AH HA!!!

This weekend (while dreary and oppressive) was a huge success for UFO's around my house! I finished my work shawl and have almost completed my hooded baby blanket. Both of which have been hibernating for a while now.

My rant for this morning is for pattern developers who think that the best way to write a pattern is using as few words as possible. UGH some people who learn visually need as many words as we can get. It is funny, I have been knitting for over a decade and yet I can still get hung up on pattern wording. (how sad)

This morning's epiphany is for Lion Brand's Hooded Baby Blanket, a basic pattern however when I got to the hood these are the only directions:

HOOD
With Size 10½ needles and 2 strands of yarn held together, cast on 3 sts. Work in Seed St inc 1 st at each edge every other row until there are 43 sts. Bind off.

The seed stitch they refer to involves alternating between knit stitches and purl stitches then on the next row knit the purls and purl the knits. It produces a nice bumpy texture and visual interest. However I got hung up because most increases are done on the inside, where the increase is actually the second stitch (in experience anyway) and this caused an unnatural repeat in the pattern. What frustrated me most I suppose is that no one else seemed to have trouble with these directions. I suppose it does say increase at each edge but I spent a while being confused and stuck in my brain rut. So just in case there is anyone else out there with this problem, here is the answer visually. (The bold letters are the increases.)

K P K
K P K P K
P K P K P
P K P K P K P

AHHH that makes me feel better...