A Journey

At some point about two years ago I had the idea to create a set of pullovers using Kauri and Rimu from Zealana, so that if you wanted to use either of those yarns, there would be the same design in the yarn weights available.  I did the design and got the first sample made.  I created a hat to be a gauge project that would be useful because I have noticed that most knitters knit a flat gauge swatch–assuming they knit one at all–because it is easy and quick and doing one in-the-round isn’t.  Nevermind that their results could be different in the round–and particularly can be different over a larger number of stitches.  So the hat seemed like a great idea for getting a gauge swatch while also creating a cool hat.  I didn’t want to make it too difficult–obviously the main attraction was the pullover–but I also wanted it to be satisfying enough that if the knitter decided not to do the pullover it had been a useful exercise.  They had a hat.  It had sufficient stitches to be a very useful gauge swatch and, they had a hat!  I devised a cool finish for the hat so it required no shaping.

The pullovers (Athena, Helen, Minerva)  were knit, hats were knit, and then I decided that instead of just offering the hat pattern as part of the single pattern for the pullovers, that I’d put the three hats together in a single pattern too.  Then I decided that I should create a collection of all three pullover and hats–but why not add a cowl and cuff for each?  Well, that blossomed into quite an undertaking.  We’re not quite finished, and the Goddess Collection will be about 170 pages of written and charted patterns.  Gulp.  We don’t have a landing page for the Goddess Collection yet, so if you are interested in knowing when you can get it, email me.

About a year ago, Wendy took over making charts for me.  She loves making charts, and although I have always enjoyed making them, it really makes sense to have someone else doing it while I am doing other things.  I am always the bottleneck in our processes, so when I am cut out, more gets done.  Wendy makes them more beautifully than I ever did and we worked out better ways to present them.  So we’ve been slowly revamping all of our charts in all released patterns, while expanding our charting in new patterns because, well, now we can!

So back to the Goddess Collection.  We added the cowl in three sizes and the cuffs, both short and long, in five sizes, each.  Wendy sat down and figured this out one day:

3 yarn weights   Athena (DK 8 ply), Helen (Bulky 10 ply), Minerva (4 ply)

x 5 pattern options  hat, pullover, cowl, long cuff, short cuff

x 21 sizes offered  [hat (3 sizes) + pullover (5 sizes) + cowl (3 sizes) + long cuff (5 sizes) + short cuff (5 sizes)

= 63 total patterns

This is a big package!  You will only be able to get the Cuffs and Cowl in this collection.

Charts you ask?  We’re still working on them, but the current count looks like there will be 105 charts.  I’m particularly pleased with these charts, and especially the generic charts which allow the knitter to customize them to fit the pattern row they begin each segment on.  While not quite as easy as just working from a pre-made chart, this makes it possible for the knitter to customize their knitting without compromise.  And filling in charts is very relaxing and fun.

Hats   2 charts

• 2 stitch patterns (1 flat, 1 in-the-round)

Pullovers  10 charts x 5 sizes = 50 charts

• 2 stitch patterns (in-the-round)
• beginning armhole divide and armhole shaping chart (generic)
• ending armhole divide and armhole shaping chart (generic)
• left back neck and shoulder shaping chart (generic)
• right back neck and shoulder shaping chart (generic)
• left front neck and shoulder shaping chart (generic)
• right front neck and shoulder shaping chart (generic)
• sleeve to underarm shaping chart
• sleeve cap chart (generic)

Cowl  3 charts

• 2 stitch patterns (in-the-round)
• shaping chart

Long and Short Cuffs  10 charts x 5 sizes  = 50 charts

• 2 stitch patterns (1 flat, 1 in-the-round)
• Left long stitch pattern set up
• right long stitch pattern set up
• left long decreases
• right long decreases
• left new stitch pattern setup
• right new stitch pattern setup
• left increase chart (generic)
• right increase chart (generic)
• left short decreases
• right short decreases

We make a separate chart for each size because to get the proper fit, each size has a different stitch setup.  Then we divided the charts up so the knitter can print out or have on their screen just the charts for the size they are working on.  This allows the knitter to follow both the written and charted instructions if they like.

To accomplish the huge amount of work all of my patterns require, we have specific processes for almost every step of the way.  Charts are no exception.  I do the initial draft chart or write out the stitch patterning the way I want it to work for each size, then Wendy does a pencil draft of the chart, which I approve before she creates the beautiful Adobe Illustrator version that will appear in the pattern.

Have I mentioned that Wendy lives in Pittsburgh, PA and I’m in San Francisco, CA.  We do this all with scanners, Evernote, Dropbox, and weekly Skype calls, and her somehow knowing what I want, even when I fail to adequately describe it.