Welcome to the first part of my latest design journey! As a mom and working full time, I find purpose and motivation in designing pieces that I not only love but also feel proud of. And that's exactly what I aim to achieve with this latest design.
For this project, I wanted to create a cozy and stylish sweater with a playful twist. I wanted to focus on texture and structure while incorporating unique details that would set it apart from the rest. This time around, I wanted to approach my design process differently from my previous projects. Instead of grading first, knetting the sample and then writing the pattern, I started by sketching, drafting the written pattern, and then moving on to grading.
I have long been a fan of Isager Yarn and their transparent approach to their business. So when I reached out to them with my design vision and sketch, I was over the moon when they expressed their interest in collaborating with me on this project. They provided me with the yarn I needed to create my sample, Alpaca 3, which gave the design the rustic touch I was looking for.
After doing the necessary adjustments and calculating the yarn estimate, I tried a new method of updating the numbers in my pattern. I copied the rows from my spreadsheet into the written pattern, linking them so that any changes would be updated automatically. I'm curious to see how my test knitters will respond to this approach, but I'm hopeful it will make the pattern easier to update and ensure that all the numbers are accurate and up to date.
And now, I'm ready to knit the sample and begin the first part of this exciting journey. Stay tuned for the next stages of the process, including knitting the sample, the test knitting process, and preparing the pattern for release.
I hope you'll join me on this journey and share in my excitement for this new design. Until next time!