Recently, I was cleaning out a corner of my closet when I found an unexpected treasure. Folded up among a bunch of junk mail from five years ago was a single sheet of yellow, lined notepad paper. On that piece of paper was my very first sketch for my very first knitting design.
When Inspiration Strikes...
Partway through a conferencec call, my first real flash of knitting design inspiration struck. I felt an overwhelming urge to get this idea out of my head and onto paper before I forgot it. After I finished scribbling, I tore the paper from the notepad, folded it up, and tucked it into my purse. Inspiration wrangled, I was able to focus on the call once more. Then, I went home, bought some yarn, and got to work.
What I've Learned Since...
Since then, my design process has changed a lot. I usually don’t do such a thorough sketch anymore, unless I am submitting to a yarn company or magazine. Instead, I tend to chart out a couple possible stitch patterns, and then I just start knitting. That gives me a chance to see whether I like how it looks in the yarn I’m using.
I’ve also learned so much about construction and pattern writing in the last five years that my design process is much more efficient. Having a better idea of what I’m doing and where I’m going means that I can get a design out of my head and into a usable format much more quickly and easily.