OK, so it’s NOT as easy as it looks!

I always thought that designing a knit or crochet pattern was something that I could do, but didn’t because I didn’t have the time, or enough interest. Now that I have been interviewing crochet designers all week for an article for Yarn Market News, I decided I really wanted to try my hand at designing something in crochet. Some things for me, just to get the hang of the process. If I could sell a design great, and if not I would have some nice things to wear to the Knitting and Crochet Show in PA, which I am attending in July.

I had four garment ideas in my head, did a few random sketches and went off to my favorite LYS. Somewhat of a dilemma when I realized that the yarns that I saw in my head didn’t actually exist in real life, but with some help from the wonderful store owner I chose yarn for two projects. Last night I put down the CTH sock (which is gorgeous, btw, how have I lived this long without using this yarn?) and swatched a top.

And swatched….and swatched…. and swatched – nothing really looked the way I expected it to (which is of course why you swatch in the first place, but I digress). Eventually I got a fabric I liked, and started the actual piece. And of course, as soon as I started it I realized I had gotten some math wrong so I had to start again, and maybe there were a few too many increases so I had to do that part again, and maybe I didn’t like the yarn in artificial light as much as I did in daylight so maybe I should take it back and start over? Or not? Hmmmmmm……

New respect, I tell you, I have new respect for pattern designers.

Wish me luck….