Falling into the Design Pond

re: Falling into the Design Pond

ALA — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:01:05 GMT

Bibochenek - you might find it easier to ease your way into designing by starting with a basic pattern and adding your own variations. Ann Budd's "Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns" is a great tool for this. If you're not familiar with it, she gives basic patterns for a very wide variety of sizes and gauges, which you can knit exactly as written or play around with.

Peggan - I gave your email address to one of the people who handles the email database. We have not been on hiatus and you should have been receiving emails, but sometimes things happen. It can take a couple of days for the system to catch up to an update, so if you have not started receiving your emails by, say, Friday, email us at customerservice@interweave.com so we can follow up.

As for the vest, there are lots of resources online for patterns (including us!). If you can't find exactly what you want, and you don't want to have to design a new vest from scratch, I recommend the same thing I suggested to bibochenek - start with a basic pattern and alter it to your taste. The Ann Budd book I suggested does include vest patterns. Another way you could go is to find a vest that has a back you like, then alter the fronts to more closely match the ones you've been seeing in the stores.

I hope that's helpful! Remember, it's only knitting. If you don't like how it's turning out, rip it and do something different. No one will ever know.

re: Falling into the Design Pond

Peggan — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:11:25 GMT

Don't know where to ask this question but perhaps this is a good place. If not maybe you can forward it to the proper Knitting Daily person or forum.

I want to knit a vest of a certain kind and can't seem to find a pattern. You see this style of ready-made vests right now. The back is slightly fitted and the front is essentially two rectangles (one on each side) that droop down and make a kind of shorter-to-longer draped front. I have no idea what this style might be called so maybe I have just not looked in the right place for a pattern.

I am thinking I might have to design the pattern myself but that is kind of daunting even though I can picture the shapes of the pieces.

Looking for some guidelines, or a reference to a pattern that could give me a start. Or maybe it would be a good pattern to feature in an issue since this is an in style right now.

I have been missing Knitting Daily. Is it on vacation?

Please e-mail me as I am unsure I can find my way back here. Peggan@aol.com

re: Falling into the Design Pond

blbochenek — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:17:06 GMT

Designing scares me to death! That's why I've managed just one hat. Congrats on facing your fears and designing a sweater. And I would love to say I'll try and make it, but sweaters scare me too!!