Knitter Beware

I worked on HRD (Henry Rollins Doppelganger) quite a bit Friday and Saturday and discovered something rather unpleasant. The pattern? It’s a little bit on the vague side. Like if you read the pattern for the arms, HRD either has really short arms or if you follow the pattern for Joey Ramone’s arms, then HRD has orangutan arms, which is equally unattractive. Also, the raglan decreases weren’t matching up at all.

Never fear! I am not afraid to tweak a pattern and so I have found a good compromise for the arms. I have a feeling I might have to do it for the legs too.

I really wonder what happened with the pattern. It’s like someone had a complete brain fart and just left some crucial parts out. There’s no errata sheet either. I googled every possible combination I could think of to find one. What I did find? Several other knitters who made the doll who ran into the exact same problem.

My solution for HRD’s arms:

• CO 10 in flesh color yarn
• knit 2 rows of St st
• 3rd row (RS) inc 1 st on each end of row (2 stitches added)
• 4th row p to end of row
• 5th row inc 1 on each end of row (2 stitches added)
• 6th row p to end of row
• St st next two rows
• 9th row (RS) inc 1 on each end of row (2 stitches added)
• repeat rows 6 – 9?two more times
• knit 13 rows in St st pattern
• switch to shirt colored yarn & knit 2 rows in St st
• BO 1 stitch next two rows
• repeat next 2 rows 5 x: (RS) k 1, psso, k to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1; (WS) p
• BO

This made for an arm that 1) looks to be of?human proportions compared to the torso and 2) matched the raglan decreases on the torso/shirt and 3) made me very happy.

I made the stupid and?predictable mistake of thinking that this would be a quick, fast and easy knit. I’m not sure why I thought that would be the case, because if?it can be done in a manner?that is difficult, can be drawn out for days on end and cause me to scream and cuss and/or possibly spill blood, I’m?going to take THAT road. Screw quick and easy.

Or maybe I’m just?starting to channel Henry.?