Final Report and Code Deliverables

Due: Finals Week, Friday 5/15 at 11:59 PM

What to Submit

Submit on Gradescope (linked from Moodle) by 5/15 at 11:59 PM:

  • project.py (or equivalent — your main code file)
  • knitout_helpers.py (your helper functions, whether adapted from HW2/HW3 or written from scratch)
  • Any additional Python files you created for the project
  • Your generated .k knitout file(s)
  • A PDF final report (2–5 pages including images)
  • Photos of your knitted piece (optional if already included in report)

Final Report Overview

The final report should document your project and reflect on what you built and learned. We’re looking for:

  • A clear explanation of your approach that shows you understand your own code
  • Honest reflection on challenges and process
  • Documentation of your fabricated piece
  • Acknowledgment of any external resources used

Report Content

There’s no rigid structure required, but your report should cover these areas:

Project Overview Briefly describe your project. What pattern did you create? What was your concept or inspiration? Include an image of your finished piece.

Technical Approach Explain how your code works. What are the main functions and what does each one do? How did you represent the pattern in code — what data structures did you use and why? You don’t need to paste in all your code, but walk us through the key parts. Diagrams or screenshots of output are helpful here.

Process and Challenges What did you try that didn’t work? What surprised you? Describe at least one challenge you ran into and how you solved it (or worked around it). This is often the most interesting part of a project writeup.

Fabrication How did the knitting go? Did the physical output match what you expected? If something went wrong during fabrication, describe what happened and how you addressed it. Include photos of your knitted piece.

Reflection What did you learn from this project? What would you do differently if you did it again? What are you most proud of?

References and Citations

If you used external code snippets, reference images, or design inspiration from somewhere else, just acknowledge it. A hyperlink inline or a short note at the end of the report is plenty — no formal citation format required. Examples:

The spirit of it is: don’t present someone else’s work as your own. A brief acknowledgment is all we need.

Length and Format

Two to five pages is a wide range on purpose because some projects might naturally have more to document than others. A thorough 2-page report is better than a padded 5-page one. Include images wherever they help (finished piece, process photos, screenshots of pattern output) and these count toward the page count.

There is no specific font or margin requirements. Just make it readable!

Grading

The project is worth 100 points (20% of your course grade), graded holistically across four areas.

Code Functionality (35 points)

Points Description
32–35 Program runs correctly, produces the intended pattern, uses appropriate data structures and control flow throughout
25–31 Program runs and produces a recognizable pattern with minor issues
15–24 Program runs but output has significant issues, or some functions don’t work as intended
0–14 Program crashes or does not produce meaningful output

Code Quality (25 points)

Points Description
23–25 Code is well-organized, readable, and modular. Functions have clear responsibilities. Docstrings and comments explain the what and why. Follows the style guide throughout
17–22 Code is mostly readable with minor style or organization issues
10–16 Code is functional but hard to follow, missing documentation, or poorly organized
0–9 Code is difficult to understand, undocumented, or does not follow course conventions

Knitout and Fabrication (20 points)

Points Description
18–20 Generates valid knitout. Knitted piece comes out as intended and is well-executed
13–17 Knitout is valid and piece mostly works, with minor fabrication issues
7–12 Knitout has issues that affect the final piece, or fabrication was only partially successful
0–6 Knitout is invalid or piece did not fabricate successfully

Documentation and Reflection (20 points)

Points Description
18–20 Report clearly explains the approach, walks through key design decisions, describes at least one real challenge and how it was addressed, includes photos of the finished piece
13–17 Report covers the main areas but is thin on explanation or reflection
7–12 Report is incomplete or surface-level
0–6 Report is missing or does not demonstrate understanding of the project