Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Knitpicks and I, a new relationship

On December 18th the Wirtsweiher Loop pattern went live on knitpicks.com
I am past ecstatic, thrilled, overjoyed!
I remember well the day back in 2012, when I've decided to 'share' my knitting enthusiasm, and started this blog. When I began to write down my ideas and published my first pattern. Back then, I was hoping just a little that my designs would be good enough to get the attention of other knitters and the design community.
That my wish has come true is beyond AMAZING.




My life is an adventure, it really is.
The things I am able to be involved in during the day at work at General Atomics and the yarn related things I am able to be involved in when I am not at work both make me feel proud, fulfilled, and happy.
Contributing factors, such as the Ravelry community where crafty people can share projects and publish patterns, and my home knitting group "Knitting in the Heights" deserve some credit. I could not have done it without them.




Sunday, December 13, 2015

newly found energy

You know sometimes the right emotion is missing and progress in one area is not achieved. This was happening with my brioche project, the See Me Shawl
Even though the shawl was finished back in July, there was never a right time to photograph it. This year San Diego decided to delay the end of the summer into the winter. Only last week it was finally cold.
The scramble began:
1. get the camera man on notice for Sunday
2. keep checking the weather map to make sure it will be cold, but not raining.
3. try different outfits and decide "WHAT TO WEAR" this is so hard!
4. get up early.
5. pick up the camera man (we are trying a new guy).
6. drive to the park where I was hoping for just the right background.
7. practice posing
8. OK, this is it...............






What do think?
The story is not over yet, though. With having pictures, finally, comes another whole set of activities:
1. finish the pattern words, abbreviations, and tech details.
2. select and size the pictures.
3. decide how much to charge for the pattern and the finished shawl ( i am not keeping it, you know San Diego is not cold enough for cashmere).
4. set-up the ravelry site for the new pattern.
5. publish it on ravelry and loveknitting.
6. set-up an add for the shawl on etsy.com.  the shawl for sale on etsy
7. set-up a few adds on ravelry forums for the pattern.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM

The result is my enjoyment with the actual knitting activity, the process of creating, and now the process of sharing.
Some might think: She is just doing in it for the money.
I would counter: If I can sell enough patterns to by more yarn, to design more knitwear, than I am truly happy.
So, I have only a few more sales to go on this one. An hour after the pattern went live I sold one already. $3.99 chaching....



Saturday, December 5, 2015

The A-Team

I have a young Best Friend. Her Name is Julie. Everyone who knows me knows about me and Julie. It is a long story because we have spent many many years of our daytime work life in the same companies. Not once, but twice! From starting a company to getting laid-off together, getting hired on at the next company together, working on the same team, and eventually finding the jobs disappearing. All the jobs are squashed by Microsquash (microsoft).

Now, there is always a good side, right? Right.

I got to Baby sit last night. Julie now has 2 (did I say it loud enough) 2 beautiful little girls and I get to baby sit. Both their names start with A, so to me they are the A-Team.


A year back when the Big A was 2 years old I made her the yellow coat/dress. And then came Little A. I made her the pink coat/dress when she was just 1 year old.
I love them to pieces.

The pattern for this coat/dress April April can be found on my ravelry store oberpfalzerin. I just had to name it with 2 major As in it since it was created for my A-team.
The yarn is basic cotton from Lion Brand and the buttons are from a local button on-line store as cute as a button