Design Challenge 2016

I felt so good about reentering the pattern publishing game that I decided to challenge myself this year to keep designing, writing, and publishing! I wanted something that would stimulate my creativity, and keep me motivated, productive, and on schedule. I wanted to make sure it would be fun, and exciting, and not feel like a chore, and that by the end of the year I would feel like I've really grown as a designer and earned a lot of practical experience. Earning a little money wouldn't hurt, either.

I Googled for a while but couldn't find anything even remotely close to what I was imagining. All my results were either KALs (knitalongs) or design contests. So, I simply made one up on my own. Perhaps someday other people will use it!

I started with the Ravelry pattern browser filters for inspiration. There are five main categories of items: Accessories, Clothing, Home, Toys and Hobbies, and Pet. There's a sixth category, too, called Components, which is a sort of catch-all for appliques, blocks and squares, charts, tutorials, etc. I decided to ignore this one for now and focus on the first five.

I would like, by the end of the year, to have one pattern available for sale in each category. This means either coming up with a completely original design, or using something completely original that I've already knit in the past, and writing out a full pattern for it, complete with photos, editing and formatting it, and listing it on Craftsy and Ravelry. I haven't decided yet if I'll have all of them test knit first. The clothing one I probably will, because any good clothing pattern should be available in multiple sizes. But I may not have enough time to have them all tested.

so damn cute

I've already selected my item for Accessories - a crazy cute fox hat that I knit for the craft fair. It didn't sell that day, so I have it on hand to study closely, which is fortunate because I didn't write any of it down while I was improvising it! I also have no idea what brand yarn I used, so I'll have to do some retroactive yarn hunting to figure that out, or at least get close enough.


Here's a peek at my brainstorming for the other categories:

• Clothing - probably a shrug or bolero. Keep it simple. A complicated pullover could take you all year just by itself! I'm thinking a square lace back knit in the round, with added sleeves and collar.
• Home - Hmmm so many possibilities! Cafe curtains for the kitchen? Throw pillow? Nerdy coasters? I'm the least decided on this one of any category.
• Toys and Hobbies - Could be a stuffed animal, but I'm leaning towards creating another dice bag! They're so fun! And I got inspired and went a bit nuts sketching out some steampunk fairisle ideas. 
• Pet - A small dog sweater that looks like a turtle shell, with a long snood. I don't know where this idea came from but once it was in my brain it would NOT go away. I even made a sketch. I must make this a reality.

Oh! And part of the challenge is that I need to blog regularly about it, at least once a week, partly to keep me on-track and accountable but mostly because I need an excuse to write more often! See you soon!

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Hoo boy.

I started attending a UU church back in May. Fabulous people. Completely welcoming. I love everything about it.

So, this past Sunday in the weekly newsletter I happened to see a notice about a craft fair in November. Craft fair! Those words make my heart sing and my brain flood with the smell of wool and fabric glue. Blithely refusing to think it through, I marched straight to the coordinator, Sandi, and asked her what it would cost to have a table.

Much to my delight, the table is free! With a requested donation of a craft item to the raffle and a suggested donation of a small portion of my earnings for the day. Absolutely! Sign me up!

Apparently they are really not lacking for knitters (imagine that), and especially not lacking for knitters who mostly knit hats (oh darn), but Sandi pounced when I stuttered out stuffed animals in the list of things I could potentially provide. There used to be a knitter of stuffed animals, I was told, until she moved back to Germany, leaving quite the sad, knitted-stuffed-animal shaped hole in the UU church craft fair offerings.

Blitheness unchecked, I cheerfully asserted that I could certainly knit a table's worth of stuffed animals in barely more than 90 days. While raising two tiny children. And finishing the gifts for my new niece and nephew. Absolutely. Piece of cake.

Hoo boy.

Giving Back

My test request filled up in less than 24 hours! So exciting to know that five people are currently knitting the sweater that I designed for Chloe. Exciting and nerve-wracking. There has already been a bit of confusion with my chart design.

One person is modding the sweater to be a standard length suitable for a boy, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it works out for her and incorporating the mod as a length option in my pattern! Woot!

In the meantime, a lovely mom new to my playgroup circle has commissioned a chunky cabled billed cap, designed by yours truly. She's sent me some photos to give me an idea of what she's looking for that but the realization of her dream hat is entirely in my hands!  Any commission work is awesome, but when I get to design it myself and maybe even create a new, publishable pattern from it? Score!

shh... work in progress

Simultaneously, I've decided to throw my needles into the ring as a beta knitter myself, and I've volunteered to test knit a nerdy fairisle bonnet for another designer. Yes, it's a tad bit overwhelming to think of juggling it all, but hats are small projects and it's all just so thrilling - I feel like I've really taken the next big leap in my knitting career, from pattern-follower to pattern-maker. It's kind of a headrush.

Yarn Kisses

The last time I posted here, I had just found out that I was pregnant.  Finally pregnant, after nine months of trying. After knitting for other people's babies. After stocking up on baby pattern books, baby yarns, and baby buttons in anticipation.  I was finally pregnant.

And I didn't stop knitting.  Oh, far from it.  Between last October and today, I've completed two dozen projects.  Several were gifts or commissions, a few were just for me, but ten of them have been for my precious, beautiful, amazing, perfect little girl.  I just can't stop knitting for her.   Even knowing that she'll grow out of any and all of it much faster than I'd like.  Even though one of the projects never properly fit her at all.

In the beginning, before we knew if we'd be getting a prince or a princess, it was gender neutral accessories:

Then, once we knew we were having a girl, I started in on the lovely sweaters - and who says powder blue isn't a gorgeous color for a girl's winter ensemble?

Then, with a book of toy patterns received at the baby shower, I suddenly went nuts for knitted plushies!

Most recently I completed a lace pullover that will hopefully fit her next spring.  This project was the one that bridged the great divide between pregnancy and motherhood. Cast on in June, just a week before my due date, and finally finished a little over a week ago.

And a house-elf hat for her costume for our upcoming Harry Potter cosparty:

And this kid is only ten and a half weeks old! By the time she starts kindergarten, she won't leave the house but sporting at least one thing handmade for her.

In June 2011, I posted a letter from Eunny Jang entitled "Living a Handmade Life," in which she describes the thoughtfulness and care that goes into a handmade project, how crafts like knitting teach us to appreciate quality and sincere effort, and to be better problem solvers and risk takers, and that ultimately, knitters are a positive, creative force in the world.  We add, rather than subtract.

And that is a lesson that I look forward to teaching my daughter, while I'm wrapping her up in yarn kisses.

Busy Work

Every teacher knows about busy work.  A competent teacher conscientiously strives to avoid it - busy work generally carries the negative connotation of being pointless, tedious, and nonproductive, a clear sign of an apathetic teacher who has given up.  The truly clever teacher, however, can find ways to create busy work that is challenging and useful, results in a worthwhile finished product, and serves the same original purpose of keeping students quiet and out of mischief.

When I got the request from my mom for the cardigan, I had no idea that it would take her nearly an entire week to settle on a color.  I finally ordered it - a dark red called "beet root" - two days ago, and I assume it'll take several days to arrive.  I haven't even gotten a notification of shipment yet.

Knitting is something I do every single day.  Not out of willpower or dedication, but for sheer love of the craft, and because my hands simply get very antsy if I don't.  I prefer to have a project to work on, but I can be satisfied with gauge swatching or trying out techniques if I've got nothing better to do.  While waiting for mom to make up her mind, I found myself itching for something to knit (or otherwise craft), and somehow, I wound up going retro housewife.  Apparently I am single-handedly (well, double-handedly) unraveling the bra-burning, wage-earning efforts of 20th century feminists.

This week I have worked on a latch hook rug for the bathroom, knit four cotton dishcloths, and started gauge swatching for lace kitchen curtains, the pattern for which I'm getting from a book published in 1972.  I kind of feel like a granny, sure.  I kind of feel like I'm betraying my slightly younger self who learned to crochet and knit for the sake of fashion, proclaiming furiously that she would NEVER make housewares.  And yet, some secret part of me sees a really intricate, fine lace doily and is more impressed with the skill and beauty of it than deterred by its nursing home associations.

I'm still looking forward eagerly to the arrival of my yarn order, so I can get started on this cute cardigan, but I'm no longer ashamed of the fact that my home is suddenly sporting a few yarn-based accessories.

And you know what? Those cotton dishcloths work GREAT.