The Rookie Designer
Thank you, novelty yarn craze.
PRE-GAME WARM-UP
I was born and raised in San Francisco and still live in the Bay Area. Much of what I do can be attributed to both my parents. My mom and grandmother taught me to knit, crochet, and sew when I was little.
My mom was a math wiz and entrepreneur. I get the love for the challenge of making my design visions work from my dad who was an electrical engineer.
Leveraging professional skills
I started designing and self-publishing knit designs in 2015. My numbers and Excel experience from working as an accountant and underwriter have been invaluable in my design process and as a tech editor and a publisher.
I'm constantly finding new ways to incorporate the power of spreadsheets in my design process so I can bring the best experience possible to makers.
A different perspective on creativity
I don't consider myself an inherently creative or artistic person.
I look to the beauty and brilliance of works of art and stitch patterns that already exist in the world to inspire my work. I interpret and put them together in different ways to come up with my designs, and I hope these designs will inspire other makers.
So happy I could cry
When my mom taught me to knit, she taught me two techniques that I thought were the greatest things in the world. The first was "yo, k2tog".
This short sequence of stitches worked back and forth in rows produced a beautiful fabric that looked so intricate and fancy to young me but was straightforward to execute. I was so proud of being able to produce such a fabric from yarn and two needles all by myself!
The other technique my mom taught me was slip stitch edges. Not just fancy, but they made my edges NEAT, too! Could this really be happening??? Nothing could be more glorious.
Remember Woolworth?
I couldn't put the yarn and needles down. When we were downtown, I would beg my mom to go into Woolworth to buy a ball of yarn.
Back then, it was squeaky acrylic yarn. I didn't know differently. All I cared about was having yarn to keep knitting and crocheting.
I'll save my crochet beginnings for another day.
AT THE PLATE
Exploring…
My knit and crochet making slowed down a bit in college and after that. I got into other types of making - cross stitching, stamping, beading, and continued sewing.
Knit and crochet fell a little by the wayside. I had built a stash of aida cloth, embroidery floss, stamps, paper, beads, and fabric, but didn't really have a yarn stash.
…and rediscovering
When the novelty yarn craze hit in 2005/2006 and fuzzy scarves were all the rage, I walked into a craft store and said, "I'm going to buy two balls of fuzzy yarn, make my fuzzy scarf, and THAT WILL BE IT." I didn't need more things to do and more things to stash.
Well. You probably have a good idea how that turned out.
Using the internet was a relatively new avenue to finding patterns (and yarn!) for me. I loved searching for patterns and designers and discovering all the wonderful things I could make.
Inklings
As I started making again, I found myself changing this and that in the patterns I was working on. I began to think, "when I get more experience, I'll start designing."
Does that sound like something you’ve said, too?
Eventually, it became more about "can I design something and write instructions so others will be able to successfully follow and repeat them to make the same thing?"
It wasn't necessarily about being creative or having a design business as the primary goal. I saw designing and writing a pattern as a challenge and something new to learn how to do.
Process over product
I'm a process person. I start with an idea and work through and establish a process to bring that idea to life. Being able to reflect, debrief, and make refinements to make the process better each time was very appealing. And the best part is, it's my very own process that works for me.
POST-GAME WRAP
It took almost a decade
Nine-ish years since that initial thought, I self published my first pattern, Z Cowl, in 2015. A future blog post is in the hole to talk about what got Z Cowl designed and out into the world.
I've designed shawls, cowls, ponchos, mitts, and hats. I've also designed an eyeglass holder to change things up.
My designs are inspired by different things – growing up in San Francisco, baseball, travel, a new take on a technique, anything that catches my attention.
Most of my designs are self-published, and I've collaborated with a few publications to publish designs. You can find my designs on Ravelry and Etsy.
Coming full circle
While design inspiration comes from different places, I've found myself going back to what my mom taught me for details. I'm drawn to clean and neat edges so many of my designs incorporate slip stitches at the edges, usually in the form of i-cord edges.
Who knew that one of the first things I learned would still resonate with me decades later and inform my design process.
Do you have an early experience which shaped your design process or how you like to modify an existing design you're making?
ON DECK
Fun facts about me: I studied and taught martial arts for 10 years. I love baseball, the stats, and the math behind them.
I also love spreadsheets and the color orange. I've been a San Francisco Giants fan since I was 12. I knit and crochet while watching games no matter how challenging the pattern.
Join the journey
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Thanks for staying for the whole game!
Until next time, happy making!
Yvonne 🧡
