How many changes do you need to make to a pattern before it becomes something new?
Like the Ship of Theseus, is a pattern always itself, even if you replace all of the constitutional parts? Or is there a turning point at which it becomes a different pattern completely?
With a knitting pattern, you can change a bunch of things. Colour, to my mind, isn’t a pattern change. But what about changing stripe width? Choosing a different yarn in the same weight, again, merely cosmetic – but is changing the weight of the yarn a different kettle of fish? After all, this changes the number of cast on stitches, and the number of rows. If the pattern gives measurements instead of a row count, is changing the yarn less significant? What about pocket placement and method?
It has been suggested that I’m an over-thinker.
Anyway, I’ve been thinking these thoughts because of a current WIP. I got yarn for Christmas – I always have yarn on my wish list – and while I’d had plans for it when I first saw it… Those plans changed, as they so often do.
I had two cakes of Lion Brand Mandala in Warlock (Wool Warehouse link). I had it earmarked for a Mandala Striped Scarf (designer’s site), but instead opted to do a simple scarf on the bias, moving the colours around as I felt inclined in the moment.
That only used one cake, and having worked with the yarn and seen its stripes, I thought I’d do a long length cardigan, with Warlock at the bottom and a solid shade on the top and sleeves.
In searching for matching solids, I turned up some very interesting info: there’s another brand in exactly the same colourways and weight, at a far lower cost. Not only that, but this other brand, Papatya (My Happy Place link), produces matching solids – Papatya Love.
I ordered up skeins in mushroom, grey, and aqua and waited their arrival with bated breath. In the end, neither the grey nor mushroom exactly matched the tones in Warlock, but both were close enough to tone in beautifully. The aqua, on the other hand, looks to me to be absolutely identical. Delighted!
In among all the yarn excitement, I was looking for the perfect cardigan. Long, knitted bottom up (so that I could use up the whole cake before switching to the grey), pockets, DK weight, and in simple stockinette throughout. I finally landed on the Cody Cardigan (Ravelry link).
Just one problem – it was for worsted weight yarn. I’d completely failed to notice until a post-purchase read through.
So I did a bit of maths, made a few tweaks, and went ahead and got started on the pocket linings (which also served as a handy gauge swatch so I could check my sums again). Happy with those, I leaped on to sleeve island and knit up both sleeves at once, before swimming safely back to shore.
Sleeves and pockets ready for later, I launched into the body. I chose to use straight needles instead of knitting in the round. Same with the sleeves. I find a circular needle slower, and it’s full speed ahead on this voyage.
At time of writing, I’m just over 50 rows in, and when I get to 100, the pockets get added. Then another 50 and the arms are joined on and I knit the yoke and shape the v-neck. Then it’s done! I enjoy a raglan sleeve. Beats seaming any day. Oh wait, plus then some kind of neckband gets added, I’ll look at that more when I get there.
At a rate of 6 minutes per row, that’s probably, what, 20 hours of knitting? Even alongside two other projects, I reckon I can have that done in a few weeks.
Fascinated to hear any thoughts on what pattern changes you think are just modifications vs those that are fundamental. I’m only around knitters on the Internet and everyone else just kind of looks at me sideways when I ask this kind of question.
The Crafty Yarnster 