One of the fun parts of designing are the do overs. Okay, fun is the wrong word. Perhaps frustrating beyond words would be more appropriate, possibly with some colorful unladylike language. lol Sometimes the mistakes happen in the actual drafting of the pattern portion. Sometimes they happen during the knit. Other time you put on the finished item and it doesn’t fit. I’ve had a couple of these just today. So, my new t-shirt design doesn’t fit me. I’ve already altered the design to fix this. The problem is that it’s done and knit and isn’t long enough for the bust. sigh I’m hoping I can salvage it. I’m not sure how, though. The problem is that the button band is super high. I needed another 1.5-2″ in length from the button band to the armhole.
Then I’m working on a new sock design. I already found a problem when knitting it, so I’m now trying to fix the pattern to match it. The problem is that the pattern is actually 23 pages long. Yep. 23 pages. Oh my. The first 7 pages don’t need altering, but every single page past that does. I have 3 finished. I’ll be here for a bit.
I also started a new pattern today on top of those for a pair of socks. They will be toe up with an oyster stitch to look like flowers going up the leg. I think. I’m still not 100% sure on that pattern. I want something flowery, but I’m not sure this is going to fit the bill. It’s actually going to be paired with a yarn from a yarn club that is on its way to me. I think it’s supposed to be delivered Saturday, so I have some time.
That is a glimpse into the level of work the designs take. That t-shirt for example has been going for about 2 months, and I haven’t even started the tech edit portion, let alone the testing. The socks go faster, since it’s quicker for me to knit. It usually takes about 2 months of work from start to finish to get them released. Time can start to feel very tight when you have more than one on the go. Right now, I also have the cowl in testing. So, I technically have those 4 things in full go mode. I also have the leaf scarf that is approaching my deadline for completing the sample….so make that 5 things in full go mode.
A friend mentioned earlier today that someone asked if she would “share” the pattern she used to make a blanket. She politely said no to them. I greatly appreciate that response. While this was not my design, it was someones hard work. We work for sometimes 6 months on a design (2 months has been my minimum), and only get to sell the for $6-10 (the socks I design are usually $4.50). Now think about how many times we need to sell that pattern for to make the money back on just our time. Now, consider the fact that we have to pay approximately $20 an hour for a tech editor in there, for a few hours of their time, at least. So, 6 months work plus the $60, plus the yarn, plus plus plus. Those little guys are a lot of our own money out the window before we see any return. So, please make sure to take that into consideration when looking at a persons pattern, and wondering if the price is worth it. Believe me, it’s terribly under priced.
Okay, I don’t really have pictures to go with today’s post, so here’s one of my cats. 😀 This is Daisy, and she really likes to pose with all the knit wear photos.
