I don’t normally talk about my design process. It just seems to happen like getting out of bed or making a sandwich. The design process just happens. The year has been a difficult year to be creative. Not difficult to be creative in, or difficult to feel creative but difficult to be creative.
A great portion of creativity, for me at least, comes from a place of security. It has been anything but a secure year between covid, riots, politics, job uncertainties, name bullying, lockdowns and quarantines. Rather than dwell on all that the year has covered which is not anything that you probably haven’t experienced yourself and that is all that I am going to say about it. It has been difficult to be creative.
Most of the people living in our house are creatives in one way or another. My husband writes computer code for a living, which believe it or not takes some creativity. Among the kids we have another programmer, a graphic artist, a hairstylist, and an aerospace engineer (who in her own right is a creative, but probably not with her work.) We all have our own design process.
The Design Process
Here is my design process. There are better ways, different paths to take but for me this is how it works.
1. Have an idea
This seems so simple. Have an idea. This is the part that has been a struggle the past couple of years. How simple could it get? The ideas have just not been there.
2. Percolate these ideas.
This is simply turning the idea around in your head while you think of other things. What would be the best way to solve this. How can you make it happen? What materials would you use? Do you need to write or draw somethings out before you start. Just let the idea sit in your mind for a while. It may take several months, days or several years. The Temperature Afghan sat in my mind for about three years before it even reached a yarn phase. One of the baby blankets that is ready for release took 3 weeks from the first idea to writing the pattern.
3. Play with the idea
Occasionally the idea needs refinement and then yarn and a hook, or paper and pencil come out. Drawing the idea out and making sure that it can really happen. Coloring little squares to represent granny squares or doing the math to see if it is possible.
4. Prototype the idea
Here I just make several samples to see which one I like best. I may skip this step altogether or even pack up this idea for years. The chevron blanket above started as a scrap blanket and ended as a prototype. You can see the finished product in the photos at the bottom.
5. Create the project
Simply create it, sit down and crochet. Crochet and write down each step as you finish it. Frog it and try again, and again until it’s right. I write down yarn amount and brands, colors and stitches. Then I write down the obvious steps that were missed the first time until it is clear enough for someone else to crochet. Simply do the work.
6. Write the pattern
This step is to redo the work. Start over, take the photos and do the little steps that were neglected when the pattern was being created. Crochet that little circle over and over again to make sure that the stitch count comes out right. This is a struggle for me sometimes for years. Put the pattern into the finished format and add in any steps that were missed in the creating process. This can take forever or no time at all.
7. Rewrite the pattern
After several years you go back and check the writing and then cringe. It’s time for a rewrite and since the photos weren’t as good as you take now. It’s a whole new crochet project from the ground up. This time you can skip a couple of steps and just jump right into crocheting it. The rewrite of the Chevron stripe is ready, complete with a color listing in case you want to create the blanket shown below.
What’s New
There is a new Serape Stripe in the works and it is looking great though it is in the middle of the long boring part so it may be awhile. Though the enthusiasm seems to be keeping it on the top of the project stack.
There is also a secret project that I am very excited about and can’t wait to show you. It will be beautiful and in the more calm shades for you that love softer colors.
December Here at Home
If you want to skip this, you can, but it’s a little funny. Life is pretty strange here. It’s our life, weird but it’s real and it seems to be us. The two college kids are home for the holidays and Christmas gifts keep showing up in cardboard boxes. We read all labels carefully to make sure we don’t open anyone else’s gifts. Mine keep being a little odd as I try to judge from the store’s online pages and keep being seriously disappointed.
1/2 of the Christmas tree ornaments are missing. I organized all the ornaments last year and can’t remember where they are now. We moved the ornament boxes at least three times in the past year.
The baby’s gift was a bunny that we all agreed looked like it belonged in a horror movie. It plays music and moves when you wind it up. The bunny gets a little zombie-ish and scary when it starts winding down. I didn’t realize that it had a music box and I don’t think that it said that in the description. I returned it this week and found a cute unicorn instead.
Take care and Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Karen Marie
