Well, I've done it! The first sock that has been of my own design has been completed. I now have to sit down at the computer and write out the pattern and produce the two charts that are necessary for the design to be worked. One of the charts is going to be pretty simple to complete, the second a little less so but I have already half completed it so it shouldn't take me too long to finish.
Once the pattern is written, I will have to knit the second sock using the pattern as my guide so that I can make sure that the instructions are clear and correct. If everything works out okay, and the second sock matches the first then I will have achieved what I set out to do.
Having created this design, I have had an idea for some further patterns. This first one has diamonds as its theme, so I have decided to see if it would be possible to design some similar socks to incorporate hearts, clubs and spades, thereby creating a set of patterns under the name 'A Full House'. I'm not sure that it will be possible, but I'm going to have a go. This time I will create the patterns first and then try knitting them to see whether the patterns work or not.
Having something to focus on, as creating this pattern has done, is proving helpful in keeping me from dwelling on how bad I am feeling. I think that the fact that the socks are knitted in the round helps a great deal because I can just keep knitting one needleful after another and the sock keeps growing without me really noticing it.
I have to thank my Mum and my Grandma, who taught me to knit at a very young age, for giving me a skill that has done so much to help me deal with depression over the last 12 years.
Showing posts with label designing my own pattern. Show all posts
Showing posts with label designing my own pattern. Show all posts
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Friday, 21 May 2010
Knitting Design Competition
When I was at I Knit on Wednesday I started work on my own sock pattern. It was the second design that I had tried because I realised very early on that the first one that I was knitting just wouldn't work because the yarn was too dark a colour for the pattern to be visible.
While I was working on this new design, Lorraine, who works in I Knit, told me that they were running a design competition so yesterday I emailed her for the rules for entry and this morning I received them. There are three categories, a knitted lace shawl or scarf, a full-size garment (for either an adult or child), and accessories (scarf, hat, mittens, gloves, socks), and each of the categories has three prizes, £250 +wool, £100 + wool, and £50 + wool.
Entries don't have to be in until the middle of August, so I have the opportunity to create more than one design. The knitting of the items is the easy part, the difficult part will be writing the pattern. One of the good things about designing socks is that I can knit one, then write the pattern, and use the pattern to knit the second sock, hopefully spotting any problems or errors as I knit the second sock.
Deciding to enter the competition has also given me something to focus on. There is some purpose in my knitting rather than it being just something to do to pass the time. So this evening I shall focus on the sock and hopefully get to the stage of turning the heel, maybe even completing the manoeuvre. The foot part of the sock is going to be the more difficult part of the pattern because I have decided that rather than have the pattern repeat across the width of the instep part of the sock, it is going to form a single line of moss stitch diamonds from ankle to heel. I think that this will give more impact to the design, but only time will tell.
While I was working on this new design, Lorraine, who works in I Knit, told me that they were running a design competition so yesterday I emailed her for the rules for entry and this morning I received them. There are three categories, a knitted lace shawl or scarf, a full-size garment (for either an adult or child), and accessories (scarf, hat, mittens, gloves, socks), and each of the categories has three prizes, £250 +wool, £100 + wool, and £50 + wool.
Entries don't have to be in until the middle of August, so I have the opportunity to create more than one design. The knitting of the items is the easy part, the difficult part will be writing the pattern. One of the good things about designing socks is that I can knit one, then write the pattern, and use the pattern to knit the second sock, hopefully spotting any problems or errors as I knit the second sock.
Deciding to enter the competition has also given me something to focus on. There is some purpose in my knitting rather than it being just something to do to pass the time. So this evening I shall focus on the sock and hopefully get to the stage of turning the heel, maybe even completing the manoeuvre. The foot part of the sock is going to be the more difficult part of the pattern because I have decided that rather than have the pattern repeat across the width of the instep part of the sock, it is going to form a single line of moss stitch diamonds from ankle to heel. I think that this will give more impact to the design, but only time will tell.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
A Dismal Failure
Well, the sock has been unravelled. I opted for a rather simple stitch pattern which I was sure would translate well for use on a sock but unfortunately the wool that I was using for the sock had too dark a base colour so the pattern did not show up particularly well. My only course of action was to take it off the needles and start again.
Fortunately I have a reasonable range of sock yarn in my stash so I am going to start my exercise in design again, but this time with a yarn that is much lighter in colour and which, because of this, will allow me to choose a more exciting stitch pattern to incorporate into the sock. So, armed with my book, my knitting needles and my new choice of yarn, I will be setting off for the knitting group and some serious knitting and knitters' chat.
I'll let you know how I get on later.
Fortunately I have a reasonable range of sock yarn in my stash so I am going to start my exercise in design again, but this time with a yarn that is much lighter in colour and which, because of this, will allow me to choose a more exciting stitch pattern to incorporate into the sock. So, armed with my book, my knitting needles and my new choice of yarn, I will be setting off for the knitting group and some serious knitting and knitters' chat.
I'll let you know how I get on later.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
A Girl's Gotta Do
There are many so called quotes that were never, in fact, spoken by the person to whom they are attributed. Frank Spencer never said "Betty, I've got a problem", Humphrey Bogart didn't say "Play it again, Sam" and it is probable that John Wayne didn't say "A man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do" even though it is a phrase beloved of those trying to do a John Wayne impersonation.
However, this girl has decided that the thing that she has "gotta do" is try her hand at designing a knitting pattern. As an avid knitter it is perhaps surprising that I have never done this before. I have adapted patterns and I've knitted a cardigan without the aid of a pattern, but it was a very simple design and was meant for wearing around the house or in the garden and not for public exhibition. But having got the sock knitting bug, I thought that it was perhaps now time to give it a try.
I bought a book yesterday that has 300 stitch patterns in it. There are simple combinations of plain and purl stitches, twists, cables, bobbles and leaves, lace, and complex patterns involving the use of colours. Many of the patterns are only suitable for flat items, such as a cardigan or pullover, but some look as though they could be adapted for an item that is knitted in the round, as socks are.
To start with I am going to use a sock pattern that I know produces items to a given size as the basis for my design. I have nearly finished the rib of the cuff of the sock and now I have to make a decision as to which of the designs in the book that I am going to use for my first attempt at designing a pattern that others may also like to knit.
I am torn between a simple combination of plain and purl, a rather attractive and unusual design based on cable techniques, a simple lace design worked over a small number of stitches and rows, or a twisted stitch design. It is important to find a pattern that has the right number of stitches for the repeat that is possible for the base sock pattern that I am using. This means that the pattern has to be based on a 4-stitch, 8-stitch, or 16-stitch repeat. This reduces the number of designs that are available to me, but there are still sufficient variations to make the choice quite difficult. An additional difficulty is that not only is it important to take the stitch repetition into consideration, but it is the number of rows needed to complete a pattern repeat that needs to be entered into the equation.
I am going to knit the last couple of rows for the cuff and then I am going to have to make my decision. I know that it is likely that I will end up having to unravel the sock because the design just doesn't work in the yarn that I am using. But I might be lucky and the design that I choose may look really good. If things go well, it may be possible for me to post a photograph here of the first sock designed by Madsadgirl.
However, this girl has decided that the thing that she has "gotta do" is try her hand at designing a knitting pattern. As an avid knitter it is perhaps surprising that I have never done this before. I have adapted patterns and I've knitted a cardigan without the aid of a pattern, but it was a very simple design and was meant for wearing around the house or in the garden and not for public exhibition. But having got the sock knitting bug, I thought that it was perhaps now time to give it a try.
I bought a book yesterday that has 300 stitch patterns in it. There are simple combinations of plain and purl stitches, twists, cables, bobbles and leaves, lace, and complex patterns involving the use of colours. Many of the patterns are only suitable for flat items, such as a cardigan or pullover, but some look as though they could be adapted for an item that is knitted in the round, as socks are.
To start with I am going to use a sock pattern that I know produces items to a given size as the basis for my design. I have nearly finished the rib of the cuff of the sock and now I have to make a decision as to which of the designs in the book that I am going to use for my first attempt at designing a pattern that others may also like to knit.
I am torn between a simple combination of plain and purl, a rather attractive and unusual design based on cable techniques, a simple lace design worked over a small number of stitches and rows, or a twisted stitch design. It is important to find a pattern that has the right number of stitches for the repeat that is possible for the base sock pattern that I am using. This means that the pattern has to be based on a 4-stitch, 8-stitch, or 16-stitch repeat. This reduces the number of designs that are available to me, but there are still sufficient variations to make the choice quite difficult. An additional difficulty is that not only is it important to take the stitch repetition into consideration, but it is the number of rows needed to complete a pattern repeat that needs to be entered into the equation.
I am going to knit the last couple of rows for the cuff and then I am going to have to make my decision. I know that it is likely that I will end up having to unravel the sock because the design just doesn't work in the yarn that I am using. But I might be lucky and the design that I choose may look really good. If things go well, it may be possible for me to post a photograph here of the first sock designed by Madsadgirl.
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