Skein to Sweater, starting with the skeins...
If any of you follow me on Instagram (I'm @theacolman), you might already know what I'm about to do here, because I hinted at it last week.
This is the first in a series of posts I'm going to share with you as I begin working on a new design to be launched in late Winter/early Spring 2019. Also, these posts are part of a larger conversation I've been having with some of my peers about what actually goes into the design process, and they do create kind of a fun reason to hang out here and use my new blog format, (Did you notice?)
I will start with how I am settling in on this idea as it unfolds, and once we have a sweater to make, I'll go into the knitting and writing and editing and testing - and the photo shoot. Some of it may meander, and other parts may come together quickly. I never do know what's about to happen as I work, and I've found that it goes best when I let the process lead me. To be honest, I usually work against the background of my other tasks, jumping from thing to thing as needed, and I don't pay specific attention to the amount of time that goes towards one design vs. the others. I will be interested to see this pulled out of the daily to-do list as well!
So, let's start, shall we?
For me, different projects begin in different places. This one is kind of an itch I want to scratch, a vague idea of something I want to be wearing in late March or early April, and I have neither parameters or deadlines to pin me down. (You saw that part above about meandering, right?)
With that in mind, I do have a vague idea in my head for a spring cardigan. It should be a little rustic in feel, easy fitting, knit in a light weight sweater yarn. And although the yarn itself may be delicate, the sweater will be loose and cozy and a little bold, if that makes sense.
I began with a Pinterest scroll, made a couple of thrift shop visits, and hit the mall with my daughter Zoe. All of that gave me an idea of the general fit I want for my wardrobe, but nothing I found was along the lines of what I want to do - and that's actually a good thing, because it means I may be onto a new idea here. Plus, the things I don't like also help me focus on the image that's taking shape in my head. And the one thing that started to percolate as I wandered around was a color story, a sophisticated kind of pastel. (as seen all over the cozy acrylic sweater department at Forever 21!)
So, to recap after the "research" week, because I know it doesn't seem like much to go on yet:
I'm looking at a cardigan. Easy fitting, bold details, and although I haven't said what yet, I'm leaning towards an overall motif on the body. I also have a wardrobe inkling and I have a color vibe.
Without anything more specific to tie me down, I turned to my yarn.
I started with stash yarns I had bought previously that I thought might work for this - or could steer me in a direction that would. Shown here is Elsa Wool Cormo in a pale gray (that garter/lace swatch at forefront), Tulliver DK in Blush (the smaller swatch), Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Orchid Heather, O-Wool O-Wash sport in Wineberry, Lana Plante Rambouillet Fingering in Cochineal, and a skein of Sincere Sheep Equity Sport in a berry shade.
I had an itch to try some Farmer's Daughter yarns and figured this would be the perfect excuse to do so. I ordered two skeins of Craggy Tweed in Buffalo Gal and another more natural color (not pictured here), and then I went back for seconds and ordered another skein of her Pishkun, a DK weight Rambouillet - also in Buffalo Gal. The Tweed wasn't fitting in with my vision, but the Pishkun was - and with a feel I really love on my needles, it was immediately wound and swatched!
I want to add a small note here, about being a designer and yarn support, because it's a gray area for some of us. For me it's an expense I count towards the design, especially if I'm looking at yarn from a new vendor who's a farmer or another small business owner.
I think it's important to note that sometimes a design will get knit and sometimes it won't and yarn costs money to make. Unless I am in a working relationship with someone and/or have a specific project I'm willing to commit to in a collaboration, I never expect yarn from a vendor. Sometimes it's still given to me, but when I purchase yarn, I'm happy to support another small business. I'm also going to worry less about when and if that yarn gets on my needles, and more about using it when it's ready to be used in the best way possible. For the purpose of this conversation, just note that it's kind of a research expense going into the design.
So - yarn gathered.
For me, putting these in a pile and making a few small swatches over a period of about a week serves as almost a mood board. Even though I was immediately leaning towards the Pishkun, I made myself wait and work up a few of the others. I know what I like when I work it, so sometimes the first thing is fine, but the second or third could be even better, you know?
As I said before, this is happening in the background while I am working on other projects, but each time I sat down at my desk to work on something, the pile was there. I probably spent about a half-hour or hour each day for a week, reorganizing, winding, and swatching yarns on different size needles. Sometimes I'd add new yarns to the pile, take others out, look for alternate colors online, or browse finished Ravelry projects to see how one knit up in cables or lace or whatever. I also spent a little time looking at distribution, checking availability, price points, etc. All these things play into the suitability of a yarn for me, especially when working in a sweater quantity.
As the week went on, I found myself reaching for the Pishkun more and more. The other swatches were eventually frogged or bound off and reshelved for future projects, and I sent an email to Candice over at Farmer's Daughter to double check that she'd be excited about a design in this fiber, to make sure that this is a color of Piskhun she plans to have in stock, to ask if my design idea and schedule would work for her, and confirm that she isn't releasing something similar around the same time in the same yarn. Again, if I'm working with a small business, I want to make sure neither of us is wasting our time on something that won't be a good thing for both of us. I was super relieved that all of that lined up, and I could continue with this yarn in hand.
So here's my my swatch of random stitches. On a windowsill - because it's a dreary day over here.
I am not worrying about exact gauge yet, but this swatch proves that I enjoy working with the fiber, and that it feels the way I want my sweater to feel. It gives me vague stitch definition in various stitch patterns, shows me what the twist does, and lets me decide on needle size. I'm on a #6 here and quite happy with lace, cables, ribbing, seed stitch, garter, and stockinette.
As far as I'm concerned, this yarn can do anything I need it to. I like how it feels on my needles and will be happy to spend hours working with it, plus I've confirmed that the colorway is exactly what I have in mind. Mischief managed, right?
As for the design process, I'll guess I've spent about 5-6 hours total so far, not counting my field trips for inspiration. My next step will be to start working this towards a more detailed idea that I can share with Candice.
The rest of this week is a little crazy with a previous project on the needles, my morning volunteering on Weds, some minor dental work that could well kill my Thursday, and a SEWING LESSON on Friday, so I'm going to pencil in the serious swatching and sketching for next week, I'll use the scattered time I have coming up to work on my current design, manage a test knit that's going on, and work on a few other various tasks so that my head is nice and clear when I get to this.
And once I have more to share, I will.... xo
This is the first in a series of posts I'm going to share with you as I begin working on a new design to be launched in late Winter/early Spring 2019. Also, these posts are part of a larger conversation I've been having with some of my peers about what actually goes into the design process, and they do create kind of a fun reason to hang out here and use my new blog format, (Did you notice?)
I will start with how I am settling in on this idea as it unfolds, and once we have a sweater to make, I'll go into the knitting and writing and editing and testing - and the photo shoot. Some of it may meander, and other parts may come together quickly. I never do know what's about to happen as I work, and I've found that it goes best when I let the process lead me. To be honest, I usually work against the background of my other tasks, jumping from thing to thing as needed, and I don't pay specific attention to the amount of time that goes towards one design vs. the others. I will be interested to see this pulled out of the daily to-do list as well!
So, let's start, shall we?
For me, different projects begin in different places. This one is kind of an itch I want to scratch, a vague idea of something I want to be wearing in late March or early April, and I have neither parameters or deadlines to pin me down. (You saw that part above about meandering, right?)
With that in mind, I do have a vague idea in my head for a spring cardigan. It should be a little rustic in feel, easy fitting, knit in a light weight sweater yarn. And although the yarn itself may be delicate, the sweater will be loose and cozy and a little bold, if that makes sense.
I began with a Pinterest scroll, made a couple of thrift shop visits, and hit the mall with my daughter Zoe. All of that gave me an idea of the general fit I want for my wardrobe, but nothing I found was along the lines of what I want to do - and that's actually a good thing, because it means I may be onto a new idea here. Plus, the things I don't like also help me focus on the image that's taking shape in my head. And the one thing that started to percolate as I wandered around was a color story, a sophisticated kind of pastel. (as seen all over the cozy acrylic sweater department at Forever 21!)
So, to recap after the "research" week, because I know it doesn't seem like much to go on yet:
I'm looking at a cardigan. Easy fitting, bold details, and although I haven't said what yet, I'm leaning towards an overall motif on the body. I also have a wardrobe inkling and I have a color vibe.
Without anything more specific to tie me down, I turned to my yarn.
I started with stash yarns I had bought previously that I thought might work for this - or could steer me in a direction that would. Shown here is Elsa Wool Cormo in a pale gray (that garter/lace swatch at forefront), Tulliver DK in Blush (the smaller swatch), Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Orchid Heather, O-Wool O-Wash sport in Wineberry, Lana Plante Rambouillet Fingering in Cochineal, and a skein of Sincere Sheep Equity Sport in a berry shade.
I had an itch to try some Farmer's Daughter yarns and figured this would be the perfect excuse to do so. I ordered two skeins of Craggy Tweed in Buffalo Gal and another more natural color (not pictured here), and then I went back for seconds and ordered another skein of her Pishkun, a DK weight Rambouillet - also in Buffalo Gal. The Tweed wasn't fitting in with my vision, but the Pishkun was - and with a feel I really love on my needles, it was immediately wound and swatched!
I want to add a small note here, about being a designer and yarn support, because it's a gray area for some of us. For me it's an expense I count towards the design, especially if I'm looking at yarn from a new vendor who's a farmer or another small business owner.
I think it's important to note that sometimes a design will get knit and sometimes it won't and yarn costs money to make. Unless I am in a working relationship with someone and/or have a specific project I'm willing to commit to in a collaboration, I never expect yarn from a vendor. Sometimes it's still given to me, but when I purchase yarn, I'm happy to support another small business. I'm also going to worry less about when and if that yarn gets on my needles, and more about using it when it's ready to be used in the best way possible. For the purpose of this conversation, just note that it's kind of a research expense going into the design.
So - yarn gathered.
For me, putting these in a pile and making a few small swatches over a period of about a week serves as almost a mood board. Even though I was immediately leaning towards the Pishkun, I made myself wait and work up a few of the others. I know what I like when I work it, so sometimes the first thing is fine, but the second or third could be even better, you know?
As I said before, this is happening in the background while I am working on other projects, but each time I sat down at my desk to work on something, the pile was there. I probably spent about a half-hour or hour each day for a week, reorganizing, winding, and swatching yarns on different size needles. Sometimes I'd add new yarns to the pile, take others out, look for alternate colors online, or browse finished Ravelry projects to see how one knit up in cables or lace or whatever. I also spent a little time looking at distribution, checking availability, price points, etc. All these things play into the suitability of a yarn for me, especially when working in a sweater quantity.
As the week went on, I found myself reaching for the Pishkun more and more. The other swatches were eventually frogged or bound off and reshelved for future projects, and I sent an email to Candice over at Farmer's Daughter to double check that she'd be excited about a design in this fiber, to make sure that this is a color of Piskhun she plans to have in stock, to ask if my design idea and schedule would work for her, and confirm that she isn't releasing something similar around the same time in the same yarn. Again, if I'm working with a small business, I want to make sure neither of us is wasting our time on something that won't be a good thing for both of us. I was super relieved that all of that lined up, and I could continue with this yarn in hand.
So here's my my swatch of random stitches. On a windowsill - because it's a dreary day over here.
I am not worrying about exact gauge yet, but this swatch proves that I enjoy working with the fiber, and that it feels the way I want my sweater to feel. It gives me vague stitch definition in various stitch patterns, shows me what the twist does, and lets me decide on needle size. I'm on a #6 here and quite happy with lace, cables, ribbing, seed stitch, garter, and stockinette.
As far as I'm concerned, this yarn can do anything I need it to. I like how it feels on my needles and will be happy to spend hours working with it, plus I've confirmed that the colorway is exactly what I have in mind. Mischief managed, right?
As for the design process, I'll guess I've spent about 5-6 hours total so far, not counting my field trips for inspiration. My next step will be to start working this towards a more detailed idea that I can share with Candice.
The rest of this week is a little crazy with a previous project on the needles, my morning volunteering on Weds, some minor dental work that could well kill my Thursday, and a SEWING LESSON on Friday, so I'm going to pencil in the serious swatching and sketching for next week, I'll use the scattered time I have coming up to work on my current design, manage a test knit that's going on, and work on a few other various tasks so that my head is nice and clear when I get to this.
And once I have more to share, I will.... xo
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