Knitters refuse to fall into categories! ✨
Skill levels for knitting projects, CraftDoodling Designs updates, etc.
My heartfelt thanks for all the love and support to my latest design Pretty Little Brioche Scarf. 🤍
💌 PLBS is available here on Ravelry and Payhip.
As a thank you to all newsletter subscribers, all my patterns including the latest one are currently discounted. 🕊️
Please enjoy 25% off my patterns on Ravelry and Payhip until Mon March 18 midnight PT using code CDPLBSLOVE
Last week I had shared some of my thoughts 💭 behind PLBS design. And I have received such kind responses and appreciation from you. Thank you!!
All that discussion about brioche being a difficult technique to master, made me think about knitting project difficulty levels, in general. 🧶
Patterns are to be classified into various levels like Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced etc. This is done to help people assess the techniques that might be involved in making that project.
Check Craft Yarn Council’s Guidelines here. ‼️
Usually it is somewhat hard to classify a pattern under a particular level because the skill and techniques required may be spread across multiple levels.
Also, knitters are a surprising lot - they refuse to fall neatly into these categories, making things more difficult. 🤯😂
There are knitters who get started on the craft and seem to know exactly what they want to do with it and go on to build a handmade wardrobe or make 100 hats for charity. 👒 There are others who would love suggestions for “What should be my next project?” 💗
There are knitters who are lifelong sock knitters because they believe it is the easiest project they can do without thinking.
There are ones who vowed never to knit a sock because it is atrocious to wear a hand knit item on your feet and also no one would be able to see all that hard work!
And then there are others who start at one end of the sock spectrum and slowly transition to the other end. 🧦
Where do you find yourself at the moment in the sock spectrum? 😅 Let me know in comments!
As a designer, I find that it is always helpful to list the techniques 📋 involved in a pattern. It helps people to know what they are getting into.
I truly believe that the only way to determine the difficulty of a project is to be aware of the techniques involved, estimate how much time and practice would be needed to learn those.
In other words, ask yourself how badly do you want to knit it?
Do you have a way to pick your next knitting project ? I’d love to know. Please share your ideas in comments! 😊💖
CRAFTDOODLING DESIGNS UPDATES
If you are planning to do the Bay Area Yarn Crawl this month, please come and say Hello 👋 to me on Mar 22 at Fillory yarn between 1-4 pm.
I am making some progress on my next one - a shawl redesign. I will share more details as soon as I can.
OTHER THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE
Finished reading 📚
Code Name Hélène - Ariel Lawson
The disappearing act - Catherine Steadman
Currently reading 📚
11 / 22 / 63 - Stephen King
The weather is pleasant and warm during the day here in the Bay Area and I am already craving some Masala Lemon Soda 🍋
Currently, this newsletter is free to subscribe. If you like my work, please consider these other ways to support:
Click the ❤️ at the bottom of this post. If you are reading from your email inbox, this will open substack in web browser. Please allow it to open and make sure you see the red heart.
Share your thoughts in comments. I am here for the conversations. I hope you are too!
Introduce this newsletter to a friend!
Buy my patterns. I hope you find something you like.
I accept any of these with immense gratitude. Thank you!
After years of knitting, I find myself comfortable with most of the challenges. Yes, even the finishing work, which after you have done enough of it, you will know the right type of seaming will work with the knit you are working on and give you the look that you desire. And it will go rather quickly.! 👍Sometimes I am hungry for the challenge of say a Fair Isle or other patterned knit, while at other times a top-down one-piece knit is just the ticket for rather mindless knitting on the bus or watching tv. These days when choosing knits for myself, I mostly look for patterns worked in lighter weight yarns on smaller needles because that produces a garment that I am more likely to wear indoors. I keep a garment of similar construction that fits well, nearby to compare the size and shaping. This allows me to alter a pattern as needed. Light weight cardigans are a favorite. I also like to knit for babies and toddlers. There are so many fun patterns and they knit up pretty quickly and are nice to have on hand as gifts and to donate.
I don’t think anything is too hard at this point- some things are more fussy that what I want to deal with unless I REALLY want the fo. Usually colorwork involving more than 2 colors on a row fall into this, as does most seaming. I detest setting in sleeves. With millions of patterns to choose from, I’ll find something else to love. Fun post- thank you!