New Technology and Needlework

I’ve been designing and writing patterns since my very first wee pattern in 1997. In October, it will be 15 years. I can hardly believe it! My first design was published in 1998. Time has flown!

In the beginning, I wasn’t really very good at writing patterns and I would really, really like to update the patterns I did on my first website dinosaur. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about pattern writing by going back over my published patterns and seeing what the tech editors have changed over the years. Talk about an enlightenment!

Although those old patterns have been used for years and I haven’t really had any complaints, they’re not really up to my current standards of pattern writing. But, in a world where I have to work about 70 hours a week just to feed, cover and clothe the family, who has the time? Still on my ever lengthy to-do list, though.

For years and years, I just carried on with my designing and pattern writing without a whole lot of feedback. When you live in a bubble, it’s hard to get feedback. And, although I love my kids dearly, they weren’t much help. Ha!

With the growth of the internet and technology, I am faced with all kinds of things that hadn’t occurred to me when I first started designing. With the birth of Ravelry, I am now getting an overload of feedback. It is so very nice to see finished projects from people. I love it when someone posts about a project and how much they loved it and even want to make another! So exciting that people like my work. “They like me; they really like me!”

Of course, with the good, there must be the bad, right? I can’t even begin to tell you how much it stings when someone leaves a scathing remark about me or my pattern writing. Wow! But, it’s all a learning experience. I have to take the good with the bad.

Sometimes, it makes me so sad, though. I see someone who has worked on a project. And, the project is too small or too big. They don’t know that gauge isn’t a computerized, scientific number. It is simply the designer’s tension. I see so many comments that “But, it’s too small and I’ve done plenty of patterns. My tension is perfectly average. I have never had to change hook sizes. The pattern is incorrect.”

How I wish these people would have just written to me. I can help with the tension issues. I can explain that there is no way they will get the same tension with their yarn substitution. Or whatever. Instead, they are simply unhappy and dissatisfied.

I am available to help with all of my patterns from the ones I’ve self-published to the ones in books and magazines. Please feel free to contact me. Just think of me as another crocheter/knitter, trying to help out.

In the past, I’ve re-written things. I’ve given lectures on my blog about gauge. I’m teaching online technique classes. I’ve hired someone to draw symbol charts for me. I have made online videos. I will do what I can to help, I promise! But, I’m not superwoman. Sometimes, I don’t have the time to stop working on a book in order to make a video, for instance. (70 hours a week, ya know. LOL) But, I will certainly do what I can.

It would be so wonderful if I could do it all. Patterns with charts, schematics and videos! After all, we’re in the century where this is possible. But, there’s also my family’s strange habit of wanting something to eat about 3 or 4 times a day. Can you imagine? Ha!

But, even if I can’t do it all, I will be here to help you with trying to meet your project goals.