A bit about designing

I'm designing another sock pattern and I decided that instead of leaving it a total mystery/surprise I'd blog about the designing process.

Here's how it goes, at least for me:

I get an idea for a pattern and kick it around in my head for a period of time. Weeks, months, whatever. Occasionally I'll knit something relatively on the fly, but most of the time there's a lot of planning even if it's only in my head. The problem is that it's easy to get stuck in the thought stage. That's where MJ comes in.

In chemistry there is something called activation energy (yes, I'm always a dorky scientist). Basically it's the energetic "push" that a reaction needs to start... reacting. For me that's MJ. I can have a great idea but reality always interferes. Like this idea I had for a pattern for Valentine's Day - but that's so soon, and do I really have time to get it done? I was deciding not to do it but then last night MJ IMed me and the combination of the late hour and the MJ-effect caused me to decide that yes, this would work. So I started writing and approximately an hour later I had the first draft of the pattern that had been invading my brain.

(I should also note that she was the catalyst that led to me posting the PDF of Diamondy and she also was IMing with me while I wrote up another pattern late one night. But more about that later.)

The pattern was also inspired by a yarn idea that I had in my head. I tried a few times to find this yarn and had a couple ones that came close. When deciding which one to use I decided I'd multi task by picking a type of yarn I hadn't tried yet. That way it will also count towards my goal of using more of the new yarns from my stash.



There's the Cider Moon Flurry in Midnight Special all wound up. It looks a little more blue in the picture than it actually is.

Now off to cast on...