There comes a point, in every knitter’s progress, when you want to design a garment yourself and translate it into a knittable pattern.
But where do you start?
Inspiration for the design may, if you’re very lucky, suddenly present itself in your imagination. You can ‘see’ exactly what it should look like, right there in your mind’s eye.
Now’s the time to sketch what you ‘see’ and make notes about colours and types of yarn to be used.
There are two reasons for doing this. Firstly, so you don’t forget it! You may not have the time to knit it right now, but you can put a quick sketch in your ‘To Do’ file for knitting later on. Secondly, by sketching it and filing it away, you clear your mind so more original ideas can bubble to the surface.
The idea of making a sketch may fill you with horror. ‘I can’t draw’, I hear you say!
Yes, you can draw. Remember that your sketchbook is for your eyes only and, providing you can understand the lines you’ve drawn on the paper, that’s all that matters. If your sketch is very basic, you can always supplement it with lots of notes.
However, there are a couple of ways to cheat with your sketching!
1. Find a photograph in a magazine or book of a model wearing something that closely resembles the shape of your garment idea and photocopy it. Cut out the shape and use the ‘hole’ as a stencil. If you mount your stencil on to card, it can be used several times for different ideas.
2. Take the same photograph and trace the garment outline. Photocopy your tracing as many times as you need and sketch your ideas on top.
The actual translation of your sketches into knitting will not be without problems but you have to remember that it’s an original idea you’re dealing with and that requires patience.
Translating ideas from paper to pattern to knitting may require modifications along the way. It’s in the manipulation of these that the real work of the inventive designer comes into play.
Copyright 2006 Linda Black
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Based in the UK, Linda Black has written several design books
for machine knitters and is a self-confessed knitting addict.
Her web site for both hand and machine knitters can be found at
http://www.getknitting.com
Sign up for her free monthly hints and tips newsletter here
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Source: www.articlebiz.com
