Challenges all 'round

Venturing slightly beyond one's comfort zone is something that I always encourage, if one is to learn and improve one's sewing skills. 

Taking a leaf out of that particular notebook, I figured it was high time that this little newbie-knitter ventured beyond the basics.  'Tis time to push boundaries and move forward into The Land of Fancypants Knitting.

 Ok...so I'm starting small and pretty basic. Never having done anything lacy before, I'm taking small steps with these socks (sorry - awful and unintentional pun).    I even experimented with a new cast-on method... and ...ahem....knit the toe three times before I got it right 

Then I was stumped.  The instructions just said to "use the chart" to knit the lace pattern.  Ummmm... with no instructions anywhere in the book to tell me HOW to read the chart. 

Google to the rescue!  I found my way to this tutorial on Wendy D Johnson's blog. Strange, that in a book that covers all manner of other sock-knitting basics, and being one that depends largely on chart-based instructions, that there was not a paragraph to explain the chart.  And yet, that's all it really took on a blog post.  Go figure.  (Otherwise, it's a lovely book).

Equipped with newfound chart-reading know-how, I ventured on and knit 3 rows of the lace pattern.... before I noticed a dropped stitch in the first row and had to rip it all out. 
 
Challenge accepted.... and tonight's the night.  A hot date with the needles (and quite possibly Season 4 of The Tudors).   Look out Land of Fancypants Knitting, here I come.

If you fancy stepping outside your sewing comfort-zone, I have may just have the challenge for you. 

The new shopping bag pattern is currently being tested by four fairly confident sewing gals.  I'd also like to test it on some less-confident sewing gals (or blokes?).   If you're fairly new to sewing but a bit adventurous, this might be one of those Great Leap Forward challenges. 

 The testers have to fit the following criterior:

• You need to be able to accept a 4MB file and print out the pattern and instructions.
• You don't need lots of experience, but you need to be willing to try putting in a zip around a curved, stiff bag base.  No taking on the project and then woosing out!
• You need to be able to make this project and get feedback to me by no later than Monday 9th July 2012.  Please don't agree to do it and then not get back to me.
• You need to have access to Fast2Fuse or Peltex 72 (double-sided fusible, cardboard-like stiff interfacing) and paper-backed fusible web (Vliesofix, Applifix, Heat&Bond etc).  If you're local, you can pick it up from me, otherwise, you'll need to source this.
• You need to be able to give detailed feedback to help clarify the instructions (as well as pointing out typos and formatting inconsistencies).

If you think you fit the above criterior and want to give it a whirl, send me an email or leave a comment here.  (Remember that unless you're signed in with a Google profile with an email address attached to it, I won't be able to contact you through the comment box.)

Life is full of challenges, non?  And what doesn't kill us makes us better knitters and stitchers.