I’ve been on quite an emotional roller coaster with my latest design. We have a love/hate relationship. Back in October I purchased some yarn for a fair isle vest. I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like and was anxious to get started (LOVE). I wound the yarn into balls and there they sat on my coffee table for two months just mocking me. I couldn’t get the fair isle to do what I wanted (HATE).
Last week I suddenly realized I was approaching it all wrong. Forget fair isle! Go for fake fair isle created by slipping stitches. So much easier, faster and was exactly the look I wanted (LOVE). Made a swatch and got started on the back. I was now in the obsessive phase of wanting only to knit and do nothing else. When I got to the armholes I had to make a decision. Did I want to stick with my original idea for a traditional vest? No, of course not.
Designing does not come easy for me. I toil with angst, wondering if I’ve made the right decisions. There are so many options; shawl collar, v-neck, crew neck, pullover, buttondown, fitted, loose, long, cropped? Should it even be a vest? How about a cardigan? By this time I had a big headache, was dehydrated and hadn’t been outside in days (HATE). A decision had to be made.
I made it (LOVE).
Tags: designing, knitting patterns, shane
"Well haggis, neeps and tatties, I'm going to get this pattern as soon as it's available!! Love it!"
Ooh I love that color combo!
Now I'm really anxious to see this new pattern! Can't wait. And you know, it doesn't matter what the end result is, it will be loved. And nobody will ever know if you changed the neckline at the last minute
Sarah, that is so true. I always have to remind myself that people can't see in my head to know what something was suppose to look like.
[...] The vest I’ve been working on is blocking. The pattern will be available in time for Stitches West. I still need to write the pattern, knit the collar, get it edited and do a photo shoot. I’m cutting it close, so I thought I would add a little more pressure on myself. [...]
[...] stripes on the sides. The collar is a loose-knit scarf that is sewn along the edges of the vest. After all my indecision on this vest, I’m really pleased with how it came out. Download it [...]