A neat little discovery

Hello blog world, another check-in from me. I would like to share with you all this new pattern that Im working on. Im barely 10% of the way into this one but this pattern has really tickled my fancy so Im sharing it with you before completion. Go take the time to look at this lovely little find. What's so special about it you may ask? Well, the way its presented, a crumpled up piece of paper out of a mystery book, written in another language (Japanese) is just a start! Its almost feels like Ive stumbled across some long lost pattern that was dug out of some dark, dusty attic somewhere in Japan. As lovely as that sounds, it may be far from the truth. It could be just as probable that the page was ripped out of a popular library book, and shoved into someone's pocket.. but doesnt the first idea sound much more romantic? Although, be sure Im in no way suggesting that the supplier of this scanned copy is a library book ripper!! lol!

Second reason I love this is because Ive really taken to charted patterns lately, they really work for me! Sometimes the written ones can become confusing with the different ways individuals speak and interpret the many crocheting terms. But with the charted pattern Ive yet to come across a deviation, every one of them follow the same basic principles, it crosses language barriers! And there's no need to work out if they are talking in Aus/UK or US terms!

But there's still more! This pattern has opened up to me a whole new world of crocheting. I know I haven't been in the craft for long, but never before have I worked without starting with some form of foundation chain, (or loop) and never ever before have I attempted to crochet backwards! But this is what the pattern requires you to do. Its amazing how habitual it has become in just 2 years to turn my work after every row, I feel like Im fighting every instinct not to do so at the end of these rows. And then it feels so foreign to work the following row (in my case) from right to left..

The added challenge for me ofcourse is that I have to read this pattern back to front aswell. Yes, being a lefty adds to the complications! It means I make a mirror image to what these pictures show. This is most noticable in when making booties or the like, if there's a pattern for a right bootie, it'll end up being a left bootie for me! In this particular case the chart shows the work being made in a zigzag fashion starting from left to right then back to left. Im working right to left then back to right. It almost makes me dizzy!

So all in all, after much gushing I guess what Im trying to say is, its with work like this that I feel like Im making art, not just crafting! :) And as the author mentioned over on her blog 'I love the engineering on this pattern. What looks like a hundred little flower motifs is actually crocheted all in one piece. Fabulous!'

xx Emma

Oh and PS, Im making this scarf for my lovely neighbour as a belated birthday present. Hope she loves it just as much as I do!