I’ve been working on a scarf as a gift for my mother-in-law, and I’ve finally gotten it finished. I originally started using a lace pattern from a book, but I made so many changes to the lace pattern itself, and to the shape of the bottom, that it ended up being its own original design. It’s purely decorative, not something that’s going to keep her warm, but I think she’ll like it.

A couple of days ago, I sent out a copy of the pattern to several people who have volunteered to test knit versions of the scarf, to make sure the pattern is understandable, charted properly, and free of errors. I also asked that they knit the scarf in different yarn weights, because I tend to think outside the box, and I don’t think lace always needs to be lightweight and delicate (as the original prototype is).

I had a mixed reaction to putting my pattern “out there”. It’s super exciting, but it’s also a little nerve-wracking, because I kind of have to brace myself for constructive criticism. Not that I don’t want constructive criticism, of course, because I want my pattern to be well-written and easy to understand. It’s just that it’s my own creation, so I’m maybe a little protective of it. Still, it’s overall a positive, and I’m really looking forward to seeing other people’s versions of what I’ve made.

I’m knitting up another copy of the pattern myself, using super bulky yarn, and I’m already liking how it looks.