creating the right design… for you and me.

As I pursued various books and websites looking for a topic to write about today, a passage I read in Edie Eckman‘s book, The Crochet Answer Book, 2nd Edition, jumped out and stuck with me.

I often stand on the abyss of feeling that I’m an imposter; I didn’t study art or design in school, I majored in Computer Science. I don’t care about trendy fashion, though I care strongly about well made garments that will last and that fit me well. I value sensible shoes.

This has kept me from proposing designs over the years. When I do have creative ideas, there is a second challenge that prevents me from getting them to the point of publication either because I want to try seven (zillion) other ways to accomplish the same end result or I feel that some part of my process either in my pattern writing or my photography isn’t at the level I aim for. Or as often happens, I found the construction fussy (I dislike weaving in ends or counting) and I never wanted to make it again, let alone write up the instructions and subject someone else to the torture.

Imposter syndrome when combined with perfectionism is not a formula for success. I’ve been working on it.

A few weeks ago, I responded to a call for crochet designs, submitted a proposal, was delighted to find it accepted, and received a big box of yarn. Yesterday I mailed the completed sample off to Lorna’s Laces to be displayed in their booth at TNNA Winter trade show later this month. I’m now working on the finishing touches for the pattern. I am wrangling all those parts and release the pattern soon, I hope (though do not promise) by the end of the month.

The passage Edie wrote that has sat with me all day and enabled me to be excited about this shawl that is fun to work and works beautifully in those multicoloured yarns that I am drawn to but have never really found ways to work up. The shaping is simple, versatile, and offers lots of room for modifications to make it work best for you.

In my opinion, being a “good” crocheter is not about making perfectly stitched, elaborate, artful creations. It is rather a matter of confidence. You need to be sure of what you are doing and how to do it, and then have the confidence to figure out what to do if things aren’t going quite right. Understanding what you do certain things and why they turn out the way the do increases confidence and leads to successful crocheting. The more you learn, the better you become, in crochet as in life.

Edie Eckman, The Crochet Answer Book, 2nd Edition, p 10.

If you’re looking for the design hinted referenced in this post, it’s VLSI.