I was listening to the Getting Loopy podcast interviewing Tracy St John and Brittany Tyler from Tangled Magazine about the Peanut Butter and Jelly projects: very similar sweaters designs, one in knitting and one in crochet. Mary Beth Temple laughed that you’d already have the schematics done, so it would save you time.
Reusing schematics sounded very good, so I called a meeting of the design team in my head.
The Patternist was enthusiastic, “Oh, that’s like when I was in college and I’d work up a sweater pattern from a friend’s sketch. Only, this time I’d have a sketch with definite, tested numbers already! I think I’ll re-make the spreadsheet, so it will be efficient. The last spreadsheet got wonky.
Butterfly, the Visual Inspiration Girl pouted a bit, “But we’ve already made that sweater – three times! I’ll be bored. And I wouldn’t have touched your spreadsheet. Quit looking at me.”
The patternist was about to say something about order and beauty when Momma Bear, the Realist about the Rest of Life knocked the meeting room door down, “None of you are around when the four year old gets me up in the middle of the night, and you all keep me awake too long – we don’t need new projects, we need to finish the ones we’ve already started…and earn some money!”
Everyone looked at the floor, and pretended to have very serious thoughts about washing dishes.
Butterfly piped up, “I’m bored of being serious, can I go look at Pinterest now?”
Momma Bear rolled her eyes and lumbered off. The door stayed smashed on the floor.
The Editor spoke for the first time, “There will be research involved. Who knows if there are openwork patterns in knitting that make Xs easily? But I think this project would re-use some work we’ve done, in a fresh way, that’s good business. Someone will have to search the stitch dictionaries, it may take a while.
Butterfly: Oh Goody! I love Barbara G Walker!
Editor: Well, I’m glad Butterfly is happy now, it would be nice if she stuck around for the whole job.
Butterfly: Your job is YOUR job. I’ll come back when you’re done and the pictures are posted. Maybe I’ll order the yarn – I love ordering yarn!
So I started the project.
7 Responses
My 14 year old does a lot of sibling herding, and I’ve limited my ambitions to 5 patterns this year – hopefully that balances off the duties.
There is a huge developmental jump from 4 to 6 also.
I thought so. I am the oldest of six kids who were all homeschooled. I know very well how those days go. We haven’t decided if we are going to homeschool our boys or not, but designing with a toddler and infant around certainly make things challenging enough for now. Currently, I have a toddler leaning across me, eating peanut butter crackers, watching Sesame Street, and using his head as a pivot point against me while I try to type. He’s upside down.
LOL! yes, there are a lot of those too!
I like the transcription of your one person committee meetings, though I’m surprised there weren’t more interruptions of “Mom, I’m done with my spelling homework. What are we having for lunch.”
I am just starting out as a SAHM mom/knitting designer with the possibility of homeschooling in the future. I commend you for making it work.
Thanks for commenting Dawn! It’s nice to know someone is reading – as well as I’m not the only one with a committee in my head 😉
Oh, I am SO glad I’m not the only one with a committee running my show! I’d tell you all about mine, but I’m still uncertain regarding the involvement of many people in pastel scrubs and white coats. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed your committee meeting. Thank you for sharing.