{"id":6885,"date":"2021-09-11T07:36:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-11T05:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/?p=6885"},"modified":"2022-01-21T06:54:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T05:54:36","slug":"a-pattern-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/a-pattern-process\/","title":{"rendered":"A pattern process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Join me in a pattern process \u2013 an adventurous and emotional journey from the sparkling idea for a new design through all the bumps and challenges in the process to a finished pattern and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Sparkling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You know when a baby idea gently but convincingly softly whispers in your mind: Feed me. Feeed me! The whisper gets louder, more vivid, and more impossible to reject. The idea is there to stay, to poke you in the eye until you do feed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A baby idea comes knocking on my door, demanding my attention.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This happened to me a couple of years ago. Well, several times, but this post is about a particular baby idea. I saw something that ignited the baby idea. Something I had seen before, but obviously and flatly ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Inspiring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once I have adopted the baby idea inspiration is everywhere. What about this structure, shape, can we please include these features, pretty please? And tassels, let’s have tassels! Says the baby idea, a bit more confident and, frankly, bossy now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ideas bounce around in my head 24\/7 like a pinball game on the border between inspirational and overwhelming. When I come to my senses I manage to place a filter of structure and reason over the pinball ideas and sort out my favourites to knead some more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Creating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, now I have the basic building blocks of my pattern idea. In this phase I get to play with details, whole, structure and technique until I come closer to a yarn and garment design that are feasible as a knitting project. I really enjoy this part of the pattern process since it is unpretentious. It doesn’t demand or criticize. It simply allows me to refine and boil down my ideas into something unique, yet manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"I
I get to play with details, whole, techniques and structure.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is the pure and innocent phases at which I have no idea of the agonizing, doubting and sweating phases that are to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 Spinning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The pattern process for projects with handspun yarn is a bit different than projects using commercial yarn. First of all, I need to create the yarn I need for my project, which makes the process a bit longer and more adventurous. Second of all, I can’t expect a group of test knitters to go through a whole wool process to spin for and finally knit a garment I have chosen for them. And finding and testing a commercial yarn that looks and works kind of like my handspun just to have a commercial yarn reference doesn’t serve me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still want to design, though, so I have decided to set my own rules for designing for handspun. Without commercial yarn and without test knitters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The final yarn design for a knitting pattern that was published a year ago, the Selma Margau sweater<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I spin to show the most prominent characteristics of the fiber. At the same time, I have a project idea that lies in the other end of the pattern process journey. For the project to happen I need to create a yarn that does make the fiber justice and that works in the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Swatching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the swatching phase of my pattern process I do my best to match the yarn with the needles and the fabric structure. With the fiber as my most important foundation I need to find a way to create a yarn that mirrors the characteristics of the fiber while at the same time working with the structure I have in mind for the fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Don't
Don’t skip the swatching. Really. Don’t skip the swatching.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To this comes the delicate balance between swatching enough for a desired result and not using up too much of the fiber I have before I have even started the sharp version. Usually the fiber for my idea comes from one unique fleece. When it is gone I have no more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 Agonizing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ok, so the yarn is too thick\/thin\/loose\/tight, the fabric too dense\/loose\/completely off, the idea totally unrealistic and my mood too cranky. This is when I need to be kind to myself and take myself back to the power of that first sparkle. Working through challenges will make my idea stronger and better. I need to go through a number of wrong doors to make sure I know which are the right doors. Agony is part of the pattern process and will take me further along the journey. Embrace the wrong doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7 Knitting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once I feel some sort of harmony in yarn, technique and details I put them all together and start knitting. Hopefully I have swatched enough to avoid having to frog too much of my precious handspun yarn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The joy of just knitting away.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For this particular project I actually completed a full-scale prototype with yarn spun from a different fleece before I dived into the sharp version of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8 Thinking (I’ll remember)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ooh, this was a good solution! I’ll keep knitting for a while to see what it looks like. I don’t have to take notes, I’ll remember how I did it. The naivet\u00e9 of a budding designer is endearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9 Wishing (I had been more thorough)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ok, what was I thinking? It was ages ago, there is no way I can remember what I did!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Doubting (If this was such a good idea after all)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why did I suggest writing a pattern for this? I’m clearly not mature enough to understand the scope of a pattern process. Who am I to make a pattern?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The symptoms of Imposter syndrome can be very cruel at this stage. Even if I have taken notes of all the stitches there is so much more than that to a pattern. You know all those practical how-to tips that make a pattern intelligible and smooth to follow. I feel an extra responsibility here since the people who do decide to knit my project will have spent time spinning for this particular design. The pattern and the description need to allow them to work confidently through the pattern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

11 Procrastinating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oh, a new fleece, let’s explore!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look, a kitten, let’s play!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come on couch, lets nap!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And all of the above. Procrastinating is a skill I have exercised to near perfection. Sometimes I wonder if I’m a project hoarder. Mid-project I get an idea for another design and my mind drifts away in the luring and glittering mist of a new baby idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12 Dragging (my feet)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I need to get this pattern organized. Now. The longer I wait the more I will have forgotten. Perhaps if I sneak up on myself I won’t even notice I have started organizing? Yeah, let’s do that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(feel free to loop 8\u201312 any desired amount of times)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

13 Sweating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Designing is one thing. It will provide me with a garment that fits me. A pattern on the other hand needs all the numbers and information for others to be able to understand and create the garment. Every letter I write in that pattern description needs to be enough and necessary for the knitter to recreate my project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"WPI,
WPI, wraps per inch. A very important number to remember and add in a pattern description.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ok. Let’s do this. These are the things I need to produce, structure, calculate, proof-read and re-proof-read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n