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Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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Inside the Design Process

March 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Inside the Knitting Pattern Design Process

This is my swatch board. Like many pattern designers, my design process begins with knitting (or crocheting) swatches. I’m currently designing a knit lace scarf pattern featuring a few different motifs. Since I’m designing this in conjunction with a publisher, my editor and I have been emailing back and forth to decide which motifs are working for us both. Lucky for me, my editor is great and is proving to have a similar design aesthetic as myself. A big help in the design process has been my new HP Sprout.

Inside the Design Process: Using the new HP Sprout to design a knitting pattern collaboratively

Like I said, the first step in my design process is selecting yarn and swatching with it to determine gauge and to see what different motifs look like. As you can see in the image at the top of this post, I did a lot of swatching to figure out what motifs would work with the thicker yarn as well as a lace pattern. My editor and I decided on three motifs for the scarf. Since my studio is at home (and almost always a disaster!), I need to send my editor images of the swatches I’ve made for her feedback.

Inside the Design Process: Using the new HP Sprout to design a knitting pattern collaboratively

The HP Sprout is amazing – it has the ability to scan 3D objects into the computer in a way that’s true to life. Before the Sprout, I had to send cell phone pics of my designs, which weren’t always very color accurate. And since I can scan in multiple swatches at once, I can send in scans that are true to scale as well! The scale is important, by the way, so you can see how big motifs are in relation to each other.

It’s also really easy to make layouts with the Sprout software, so I can replicate each swatch and easily play with repeats to determine how I might want to sequence the lace motifs in my scarf. This is obviously way faster than knitting and tearing out half a scarf if the design isn’t working! Especially as a knitter & crocheter who struggles with tendonitis, this is an amazing design tool for me.

Inside the Design Process: Using the new HP Sprout to design a knitting pattern collaboratively

I can also make scribbly notes with a stylus as I play with the design to determine the best number to stitches to work with, how to elegantly bind off, and how long to repeat a motif.

Inside the Design Process: Using the new HP Sprout to design a knitting pattern collaboratively While this design isn’t quite finished yet, I hope this post gives you a little window into what it’s like to design patterns collaboratively. When this scarf is ready, I’ll definitely post about how you can get your hands on it!

This post is sponsored by HP, who provided compensation and a Sprout in exchange for blog posts highlighting its innovative new technology. All opinions are my own. 

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, Knitting Tagged With: ciy, collaborative design, collaborative knitting design, crochet, design technology, hp sprout, knit, knitting design, swatching

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
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In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
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P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you add a stitch in between two columns of stitches that leans to the left. Similar to an M1L, LLIs allow you to increase nearly invisibly.
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To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
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Have you ever used lifted increases? I used M1’s almost exclusively for a long time when I needed to inc between stitches, but when I designed the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern, I needed something that would allow me to increase a lot near my cast on, and M1’s resulted in edge curling. The more you know! 🌈 
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Yarn: @lionbrandyarn Wool Ease from my Stash / Neddles: @boyeyarncrafts - Just remembered these are the needles I learned to knit on at age 8. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #learntoknit #howtoknit #sweaterknitting #knitinspiration #knittersofinstagram #liftedincreases
Last week I got to hang out with my family & helpe Last week I got to hang out with my family & helped babysit my red-headed niece and nephew. So here’s some plane knitting, and a couple pictures (shared with permission) of my babysitting adventures.
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Lessons learned: 1️⃣ Trying to knit around 2 toddlers, 2 cats & 2 large dogs is pretty hard. 2️⃣ I learned during water color time that pink and black make “colorful black.” 🩷🖤 3️⃣ Toddlers do NOT care about your rainbow sorting of their toys. 4️⃣ Toddlers are very good at finding mischief in a very short amount of time, what a surprise. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #placesyoucanknit #knitters #knitinpublic #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration
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