Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Rastita Design Challenge Part 1: Design Process

Check out Cory's post on her design process here!

I think my design process is much different than that of most other designers I know. First of all, I don't have a ton of ideas just waiting in the wings until I write the pattern. Mostly I have an idea and I either write the pattern right away, or I have to figure out a way to get my idea into a knitable and wearable item and that takes a while. My Diverged socks, for example, were an idea for quite a long time before they became a reality.

The other major difference is that I don't sketch my ideas. I'm not really a drawing kind of person. And, probably because I mainly design socks, I already have an idea of the shape of the item I'm going to end up with. I also don't usually swatch unless I'm coming up with a stitch pattern where I'm not sure how it will turn out. I did quite a bit of swatching for the Falling Up socks when I designed them because I really wanted strong vertical lines and wasn't sure what decrease would give me the look I wanted. Also, I originally wanted to work the pattern cuff down as I do with most my socks, and I couldn't find a way to make the stitch pattern look similar in that direction. I never did, which is why I ended up designing them as toe-up socks.

Since I don't sketch and don't usually swatch, where do I start? Well, first I chart. Charts do for me what sketches do for most others - help me plan where certain textures or stitch patterns will end up on the finished item and what the placement will be. If the pattern is one that doesn't need to be charted, I figure out the math and then get knitting. If it doesn't come out the way I like, well then I'll start over.

IMG_1491

Often my designs start with an idea for a small feature or detail that I want in the finished project. In this case, buttons. There have been a few times when I found buttons that I just couldn't resist. The buttons had to be mine, because they were really pretty and had stars on them. But I don't usually knit things that require buttons. I have put them on socks once, but it's not something I really care for. So, in comes the idea for a cowl. A cowl, with really awesome star buttons.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Moving!

Well, I've finally taken the next step with my blog after all these years, and it's moving over to starielknits.com! I'll still post here for the next little bit, but if you subscribe through a feed reader update that to the new site as well as your bookmarks, etc. I'm so excited to continue on my new pretty site, which also has a cool section with my designs and more interesting capabilities. Hope to see you all over there!

Sock Yarn

    A quest to use sock yarns:

    Yarns I've had:
    * means I really liked it

    4-ply Soft
    A Piece of Vermont*
    Alpafina
    Artsygal*
    Artyarns Supermerino*
    Austermann Step
    BMFA Sock Candy*
    Black Bunny Fibers*
    Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport
    Chinese Mystery sock yarn
    Claudia's Handpaints
    Conjoined Creations Flat Feet
    Crystal Palace Maizy
    CTH Supersock
    Dicentra Designs
    Dorchester Farms
    Fabel
    Fearless Fibers
    Fixation*
    Gloss (KP)
    handspun
    Inspinknity*
    Interlacements Beibi Seda
    Interlacements Tiny Toes
    Interlacements Toasty Toes
    Jarbo Raggi
    JKnits*
    Jojoland Melody
    Koigu*
    Kona Superwash
    KP Essential
    KP Merino
    KP Palette
    Limbo
    Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock*
    Macek Designs
    Madelinetosh
    Magic Stripes
    Mega Boots Stretch
    Microspun
    Nature's Palette
    Noro Kureyon Sock
    Opal
    Panda Cotton
    Paton's Kroy*
    Peru DK
    Peruvian Quechua
    Regia Bamboo*
    Regia Cotton
    Regia Strato*
    Ruby Sapphire
    Sockotta
    Socks That Rock*
    Star (Classic Elite)
    Stitch Jones
    Sunshine Yarns*
    Three Fates Cauldron Sock*
    TOFUtsies
    Trekking*
    Wick
    Wildfoote*
    Wollmeise*
    Wool Ease
    Yarn Pirate*

    In Progress:

    Perchance to Knit
    Regia
    Vesper
    Yarns in the stash:

    All Things Heather
    Ancient Threads
    Apple Laine
    Araucania Ranco
    Artyarns Ultramerino
    Autumn House Farm
    Baby Ull
    Ball and Skein
    Baywood Yarns
    Bearfoot (Mountain Colors)
    Briar Rose Fibers
    Brooklyn Handspun
    Cavyshops Handpaint
    C*eye*ber Fiber
    Cervinia Calzetteria
    CTH Superglitz
    Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks
    Chewy Spaghetti
    Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
    Colinette Cadenza
    Colinette Jitterbug
    Country Classic Yarn for Sox
    Crash Into Ewe
    Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop
    Curious Yarns
    Done Roving
    Dream in Color
    Duet (A Swell Yarn Shop)
    Dye Dreams
    Ellen's Half Pint Farm
    End of the World Farm
    Fashion Trend Sportivo
    The Fiber Denn
    Fleece Artist
    The Flock Bransonas
    Fortissima
    French Hill Farm
    Froehlich Blauband
    Fyberspates
    geeyouknit!
    Gjestal Silja
    Great Adirondack Soxie
    Greenwood Fiberworks
    Jaeger Matchmaker
    Jarbo Mini Raggi
    Jawoll
    Jawoll Cotton
    Just Our Yarn
    Knit Purl Natural Collection
    Kona Superwash
    KP Dancing
    KP Essential Tweed
    Lime & Violet
    Lisa Souza
    Louet Gems Pearl
    Luxe
    Mama Llama
    Merlin the Cat
    Meilenweit Cotton
    Meilenweit Trend
    Mind's Eye Merino/Tencel
    Mirasol Hacho
    Misty Mountain Farm
    The Natural Dye Studio
    Neighborhood Fiber Company
    Over the Rainbow Twinkletoes
    Peterle
    Pigeon Roof Studios
    Pine Woods
    Posh Yarn Lucia
    Prism Saki
    Pucker Brush Farm
    Regia Surf
    Reynolds Swizzle
    Reynolds Soft Sea Wool
    Rio De La Plata
    Royale Hare
    Roz Houseknecht
    Schaefer Anne
    Scout's Swag
    Sheep Shop Wensleydale
    Shelridge Farm
    ShibuiKnits
    Sockenwolle Unipo
    Spirit Trail Fiberworks
    Spunky Eclectic
    Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle
    Sundara Yarn
    Sweetgeorgia
    Tess Designer Yarns
    Twisted
    The Unique Sheep
    Universal Ditto
    Valley Yarns Franklin
    vanCalcar Acres
    White Oak Studio tvyarn
    Wisdom Yarns Marathon
    Wool in the Woods
    The Woolen Rabbit
    Yarn Botanika Radiance
    Yarntini
    Ysolda Yarn
    Zen Yarn Garden


    To check out:

    Pippikneesocks
    Sophie's Toes
    The Spinning Bunny Yarns BFL

WIPs and FOs