Harmonize - Cast On

I need another project on the needles about as much as I need more yarn in my stash.  But that doesn't stop me, on either front.  This is one I've been wanting to make for a while.  I have several Unique Sheep sets created for this pattern, but this is the first set that I bought.  It is on Pashmi.  The gradiance is Peacock and the main color is Amber.  I've been looking at the Harmonize pattern for a while now, trying to figure out how to translate it into something that would be easier to work from.  The pattern is densely laid out, and I'm not a big fan of how the charts are done - the shading and the colors are not so good for using in knitCompanion - and the charts are also "what you see is what you knit", which on the surface is not a bad idea, but it is not how most charts are done (always showing the right side of the pattern) so to work them requires a change in mind set.

I finally decided to tackle the pattern last week and decided to work from the written instead of the charts - the actual patterning is not that complex - so I went with my trusty Excel spreadsheet.  In the first tab I laid out every row of the pattern, all of the chart repeats, all of the color changes, the stitch counts, everything.  Then I created separate tabs to capture condensed versions of the directions.  For example, chart B is repeated 5 times with the first contrast color, so I captured that as one table, with 5 columns for the different stitch counts at the end of each row.  I did a similar thing with the next set of 5 repeats of chart B, except I added columns with the color changes.  I did that for the rest of the pattern and created tables for each section.  I pasted the tables into a Word document, turned it into a PDF and pulled it into KC.  Last night I set up the pattern and created all of my text objects and set up all of my row repeats, so I couldn't resist casting on and working through the first repeat of Chart B.

This project will probably go on a back burner for a bit while I work on some others that are further along, but with KC I can have multiple projects going and never worry about losing my place.

Pattern:  Harmonize Special Edition by Rosemary Hill
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Pashmi - Peacock and Amber
Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)