Knitter's Basic Design Template

I recently joined a Design Challenge on one of the groups on Ravelry.

The challenge was open to any type of design, the requirements being that it must be written up and made available to the other members of the Design Challenge.
It was a great experience and made me approach the whole design process in a very different way from the usual of messing about randomly with sticks and string :)

I am sure that deep down in all of our little knitter's hearts there lurks a budding designer that wishes for nothing more than being able to abandon the day job and spend all day doing happy things with yarn and color and adorable, magic handmade needles :) Of course the reality is such that designers have a tough time making a good living from their designs and mostly work hard to keep the yarn wolves at bay. However, whether you want to quit the nagging boss or buy the OOAK handspun mink eyelash yarn, there is really nothing to lose in designing a pattern or two and putting them up on Ravelry or Etsy or Craftsy or any of a host of other sites...after all folks, habits need feeding....so give it a try and see...you may find hidden talents you never knew you had :)

Although the design process may seem hugely daunting, all you really need to do is follow logical steps through a basic process....Sure, you may say, easy for you to say that but where the heck do I start and what if it doesn't work out, and what if no-one likes the design and what will I design and where will I get ideas from and what if tomorrow the sky falls on our heads...and...and...and...

With this understandable first time designer's angst that I want you to squash like a bug in a rug, I have put together a basic * design template that I use to go through to develop a design...this is my process, not necessarily the only/best/perfect etc, but works for me and is adaptable to different types of designs...you can download it , save it and use it for every new design you have that wants to burst it's way out of your imagination!

There are so many resources available to new designers, and so many groups on Ravelry that there is always someone willing to help and guide and troubleshoot or give tips and advice, that the only risk you run of trying is that it may become impossible for you to stop after your first design :)

I am in the process of designing several new animals for my menagerie and have found that the basic template allows for less schlepp in making sure you have covered all your bases. 

In future posts i will chat about some of the steps in the process of designing something relatively simple, perhaps a pair of fingerless mittens, a pair of socks, a simple shawl...something do-able and useable...

Do you want to be a designer? Have you designed knitting/crochet patterns? How have you approached the process? What would you like to know about designing?

Sleep tight folks!
♥

Design Template