Blog — making
Transitioning from Summer to Autumn Knits
Even though the weather here in Minnesota hasn’t quite reached peak autumn temperatures, there have been enough cool days or evenings that I’m starting to think of transitioning to fall knits. I wanted to walk you through my process using three key elements to transitioning knit seasons: layering, yarn type, and garment density. Disclosure: These are all tricks that work for me, that I have discovered over years of trial and error (or just plain miscalculation of weather in some cases). You might have completely different thoughts on these topics, allergies to certain types of yarn, or live in a...
Knitting a sweater in a month
knitting learning making process
I participated in an Instagram challenge in June - I chose to start and finish a sweater that month. Long story short, I kept to my goal and finished the sweater (minus blocking) in a month. But I wanted to take some time to write out my reflections on this adventure…because I have some thoughts.
Feeling uninspired and working through it
design knitting learning making process
There comes a time in likely every creator’s life when they will feel uninspired and, arguably, there will be many times. I recently have felt this way - tired and uninspired. Instead of focusing on the why, I want to talk about how I’ve been working through it. I used to think that I had to feel inspired or motivated, or have the right kind of environment to produce creative works. I would spend so much time either waiting for inspiration to kick in or adjusting my space to see if that would help me feel more motivated: none of...
Things don't always go to plan
design knitting learning making process
Having just published my first fall collection, Wooloween 2021, I’d like to reflect on the process, hurdles, and lessons I learned.I started the process for this collection hoping to produce more patterns; I quickly realized that if I tried to over-create, I wouldn’t produce patterns that I’d be happy with. So, I instead focused my efforts on two patterns (with a surprise one especially for Halloween). At first, it was hard to accept that I wasn’t going to be able to keep up with my original goal, but I’m glad I changed the focus.I got married a few weeks ago....
Swatches aren’t meant to be perfect
design knitting learning making process swatch
I (and maybe you too) love seeing perfect swatches. They could be in your LYS (local yarn store) or on Instagram, but they’re always pleasing to look at. It would follow then that we, as crafters, strive to make the perfect swatch…anytime we do swatch. A perfect square that represents what the project will be, which of course will also be perfect.But let’s be real. That’s not how it works - nor should it.I recently thought I made a mistake in a swatch for the upcoming fall collection. It’s a colorwork design and I was following my sketches to make...