Thoughts on Designing

I've been thinking recently about shawl designs, and trying out a couple of ideas. A year ago, I was given two balls of Plymouth Zino, a sock yarn with long color repeats, and was asked to design shawls with them.

It's not so easy to create the pattern, while trying not to muddy the colors. Here's yarn #1. This is the point where I gave up on this design. I think it is the third try and I didn't want to rip it out again. I used one ball of yarn, and it is more of a collar because when I cast on, I misfigured and ended up with 3 triangles.

I like the stitch pattern. I'm not sure about the lace edging, or the 3 triangles. I wore the shawlette to TNNA earlier this month and got a lot of positive response, which was nice. I may still sell a version of this one.

The other ball of yarn was more muted/darker. I tired separate motifs with this one. I used a square set in the center back on the diagonal. When I finished the square, I left all stitches live. The side motifs are triangles, made of 2 sections of the square. The pieces were joined by looping the live stitches. I don't know if I can explain that in a pattern so someone else could do it. It was a good idea, but somewhat of a pain to do. The lace was worked directly on the live stitches. I tried working it perpendicular to the main pattern, which is the most common way to knit lace edgings, but the color blocks looked wrong.

I'm liking the lace edging. I tried knitting straight onto the edge, but the pattern is set up so that it doesn't flow well into the edging. The pattern for the square doesn't have a consistent number of stitches between segments, so I may not keep the charts for it. I decided to frame the motif section and then knit the lace edge. It's looking better so far. If I use the idea again, I'll try a pattern that has segments with stitch counts that are consistent, so the lace edge can flow smoothly from the pattern in the square.

This why I don't do magazine submissions unless I've already worked out the bugs in a pattern. The turn around is too quick for trial and error.

I've also designed a couple of pairs of socks after knitting other people's sock patterns for quite a while. I'm happy with this one, but haven't written the pattern yet. The charts are finished in their final form, So I just need to sit down with a little bit of time. I don't need to write the pattern all at once. I can do it in bite size pieces.

This sock has a cable on the foot that takes 2 cable needles, so it is fairly complex. I like how the leg transitions into the foot, but I need a better photo for the pattern. The photo of both socks shows some imperfections that I really didn't see in real life. The lighting needs to show the texture, but not show up problems I didn't know about. I did something a little different with the heel and gusset, and want it to show up in the picture.

I'm also working on some socks for my son. Stitch pattern A contained lace and cables. I thought I could rework the pattern to have a non-lace option by replacing the yarn overs with another increase. After 2 swatches, I decided that it was too much work and would not show up with the multicolor yarn I plan on using. The top swatch looks good, but the pattern is less defined on the lower ones. A new stitch pattern has been found that fits the stitch count and will be much easier to knit.

There are so many things to think about in creating a design, I was talking to one of my daughters about a child's sweater I have for sale on Ravelry. I designed this one a number of years ago. Recently someone contacted me with math questions about the armhole. I completely reworked the numbers to better fit the pattern repeat, created a new PDF, and uploaded the new PDF to Ravelry and Patternfish. Upon review of the pattern, I realized that I had learned a lot since the original writing.

Shawls and socks and more.

Knitting progress was slowed considerably by a black shawl. The yarn is Aussi Sock. I still need to write the pattern. It's on the to-do list for today.

I delivered the shawl to the yarn company last week at the TNNA industry show. I saw lots of people and made some new contacts for design. I have to be careful about over committing. I still have a sewing business to run.

I did pick up a book at the show. New Twists on Twined Knitting by Laura Farson. I've taken a class on twined knitting. This book uses the technique with two colors. There are hats, mittens and scarves. Since the technique makes a double weight fabric, there are many things it's not appropriate for. It's a Martingale publication.

Now that the shawl is done, I can spend time with a pair of socks that were started in early May for a May 19 birthday. I'm at the heel on the second sock. The pattern is from a vintage book, knit as written except for the 10 1/2" leg. Yarn is Trekking.

I've also been crocheting dishcloths since before Easter. One is now finished. These will be Christmas gifts. Lighting is bad in this photo.

I've been doing a little sewing for my self, but have nothing to show yet. I'm trying to work on it for 1/2 hour a day. I'm making a blouse and will retire a number of older things. I'm trying to relax today. Next Sunday, I'm teaching knitting all day.

The Lull Before the Storm

The Shawl
The shawl is finished and the pattern written. It is washed and blocked. It's picture has been taken more than once. The hardest part of the pattern was showing how to connect the motifs, which are picked up from previous ones. I finally got the diagram done and scanned into the computer. It took hours to clean up the image and add colored lines to replace the black ones. Actually the clean-up process was what took forever.

Naming it took at least as long as the graphics and graphics planning. The shawl was completely finished and I still didn't have a name. Finally someone said twirling, swirling which led me to dance. That led me to waltz. I looked on Ravelry to see how many dance/waltz names there were. A melody was running through my head! La Valse! I thought it was by Debussy, but it's not. Google to the rescue! It's by Ravel. I even listened to some u-tube versions to confirm that I had the correct melody.

Delivery is Friday or Saturday.

More Knitting
I'm trying to finish the entrelac sock pair by the end of the month. The recipient has changed. I planned it for my sister, but her feet are too small to fit the sock. I enjoy entrelac, but I'm ready to have at least one sock finished. It keeps getting pushed aside for things like the shawl.

There will be an afterthought heel. The waste yarn for that doesn't show in the picture. I'm almost to the toe.

The real fun is just starting. In January, I agreed to sell a sock pattern to Plymouth Yarns. Of course, I have to knit it up in their yarn. The yarn arrived today. Can I get the socks to them by Mar. 25? No I can't! I'll e-mail a picture of the progress, so they can show it at their sales meeting. The pattern is written. The original pair went to DGD Luci. I'll need to reword the pattern a little, but the hard work is done.

I've agreed to design wrist warmers for Oasis yarns for delivery by Apr. 4. Have yarn. Need to research stitch patterns and start. Luckily it will go quickly in worsted weight yarn.

Saturday I got a call from a book publisher who received a baby sweater proposal from me. It fits right into a book they're doing. Can I knit it by May 7? The e-mail arrived last night with yarn information and I called this morning. Again, the pattern work is done, but I need to reknit the sweater.

I also committed to design another shawl for Oasis by early June.
Knit, Knit, knit!!

Things are also getting busy at work. Prom dresses loom. At least it's starting to look like Spring around here. Leaves are pushing out of the ground. I had a brilliant idea last Spring. I never get bulbs planted in the fall, so I bought pots of flowers to brighten my shop and when the blooms were done, I put the bulbs in the ground. They're coming up this year. I have a new pot of tulips in the shop. Tulips in this area need constant renewing, so I can do this every year, if I want to.

Knit, Knit, Knit - Rinse and Repeat

The baby sweater is knit. I almost ran out of yarn. Why this is, I don't know. I've knit it 3 times. The first time I had enough to make a hat. The second time, I had a good amount left over. This time I don't have enough to seam the sleeves with. I know that skein yardage is not accurate, but really! Luckily I do have enough of a solid yarn for seaming.

The stealth shawl is moving along. The deadline got moved up last week. The Yarn Co. owner wants it for a show that starts March 26. It needs a bath and blocking before delivery. I was on pace to finish knitting March 28 for a show April 4. I have upped my pace. I'm feeling the pressure and I don't like it. My real problem is to write the pattern. I need hexagon pictures. I may have to draw them on paper and scan them into the pattern. So far I have knit 56 of 153 motifs needed.

I finished the socks for DGD and mailed them off. Pictures were taken. The pattern was poorly written, but I liked the look, so stuck with it. Grumbles are documented on Ravelry, so others can benefit.

Another pair of socks is started, intended for my sister. I'm doing entrelac, which I enjoy. The entrelac really shows off this yarn.

I've joined facebook at the urging of quilter daughter. It looks like fun, but I don't know how much time I will sink into it. It looks like it could be dangerous.

Yesterday was family day. We started by haveing breakfast with DD#4 and her family. We were invited to their house and had waffles and sausage. It's a real chance to spend time with them. Later that day we had a mass gathering/farewell meal to send off one of the older grandsons to National Guard Boot Camp. I hope he finds himself there. He's been floating for almost 2 years since high school. He tried college, but dropped out. He's had a few jobs, but needs some skills. We wish him luck!

Yes, it's been a while

It's been a long time. I didn't realize how long. I've almost finished another pair of socks. I'm actually past the heel on the second sock, but no pictures. I'll have to fix that soon.

I've been working on a couple of stealth projects. One is a shawl from Aussi
Sock.

The other is a baby sweater. I've knit this twice before, but I'm working on getting the bugs out of the pattern. This sweater will either go in my future gifts pile, or be sent off with the pattern when I sell it.

I'm also making a Jojoland Swiirl Scarf. Again, this has progressed farther than the photo. I have one strip done out of three. The grandkids sweaters have been swatched and the working pattern is on paper. Knitting has not started yet, after the baby sweater.

Winter is back here in NE Ohio, but there was enough warm weather to melt the snow. Dog walking has started again. We're both happy with that. I don't mind snow, but ice and depth of snow don't work.

Valentine's Day was quiet. I work on Saturdays. We went to a Cleveland Orchestra concert in the evening. t was a great program: Samuel Barber's Overture to The School for Scandal, Brahms Violin Concerto, and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4. The violin concerto was palyed by a young man I hadn't heard of before, Nikolaj Znaider from Denmark. He was awesome. I was also impressed by his suit. It was colarless and lined in bright red. The red reflected on his sleeve cuffs and could be seen at the hem and pocket flaps. Usually lining ends a little farther from the hem edge.

Today I spent time cooking, as I often do on my day off. I made a big pot of bean soup from an old Woman's Day cookbook. That will be eaten later in the week and some of it frozen. Dinner was a beef and corn shepherd pie that is a family favorite. It's nice to eat casseroles, but they take long enough to cook, that they're not a good choice on a work night. Reheating works well, and the flavors have blended with time.

Finishing problems

Today it warmed up a little, about 30 degrees. It'll go back to normal tomorrow.

I'm facing a bit of a project crisis. I finished a pair of socks and almost finished a baby sweater. What should I knit next??? I have a pair of socks in the pipeline, the baby sweater will be replaced by a stealth project, but I'll finish up my Noro cardigan on Thursday. What goes in that slot? I'm thinking that I'll do sweaters for my smaller grand kids. If I do them now, I'll be ready for Christmas. I was originally thinking birthdays, but we're celebrating 2 of them this week. The 3rd birthday is in July. Knit for Christmas sounds good, and a larger needle project is a good thing. I have yarn, I have ideas, I have patterns, it's hard to make choices.The shawl project pattern is written. Photos were taken. Where do you take shawl photos with 12-14" of snow on the ground and piled up everywhere that has been dug out. Ann Hanson of Knitspot showed a shawl on a dress form. I have a number of those. I hung up some black fabric for a backdrop and good pictures were taken. Today we went to Cleveland's city greenhouse for live photos. I should have brought a stylist to make sure that the shawl wasn't folded funny. I couldn't see behind myself. DH took the photos.

I finished some birthday socks. The pattern is from KnitNet, Onion Domes. The yarn is Bernat Hot Socks. It was cheap, but I wouldn't buy it again.

I'm knitting a baby sweater for a great grand child. I have the pattern first draft written finally. I first knit this pattern almost 2 years ago. I need to work on the schematic and add sizes to the pattern. I'd like to sell the pattern, so the picture from last post will have to do. I still have 1/2 sleeve to knit. I might finish tonight. I'm going to knit it one more time in case I need a garment to go with the pattern. It's good to have baby things on the shelf when needed.