I'm about an inch up the pocket. Everything's going well. Not enough progress to photograph, so I thought I'd answer some questions.

Ever establish a second layer by knitting into the front and back of each stitch?

Judy asks if I've ever done this. The idea is that on the foundation row, one knits into the front and back of each stitch, then goes back and separates the stitches onto two needles.

I haven't. I stumbled across the two-strand method early on, and haven't tried other methods. I'm a bit skeptical of this one though. I suspect that you'd get a line of stressed, slightly open stitches, almost eyelet-like at the base of the two layer part. I don't have that problem when I knit two strands.

Is the discontinuity in the Little Dragon Skin pattern noticeable?

Yes, I'd have to say it is, but I'm looking for it. I considered ripping back and starting again with the original (and more elegant) Walker version, but I decided that to do so would be being too picky. Target Daughter is pleased, so I'll keep going.

How do you know the pocket placement is correct because you're doing it differently than the pattern says?

First off, my placement is within 10% of the original. I doubt the difference will make a major change in the look. Some minor change, yes, but not enough to kill the piece. That I'm able to plow ahead making changes like this is testament to the thoroughness of the explanations and clear logic of the pattern. I can read it and understand the principles underlying why something is being done. If I know why, I also can get a grip on roughly how far I can bend that why, before something breaks.

In this case the pocket is a self contained module. The original presents a stitch count at the pocket's base, a pattern of decreases that yield a gracefully curved pocket edge, and a final stitch count after the pocket flap is completed. My pocket may have been started on a different number of stitches, but I will retain the slope and pattern of the original decreases, and end up eliminating the same number of stitches as the original. When the time comes to fuse in my left and right pocket, I'll count in the number of stitches from the center front cardigan opening, mark the body stitch that corresponds to the endmost pocket flap stitch, and fuse accordingly.

Your texture pattern has decreases and increases on it. How are you working that in with the pocket shaping?

This pattern maintains its stitch count on each row. If I eliminate the opportunity for one of those increases to be made, I either have to eliminate its partner decrease, or fudge a substitute increase where it will be inconspicuous. Fudging the increase would mean changing the slope of the pocket shaping, so for the most part, I'm killing decreases in concert with the eliminated increases.

This pattern is pretty easy to eyeball. There are 10 stitches in a half-repeat. Each half of that includes one increase and one decrease. I started the pocket at one of the verticals. I "ate" five stitches by designating one as an edge stitch, and then working k1b, p1, k1b, p1 for my pocket edge ribbing. The insidemost purl is the column on which I am working all the pocket decreases. Since the pocket edge has consumed five stitches, the next five constitute a full increase/decrease segment of my pattern. I worked them until the pocket edge's march to the garment's center intruded on the decrease. After that I worked the remainder of that five-stitch quarter-repeat unit in plain stockinette.

Do you always screw around with a pattern instead of knitting it as written?

It depends on what you mean by "screw around." While it's true I don't often work from "boughten" patterns, I don't avoid them on principle. If I see one I really like, I'll do it. Some I do verbatim. My last several lace projects were like this. I'm still getting the feel of lace, and aside from several counterpane motifs and a couple of simple scarves, I haven't plunged into designing my own yet.

I do tend to play with garment patterns more. Sometimes I do them as written. More often I play with yarn substitutions, which may or may not bring gauge adjustments, too. I'm also a bit on the tall side of large, so many patterns need some alteration before I'm satisfied with the fit. Other times I'll like most but not all of a given design, and adjust some of the parts, even swapping in different textures, collar lines, or details.

I admit the multiple injustices I'm doing to Rogue are rather extreme, even for me. The design though is robust enough to survive my abuse.

Will you send me the pattern?

No.

There are few ways more calculated to set me off on an anti-copyright infringement tirade than receiving this question. The pattern is a good one. The price is very reasonable, especially considering the vast amount of hand-holding it contains. It's easy to find and buy. Heaven knows I've provided enough links to it, and it's so widely talked about that even the most rudimentary searches turn it up.

The author deserves recompense for her time and effort. Copying patterns in this manner is piracy. Beyond just being immoral, it's flat out illegal.

Be warned. I am considering posting the names and addresses of everyone who makes this request from now on, so that their lack of moral integrity and basic ethics will be made known to the on-line community at large.

End tirade.