I got to interview Sonya Blackstone, Blackstone Designs on Ravelry, I love the whimsey, and the cheerful photos. Everything looks so professional – without being stuffy!
You as a designer questions:
What is your design process?
-I usually think of a project, sketch out the details, then go search for the perfect yarn. I actually have a hard time buying yarn before I know what it will be.
What influences your style?
-I’m not really sure what influences my style. I think I just have a playful nature and I like to make cutesy things.
What about designing and producing patterns are you most adept at, what parts are you most fond of, and what parts are challenging? (Pattern Grading, the last week of editing, coming up with a name for a project, self promotion?)
-I’m adept at counting multiples of 6! LOL! I have made so many projects that increase by 6s, I probably say them in my sleep. All joking aside, I think there is always room for growth and I am constantly learning. The project itself depends on what my strengths and weaknesses are.
What do you find most important in photography?
-Making sure the area is clean and clutter free.
You as a Giftalong designer:
What have you learned from the promotion?
-I have found a lot of new designers!
You as someone who likes to make things questions:
What is your usual process on a fiber project, for instance, do you start with a yarn, a cute pattern, a need you’ve noticed, something exciting you saw in a movie you want to copy, or a technique you want to learn – then what do you do next and then what?
-I kind of answered this above LOL. Most of the time, random ideas pop in my head. Inspiration can really strike from anywhere. Once I get the idea, I draw it out. I think best with paper to pen, so I sketch it out, make little notes about elements I want to include, and even what yarns and colors I want to use. Then I get the yarn and get started.
Does anything intimidate you in knitting or crochet?
-I don’t think so. I don’t mind “getting my hands dirty” and I love to learn, so if I have time to sit down and learn something new, I’m all for it! I think I get more curious than intimidated.
When you want to learn something, do you look it up in a book, on YouTube, or seek a real person to teach you?
-All of the above. If I happen to have someone nearby to ask, I start there. If I have a book with the answers, I’ll look. I’ve gone to Pinterest many times. YouTube is definitely a great resource too, but I often don’t think to check there LOL.
Any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting or crochet? How do you deal with them?
-I get tendonitis sometimes. I take regular breaks to do stretches to combat that, but when it does happen, I take time away and rest.
What makes you buy a pattern (lovely photo, the story of the project, it looks do-able, it looks slightly challenging…)
-Love at first sight! So, I guess the photo LOL. I’m not really sure if it’s really anything other than “Wow, I love that! I have to make it!”. Good photos help sell the quality of the pattern, so that does make a difference to me too.
