Here's a curious thing: the pattern for the Ruffley Cardy instructs the knitter to pick up 60 stitches across the bottom of the left front, 119 across the back and 60 across the right front for a total of 239 stitches. Then, knit the ruffle, then do the sleeve edge ruffles, THEN, one is directed to sew the side seams. Does this seem unnecessarily awkward to anyone else?

More Pattern Heartburn was given to me this weekend by Vogue KI’s sibling Family Circle Easy Knitting. I decided to start a crochet project because my arms have been bothering me with onset of cooler weather, and I thought a Rotation of Repetitive Motions might be in order. Crocheted Jacket with Bobble Stitch Pattern 32 caught my eye immediately when I bought the Fall issue and, oddly, it actually tells the reader in the sleeve instructions to increase one stitch on each end of a row of 27 hdcs so that he or she will have at the end, tah! dah!, 27 hdcs. It’s kind of like magic, isn’t it?

Do I sound hostile? The truth is, I can’t get used to sleeping in the camper. We’ve had it two months, gone on five weekend camptrips and I haven’t slept worth anything any time we’ve been gone. It’s making me mean. But I really love camping. I like hiking and knitting by the fire and being outdoors, but I Need My Rest. I don’t know what to do.