure that if I sat down with a dictionary and the German knititng pattern I would be able to knit anything in this pattern book of cute, traditional German clothes. Boy was I wrong.
It's not the words. Even if I couldn't figure out the words from the real dictionary, there are online knitting dictionaries. The trouble is that the entire pattern is constructed differently. Numbers and symbols appear in no apparent order. Clearly, this is the famed German efficiency and I'm just too slow to understand.
So if anyone thinks they can explain to me how to read a German knitting pattern, please, please do. Because did I mention I bought the yarn for several projects in it? And I want to knit them. Desperately. And it wants to be knit. The yarn is sitting in my closet, sobbing softly.
Someone save that poor, innocent yarn that just wants to be made into German clothing. Hilfe!
My name is Sarah, and this is my blog. I'm a graduate student in physics that knits. Or a knitter that physics, however you want to have it. This site has no real information on string theory. But come on. Physics? Knitting? I've heard enough string theory jokes to know I need to address this issue head on. You can email me at theoriesofstring AT gmail DOT com. You can also find me on Ravelry as theoriesofstring.
3 comments:
Well, I'm impressed. I have trouble reading instructions in English and often have to resort to taking a magnifying glass to the picture and then knit what I think will look like that. Good knitting!
I think Birgit could help you. I don't know when she gets back though.
have you translated the words, and now just need help with the structure? I'd meet up with you for lunch this week if you want to try to puzzle it out.
:)
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