I have been looking through the postings and I did not find any questions concerning the extra credit assignment. Maybe I am making too much out of this, but where it says 'write the pattern for your choice' does that mean that I write the pattern for the swatch or for the actual sized project?

I haven't taken the Basics course, but I will assume that this is similar to something I did in the Master's level and offer this answer. I had to write instructions for the swatch, so if I cast on 20 stitches, I said so in the instructions. If I knit 4, purled 2, knit 8, purled 2, knit 4 for row one, that's how I wrote the directions (with appropriate abbreviations of course!).
If you're still unsure, wait for Arenda to weigh in officially or email her directly and ask her.
Hope this helped.

Thanks Diana D! You are so quick with your reply and I am confident you are correct in your assumption, due to the fact we have not covered pattern writing in the lessons. I felt odd asking the question, it seemed the answer was probably obvious but I wasn't getting it : ). Thanks again!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: spranger,

I find very often, the things that seem the most obvious when explained are what seems to confuse people the most. It's almost like my brain says "It can't be that easy. I must be missing something!" And then it turns out to be so simple I just have to slap my forehead.

I am 5 months pregnant with my second child....I slap myself on the forhead at least 3 times a day. I have a tendancy to want to make things harder than they need to be or to 'complicate things' as my husband likes to say.

I am also working on that extra credit thing and I am writing the pattern for the swatch. Hope we are not all wrong.

Spranger,
I've never had kids, so I don't know what that's like, but I have been reliably informed that pregnancy tends to kill brain cells, and that it takes a very long time to get them back. Maybe it's so you can relate to a baby easier?

Since the question is extra credit, I would expect that even if you get it wrong, you would still pass the course. But I feel certain that Arenda will tell you what, if anything, is wrong and how to correct it. Sometimes you learn more from the mistakes, because then you remember it forever!

Spranger, Your extra credit pattern writing is to write up your swatch you create. The whole format is explained in Arenda's "Cast On" articles here on the TKGA website. (I wrote mine in March 2009.)
Nancy

Thank you so much for asking this question and for those of you who have answered. I too am working on this and the replies have helped me better understand what is needed. I hope to have the lesson done and mailed by next week.

I sent in my third lesson on last Saturday. Now waiting on all the constructive criticism before starting level 1 of the masters.