Crocodylia aftermath

It has been a curious sensation having my pattern published online. Knitty links to Ravelry, where to date 15 folks are knitting or have already knit one for themselves. There are also blog postings and general musings, some of which refer to Crocodylia.

I hadn't given it much thought, and therefore did not have any clear expectations, but there have been some surprises-to me at least. There might be a significant "duh" factor here for some of you who spend more time on knitting chat rooms then I do....

• Almost no one used the yarn I specified!

I am not sure if that has more to do with yarn shops touting more upscale varieties, or a general elitism among hand-knitters, or if it is that as a scarf pattern, Crocodylia is viewed as a good stash-buster?

Lamb's pride bulky is very nice and all that, but I have noticed that the rather upscale yarn boutiques I have gone into in New York and New Haven, don't seem to carry it. This is a bit of a stunner to me because my original yarn for the project was something I bought in France, unavailable here, and I specifically looked for something with similar qualities that would be widely available, and not too expensive!*

This would not matter a whit- who am I to try and control other people's craft projects?

EXCEPT that using thin floppy yarn won't make the pattern do what it is supposed to do: make solid ripples and fins. It just doesn't come out "right". So, while I have been getting lots of happy positive feedback (this is a total rush- I really like it when I've made someone happy!) there are the odd, disappointed comments or faintly dissatisfied postings.

So I guess I'd like to say:
It really does come out a lot better if you use a chunky firm-bodied wool yarn. Really, really.

• Almost everyone "customizes" the pattern in some way:
  

I love this! fringes, edging, more rows...
you name it. I had (erroneously!) thought that everyone would be using the pattern like a kit- get the yarn, go straight through the pattern as directed and voila!

NOT SO.
This is the same-but in my view more positive-impetus as the one to try any number of kinds of yarns, and it is really nice to see what people have come up with.

• Last surprise:

Is there some sort of prejudice out there to chunky yarn that I did not know about?
If so WHY?
it's, well, YARN, and often better quality yarn then some of that skinny shiny glittery furry novelty stuff. Though I suppose that those who oppose chunky yarns wouldn't be caught dead with their digits sunk into anything synthetic either...

I, myself am feeling very anti snob and very proletariat these days.
My latest project uses fiber not from ANY yarn store, upscale or otherwise.
My latest project uses butcher's twine (untreated cotton!) from my local hardware store.
Soft, creamy white, and costs almost nothing.

It is very cool to see what people have made, and they are very lovely to boot!
I am really enjoying this, above musings notwithstanding.


* I did buy mine in one such a place however: Gotham Fine Yarn at 148 Orchard st. They should be applauded for including the prosaic workhorses in with the exotics.