The Good Swatch October 22, 2008
Posted by La in Contest, Design.18 comments
So, those who know me, know that I try to avoid swatching as much as possible. Knitting socks in a yarn other than what the pattern calls for? Eh, wing it! Knitting a scarf or stole or shawl? Why the fuss? They’re not fitted garments. Just adjust as you go! I do make the exception with sweaters though. And in design? In design a swatch is imperative. No corner-cutting there. Well, not usually as often as you may think.
So, I’ve been working on my design submission for Knit Scene’s Fall 2009 issue. Even though I don’t agree with the dumbing down of knitting, I do really like some of their patterns, and after a little bit of thinking, I was able to come up with a concept that will marry 2 of my favorite knitting elements, simply and (hopefully) elegantly. So I swatch…
…and I swatch, and then swatched again…
…until finally I get one that works the elements I want, the ease of the pattern repeat, and the size all together in awesome collective cohesion of yarny bliss.
In other words, after trying 7 different variations, I’m going back to my original, further instilling that the first instinct is usually the correct one. But all that time swatching is not lost. Out of it came the inspiration for another design. So see? It all works out.
So much so, that I’d like to share, my good fortune by holding a contest (lovely segue don’t you agree?) This one will be easy, I promise. All you have to do is to caption the picture below, a la I Has a Hotdog and I can has cheezburger.
Double brownie points if you make me laugh so hard I shoot coffe outta my nose. TRIPLE brownie points if you actually yoink the picture and do the photoshopping/gimping yourself.
There will be a prize of 1 skein of yarny goodness…
…plus some extra treats and goodies thrown in for good measure.
Please either leave your entry in the comments section, or email your brownie-point injected entries to LauraMartos(at)sbcglobal(dot)net. Contest ends 5:00 pm pst, November 7. AND if I meet my KnitScene deadline, I’ll award 2 prizes!
Head’s Up! October 9, 2008
Posted by La in Dyeing.2 comments
October 10, 2008
Yes, friends. 10/10 at approximately 10:10am pst I’ll be updating Dizzy Blonde Studios with more stock. We’ve got 3 brand new colorways! If you’d like a sneak preview of what’ll be available, check out my yarn page.
Dyeing to Design October 3, 2008
Posted by La in Design, Dyeing.12 comments
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” -Abraham Lincoln
And that’s all I have to say about last night’s “Great Debacle bate”…most of which I refused to watch.
So, Knitscene put out a call for pattern submissions for their Fall 2009 issue and I thought: Cool! I’ve got several knocking around in the old brain pan, I’m sure one of them would work I think I’ll answer that call! And then I got the submission guidelines:
We’re looking for imaginative patterns for garments, accessories, small gifts, and fast-knitting items for the home. Simplicity is key—the Knitscene reader is looking for easy patterns that result in fabulous knits. Our focus is on stylish silhouettes, intriguing shapes and textures, and simple instructions that are fast and fun to follow.
huh????
Think:
- flat pieces with easy seaming
- simple stitch patterns: patterns with short repeats
- bigger gauges
- avoid advanced implementations of cables, lace, colorwork, short-rows…
WTF?????
So basically they want dumbed-down patterns? What’s up with that? Most of the knitters I know like knit patterns that are interesting and challenging, and only occasionally go for the simple, quick knits. And even fewer still knit in bigger gauges. Personally, I like knitting magazines that contain patterns in a variety of skill levels, techniques, yarns used and color combinations. I enjoy having some designs that feature new (to me) techniques that would both appeal and challenge the knitting adventurer in me. While other designs are simple, yet elegant or fun. This simple, easy, chunky, fast knitting will only appeal to a small demographic of knitters, and then only for so long, but I guess long enough, because it’s been in publication for a while now.
So, yeah. None of my current design ideas fit into the format of KnitScene. So, I’ll have to completely rethink my approach to design if I’m going to submit one to the magazine. Which, in all honesty, isn’t a bad thing. I think it’s good to take a step out of your comfort zone once in a while. I’m just a little torqued that the publishers think that beginning knitting means dumb, boring knitting.
Now that I’m done ranting, wanna see what I’ve been up to?
That’s my sweatshop, and ducking out from behind the mega-swift is my long-suffering over-worked, underpaid assistant/close friend, Michelle, aka FickleKnitter, who’s turned out to be a rather clever and ingenious knit designer. Check her out! Rav it.
You see all that golden yarn there on the table? That’s 2 of these…
…divided aesthetized, and awaiting overdyeing to become “Goldie.”
If all goes according to plan, I’ll be updating my etsy store either Wednesday or Thursday of next week. In addition to the debut colorways, some of which will be going away after this update, I’ll be introducing new colorways: the signature colorway I introduced last week, plus…
Farrah & Charlise
So, stay tuned, and if you haven’t already signed up for my mailing list, leave your request in the comments section and I’ll be more than happy to do so!
Today’s post was brought to you by the number 2 and the colors yellow and brown.
