After spending most of January designing things that, for one reason or another, just didn't work out the way I wanted them to I took a complete departure from my usual methods and just cast on a few stitches and played with yarn!
(My usual method being to swatch, write and chart, then knit not the other way around.)
It turns out that was exactly what I needed to do! Several very large "doodles" later my desk was covered in blocked "swatches" and my pattern writing mojo was back! (In a big way! I need to get several extra pairs of hands to knit them all up now.)
With that mojo back, I was finally able to sit myself down and plan my design year. Shawls, mitts, socks, a hat, some little bits and bobs all got put on my calendar and I started writing up some proposals for submissions.
One of the newsletters that I subscribe to had an ad in it for a free swatch of yarn from a yarn company I had never tried before. I loved the idea of getting to actually feel some yarn before placing an internet order, so filled out the form to get a swatch. A few days later this was in my mailbox.
It felt lovely all knitted up, but how was it to work with, I wondered. So after much poking and pulling of stitches trying to find the yarn end, I unravelled that little swatch and wound it into a little ball so I could knit it myself.
It was just as nice to work with as it felt knitted up...inspiring even! (You'll hear more about that later this year, promise!)
The test knit I have running for a loopy cowl is winding down so I put two more shawl test knits up. Both patterns that were worked out and sample knit by me earlier in 2018...it seems I have quite a back log of completed patterns to get tested and published. (At least one of the back logged patterns was tech edited last April...and will need to be tested relatively soon as I planned on it being my April Fools Day release...I think I have a trend started for "funny" patterns in April.)
Running two or three test knits at a time will probably be the only way I can get through that back log of patterns, so I am always looking for new people who would like to test...if you are interested in test knitting for me, please sign up here.
And with that...I am off to catch up on the next thing on my needles......if I could stop spreading her out to admire the yarn, I might get through the next chart before I have to start the knitting on a submission piece.
What's on your needles?
~M
