Yarn About Yarn - MKAL Clue 1 - where I stand on the controversial clue. **Spoilers**

[@lorrainemimi3361]

I have decided to go with the original as I too only see a pinwheel too and I had almost finished clue one anyway. I totally agree with you about the comments being deleted when it is only a discussion. I too am thinking about ditching it but I paid for the pattern. Feeling quite flat.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

I think most people are having similar feelings. It's been such a rocky start to this years MKAL. I hope you can find a way to keep going that feels right for you.

[@si29uk]

You can get a refund for the pattern if you ask I suspect this is his final mkal.

[@bronnieo3258]

Hi Christine, I too am doing the SWMKAL. I went with the new clue and hopefully all on track now. Thought I will add some sparkle in Section 2. 🙂

[@yarnaboutyarn]

Sparkle is always a good idea!

[@nanetteilling7311]

I've just found your chat, I'm in East Vic. I am also undecided as to what to do. Love your cubes and I am building mine to control the stash. Also behind in the temp blanky, we just had the fire, flood, storm and earth-quake week. All's well thank goodness. If you look at the second clue might help you decide about mkal. Keep posting please.😊

[@yarnaboutyarn]

Glad you survived the wrath of mother nature. I've decided to go with the version 3 of clue 1 & have just started clue 2

[@laraeirwin1211]

I didn’t like the square and was not enjoying all the ends so I decided to knit a different pattern by Mr. Stephen West and I will revisit this mkal at a later date. There are no mkal police telling us when we knit it. Lol Wonderful vlog and beautiful yarn.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I was going to say - "that's right there are no MKAL police" but unfortunately for this MKAL I think some people have felt the need to take on that role. Which pattern have you decided to make instead?

[@allnaturalnutknitting4272]

I like your colors (mine is also purple). I decided to frog and started over with squares, combining several options people thought of and a ton of beads. I also preferred the challenge of the original design but then I remembered I am doing the MKAL for the social aspect so it only made sense to start over.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

Your clue 1 sounds amazing, I never thought of adding beads. Will you add beads to the other clues as well?

[@allnaturalnutknitting4272]

Yes, anywhere there are eyelets I am adding a bead on the 2nd stitch of the k2tog and I am using the eyelet modification, which I will continue to do in all the clues with eyelets and anywhere else I decide to place them. I started with a basic granny square one round for each color, then did two rows of each color in basic stockinette, then I did 5 rows of each color where the middle row is beaded k2tog and yo and finally I am repeating the two row stockinette and beaded eyelets. Currently I am on the section section of stockinette so I have a ways to go.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

@@allnaturalnutknitting4272 are you posting on IG or Ravelry? I'd love to see your shawl

[@allnaturalnutknitting4272]

Yes, I am allnaturalnut on rav. @@yarnaboutyarn

[@knitterscarlet]

I’ve dyed the yarn for the mkal but haven’t cast on yet. I’ve decided to go with the original clue 1 as I see a Celtic knot. As soon as I’ve recovered from the pneumonia which I’ve got I’ll cast on. Big hugs from a cold Wales xx

[@yarnaboutyarn]

I hope you recover quickly xx I think the original will look great with the other clues so far. What colours will you be using?

[@rhondacary7548]

I never knit the Stephen West patterns (MKAL or other) because I don't care for his design aesthetic. That said, when I saw the original clue 1 I actually really liked it and thought it might be fun to knit. Reality is that if you pay for a pattern you can knit it however you want, right? When we knit other items from patterns we personalize and make changes as we see fit. So now we aren't allowed to knit the parts/options that we want even though they were originally designed that way? I think it's ludicrous. To me the original very much looked like a pinwheel quilt pattern. And your colors are GORGEOUS!

[@yevalleywitch1572]

I have restarted four times and just found my cat "playing" with the stitches she has taken off the cables. It seems like everything is against me participating. I have lost the joy and hubby, who NEVER comments on knitting told me to rip everything out and find a project that will bring my joy back. The forums have gotten quite toxic which isn't helpful.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

I'm so sorry. Yes knitting is meant to our happy place so I can totally understand why you'd look for a new project. I've stopped looking at the forums for now and have started knitting on clue 2. Hope you can find your joy in your next project

[@9crafty11]

I'm not doing the MKAL, Christine, but even so, I actually did follow a bit of the forum posts just to see the 1st clue, as I was thinking of maybe joining in, and then it went bananas! After reading all the comments & suggested/alternate ways to redo it, I felt it was so overwhelming to make a decision too..and I'm not even invested in it! So, I can see you're dilemma! Either way, I think your colour palette is spot on, & in the long run, you'd probably prefer knitting the 2nd version due to the lack of ends to weave in. If you were to weave in your ends, I would weave it in like you would when locking stitches for stranded colourwork. Much easier & tidier. Good luck on your decision.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

Thanks Julia, that's what I'm thinking about weaving in the ends. I thought I'd give his method another go but am going back to my way. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the MKAL goes from here

[@jrich797]

I am knitting the original clue 1. I just prefer the construction and I do not like the bulls eye feel of the new clue 1. I have other places and can share my progress.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

The original has a very interesting construction compared to the new one. I thought it might have looked like a bulls eye too but I think it depends on the colours used and am happy with how mine turned out. Now for clue 2!

[@maralusis5434]

I've given up on this MKAL. I liked the original clue 1 and saw nothing like the "symbol" in it. I found the idea of the new clue 1 a boring alternative. I have looked at all the different designs that people are knitting instead of that "official" clue 1. My thought is, that if I have purchased a pattern, I want a pattern to follow and not to have to design my own parts of it.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

The "new" clue 1 is definitely not as interesting as the original. I hope the finished shawl will still look ok in the end

[@Kayemwhy]

I am keeping the original construction and changed the colors around. All those cut ends!!! Yarn is too expensive to toss aside and waste.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

I must admit I wasn't a fan of the ends either.

[@aquinnahsun]

I’m not a fan of most of SW’s shawl designs, although I did knit his Fantastitch pattern a few years ago and enjoy wearing it. I haven’t been following the current controversy, but I can understand your dilemma. I’ve often noticed that many mosaic knitting motifs can easily be seen as swastikas or SS lightning bolts, and I wouldn’t use those in my own projects. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably choose not to stick with the original clue, mainly because I wouldn’t like to be reminded of the controversy OR the Nazis, every time I saw the shawl. As an aside, I was lucky enough to meet Nathan Taylor at Rhinebeck and Edinburgh Yarn Festival, and was so sad to hear of what happened to him later on. He’s a genuinely good guy and did not deserve to be cancelled and basically driven from the world knitting stage.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

It was horrible what happened to Nathan. He is now getting back out in public in knitting circles and has recently published his amazing ebook of double knitting/brioche.

[@aquinnahsun]

@@yarnaboutyarn Yes, I saw his most recent video and wish him well with the new book. I was one of the backers for the other double-knitting book even though I’m not going to be knitting any of the patterns. I did knit his famous Il Burato scarf when I was a relatively naive, new knitter, and it won the first prize in our annual agricultural/craft fair that year. I just find double-knitting tedious and the product too warm for most uses. I don’t like the way brioche looks. I would love to see Nathan resuming his more general KZbin videos at some point.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

@@aquinnahsun I haven't watched his latest video - it's in my queue. I also backed his first book as a show of support - I have no intention (at this stage anyway) of knitting anything from it. Congratulations on your prize win - I'll have to check out that pattern, I can't recall it (by name anyway)

[@aquinnahsun]

@@yarnaboutyarn Christine, I’ve sent you a Ravelry message re: my Il Burato scarf.

[@gillianr2159]

I have finished the original clue 1 and made a start on 2 and feeling happy with where it’s going. I have left the Ravelry group which I joined for knitting tips only, I understand why Stephen has made his decisions but don’t necessarily agree with them.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

I can't wait to see how the original clue 1 looks in the final shawl. I've stopped looking at the group, I originally joined to be part of the community

[@suemount6042]

What’s happening is a form of Pareidolia some people see it some don’t my son saw the clue and said it’s nice but it reminds me of a swastika that in itself put me off so I played about with the triangles once arranged with my colours I had lightening bolts I showed my friend and she immediately said it looks like the SS symbol back to front so back to the drawing board now I have a quilt block style no contentious images thankfully. I like the original design however I was surprised how many people I knew that said it reminded them of that negative symbol and i don’t want to walk round with the risk that someone might see it and think I’m aligned with the nazi way of thinking no matter how great it looks Or how far from that intention the designer is.

[@yarnaboutyarn]

Pareidolia - I've never heard that actual term before but know what you mean. Have you knit up your design yet?

[@suemount6042]

@@yarnaboutyarn I’ve restarted my square, I made four corner to corner striped blocks two dark to light changing in the middle to the opposite and two light to dark start changing mid way again I sewed those together. The next part around that I’m doing two dark to light triangles on each side and filling in with a light to dark one for three triangles a side bringing me to flat sides. then I’m doing two in each corner to bring it back to a square it’s a bit like a quilt block thing and if I don’t like it it’s going to end it’s life as a cushion cover lol

[@yarnaboutyarn]

@@suemount6042 sounds amazing (& a lot of work)

[@sarahlovesdonuts9601]

What about those in India where that is a Hindu religious symbol. They have used it for a millennia and now they are not allowed to use it to worship. Freedom of religion?