Tinyknit's Blog

If you like watching Knitty Gritty like I do, you’ve probably heard the Knitsters say, “Knit On!”  How about “Test On!” instead?  Are you interested in pattern testing?  If so, you’ve come to the right place!

You may be aware that I had a few goals for 2011, including writing a new pattern every month, as well as giving out a free pattern for every tester, and for each pattern tested.  I plan on continuing this for 2012 as well, and plan to have at least one pattern monthly.

Some of the patterns you will see for 2012 have already been accepted by publishers ~

A secret test for a cabled project knitted with bulky yarn (very different for me!)

A test for a shawl or scarf pattern (your choice) which combines cables and lace, very open and pretty for sport weight yarn

A secret test for a shawl pattern that uses beads and some interesting construction techniques, for sport weight yarn

And, there are quite a few others that are in the early design stages, including mosaic knitting, a tank top/vest, a circular shawl/table cloth, a Faroese shawl, a shrug, a very unusual doily, and a skirt.

If you’ve wondered what pattern testing entails, the answer is patience!  Although I really hope that the patterns are error free before the test even starts, there are usually a few mistakes.  For me, this is probably because I have seen the pattern so much that mistakes really don’t stand out.  I tend to knit on autopilot, as I’ve been looking at the pattern from its earliest stages and know how it developed.

Knitters of all skill levels are needed for tests.  It is often from the least experienced knitters that I can learn the most. They ask more questions, and this gets me thinking about how I can make the pattern more clear.  The more experienced knitters have a lot to add too and seem to spot errors quickly.  Really, the best tests have all sorts of knitters from all over the world!

One thing that I can’t stress enough is that testers should post a project on Ravelry.  There are many reasons for this, but most of them basically involve the sharing of information.  For example, you may have chosen the perfect yarn for a pattern, and others would love to know that!  Or, it could be the opposite case, and you would be helping others avoid a bad, and costly, yarn choice.  Needle size and type is also very helpful.  Let’s not forget the yardage that you used to knit the item.  What’s worse than knitting a large project, only to run out of yarn near the end?  Not much, especially if the yarn’s been discontinued!  Are you tall, or maybe very short?  Plump or thin?  It would be such a huge help for Ravelers to have fit information!  So, if you do sign up for a test, and you wonder why I am asking testers to post projects, now you know why

Does any of this interest you?  If they do, or you have another suggestion, please let me know.  I’d love to hear about what types of patterns you’d be interested in testing!

Time to announce some great news! One of my patterns will be in Knitcircus, which is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 12. The editor is very kind and generous, and is allowing me to do a giveaway of a collection of patterns which will be in Knitcircus Magazine, Gifts 2011 Special Issue. So, the winners will not be receiving just one or two patterns, but wonderful collection of them!

At left, I have posted a little clue that shows a portion of my pattern.  Can you guess what this is?

How to enter? Just post in a comment below this blog entry after the magazine goes live, and tell me which are your favorites from the collection. Start the comment like this: Knitcircus Giveaway: My favorite patterns from the Gifts 2011 collection are ________ and ________. Then you can tell us why, etc., if you want to share. Choose as many patterns to talk about as you’d like !

At least one winner will be selected from my blog! The winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, October 18.  Enter by October 17.

I will be hosting another similar giveaway in my Ravelry group, Tinyknitters. Also, one lucky pattern tester will also be chosen at random to receive the collection.  By the way, if you’d like to test my patterns, please join the Tinyknitters group, and you will have lots of opportunities!

You may enter each giveaway one time, so one for this blog, one on Ravelry, and one if you tested the pattern. Can’t tell you the pattern name yet, but it’s one of the secret testers who will win!

Definitely not by choice ~ incommunicado.  I never realized how much I depend on my online world for both work and play, not to mention contact with nearly everyone I know.  So, each morning, I sit in Starbucks, drinking their coffee, eating their pastries, and catching up on the world.  It started out as a pleasant change, but has gotten old pretty quickly.

For example, I can’t go run into the “yarnroom” to check on the stash, or wips, or anything else, sitting here in Starbucks, or at the public library.  Everything seems to take me twice as long as usual, as I run home to check some fact before I can post or respond to an e-mail.

Can you help me out?  Our phone company, CenturyLink, previously know as Embarq, previously known as Sprint, has promised repair on each of the past 3 days, but they’ve stood me up each time, without any notice or phone call.  I’ve pretty much decided that it’s time to make a change, but to which provider?  If you have a recommendation, please let me know by posting here or though email to linda@tinyknit.com.  I am thinking of combining a cell phone plan with a mobile hot spot type of situation, and just dropping the home phone.  Has that worked well for any of you?

Until then, please continue to e-mail or post questions on Ravelry.  But, it will probably take me a little longer than usual to reply.

On the bright side, my typing is getting really quick, as I’m being fueled by a steady supply of Java Chip Frappuccinos and Caramel Macchiatos…

This is the busy time of year from me.  When most mothers of school aged children are happy for school to begin, and dream of more free time, I know it’s time to begin a new year of home school.  Of course I love many things about home schooling, but it also means a lot less free time, time for myself, and most of all, knitting time.  But I am finding a way to keep my yarn untangled and my knitting needles clicking!

As I enter year two of designing patterns, my hobby has taken on many more of the aspects of a business.  There are now deadlines – great motivation to get more done, but they also bring more busy-ness.  I recall the first time that I realized that the word “business” is basically the same as the word “busyness.”  I was around 18 or so, idly doodling as I sat in a business class in college.  When this “aha” moment took me by surprise, I found that one letter difference really wasn’t very much.  Of course, in those days, business simply meant more and different homework for me!  Now, as this idea becomes more of a reality, I understand a little better, how something you love can take over all your time – and in a strange way, I actually like that.

At this moment, I am having three patterns tested at the same time, and each has over 12 knitters.  Hard to keep track of – hard to fix my little errors – hard to wait to find out what each knitter will discover – but I love this busyness!  I have submitted new pattern proposals to four different magazines in the last month – more insane busyness that has become almost as addicting as knitting itself.  There is an excitement, a gamble –  which, if any, magazines will take a chance on my designs?

And I cannot forget to mention my new group on Ravelry, Tinyknitters.  Started just 10 days ago, we are up to 170 members who are helpful and kind.  I suppose that knitting is a sort of international language translated into all the stitches that we share.  These knitters come from all sorts of places, including Finland, Spain, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Iceland, Belgium, Austria, India, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, and the United States. I must admit, that quite a few are much more accomplished knitters than I, and their help is priceless.

Speaking of busyness, it’s time for me to get back to my fun and my work:  knitting!