Calculus of knitting design

Designing patterns is akin to going on a roadtrip. You have a destination in mind, plan your route and stops along the way. All the while knowing something will come up that requires immediate change of plans and should something happen along the way you may end up somewhere completely unexpected.
Ever been to Manny, Iowa? That town is the definition of the unexpected location of a roadtrip detour!
Designing: published two designed recently. Both were monumental roadtrips and full of surprises.

Flores Gloria: uffda!

Two years in the planning, knitting, reknitting, frogging, redesigning, etc.
Tragically, my math was incorrect in the beginning and several test knitters ran out of yarn before the end of knitting size large. The wonderful women went on with different yarn and tracked down the correct dye lots like real troopers.
So, the roadblocks included: figuring out how to design with lace stitches on right and wrong side, picking the right complimentary lace pattern for the morning glory flowers, and picking a different overall design layout to maximize the flower stitch and not overwhelm the knitter/viewer with complicated lace. Thank you Elemental 2D design from college, but it took awhile.
And IT'S DONE!

Velociraptor sweater

 

The Christmas sweater. Someday my husband will have enough sweaters, but not this year. His response is that he never needs another sweater, but he is always so incredible pleased and excited, and then he'll wear the sweater for days. 

This year I set the bar high.

1. I learned a new technique, bottom up seamless yoke sweater. I will never knit a sweater another way.

2. Design charts of velociraptors - tweak stitches across to fit his size.
3. Knit forever without husband knowing about the project - but show everyone I know the pieces.
The sweater turned out fabulously. I surprised myself!
The first night my husband wore the sweater he was offered $100 by one woman and informed by the bouncer of a bar that a girl offered the bouncer $50 to rip off the sweater and give it to her. Seriously.
The charts are available for free in my ravelry store.
I foresee more nerdy sweaters.

No sooner were the above patterns released when I started work on another shawl.
Crescent shaped shawl with simple lace and cables, named after another flower of course.
The new lesson is design: stitch markers are my friend. I may scoff and avoid them for any other project - but goodness they are helpful when I have to plan the next change to the repeat!

Plus, I bought some super plush yarn to do my second knit while I write the pattern. Mmm...