Below are a couple of notes that I kept during quarantine. I will detail projects finished during quarantine one at a time in future posts as I would have normally done. I'm not teaching much, more on that later and I have a new design that will be released today. I hope this finds you well and moving on to a new normal as we move forward in life.
April 14, 2020
Day 20 Of CoViD-19 quarantine in Colorado.
I have been using this time to tech edit designs that have been sitting and waiting for a long time. The most recent one I am working on, actually became a completed piece back in early 2017. It is my Tiger Lily shawl. As I have been going through and correcting the charts and counts I discovered that I have a few other designs, already in the wild, that need some correcting. All these shawls have the same type of construction in common, Orenburg construction. I can see what I have learned about the charting software that I use over the years and the mistakes in past designs. I will be making some changes and updating those.
Seeing these boo boos has made me realize the need for test knitters. I have tried to get test knitters in the past using several different ways, asking at a yarn shop, on IG and through Ravelry. No luck. Mostly because many of my designs are crazy lace and I haven't met any one else that crazy. I do all my own tech editing and so far that has turned out okay. I do think that after I finalize a pattern for publishing that I should leave it to sit for a week and then look over it again. I think this will help me find more mistakes that have been overlooked just from being too familiar with the work and I hopefully will make less mistakes because the "deadline" I have put on myself can be looser.
I am struggling not having computer internet access at home. I will not be able to upload pictures to Ravelry, add to my sweater page on the blog or even post this post until I can have computer internet access again. Thankfully from my phone I can upload new pdf files for my designs. The only reason I won't add new designs is because my phone service isn't always reliable enough to add pictures. I will try to add a few pictures here and there but they or may not stay.
I don't like not being readily available for pattern support and getting to interact with everyone on nearly a daily basis.
This situation has made me wonder what I would do if I didn't have children in school and an easy opportunity to go to the library, would I still make the effort? I am thankful that going to the library on a weekly basis was part of my routine for just over a year and that I know the difference it has made in my fiber life. I know that even when the children are gone I will continue to make the effort to go to the library, until the internet is available at my home.
This too shall pass, it is only a season. This season came for me when I had just started my YouTube channel and was really getting into my blog and sharing what I learn with you guys. I feel disconnected again.
I am still recording different tricks that I learn and will share those with you when the pandemic allows again.
April 15, 2020
So I don't know that I am going to do this every day but I did do something today that is even though it is small I want to share it.
Lately I have been putting patterns into my Ravelry cart and just letting them sit until I make a decision about them. I had a few in there until this morning when I purchased the last one from Joji. I whittled them away by deciding I didn't really want it or if a designer was having a sale I would go see what I had in my cart of theirs that qualified and buy it. If there is ever a pattern in there that I am unsure of I will leave it until I am reasonably sure that I want to make it. I won't delete a pattern from my cart if even a little bit of me wants to make it. Having it in my cart is not a commitment, but keeps it near enough that if I have an idea for a yarn I may not have to search Ravelry further than my cart.
May 27, 2020
Much has happened. The library still isn't open, but is reopening next Monday. However patrons will only be able to stay for 30 minutes. That is not nearly enough time for me to upload blog posts and videos. When I learned that info about 2 weeks ago I asked my husband to look at internet one more time. This time he found a company, Viasat, with unlimited internet. This blog post will be coming to you from my basement studio outside of Deer Trail, Colorado. I'm so very excite about this!
Now that I have internet in my home I have some more doors open to me if you will. Instagram T.V. And Live for instance. I can also participate in Zoom meetings with other makers and Patreon.
Since I won't be teaching in person until at least 2021 I think, all the events I was scheduled for have been cancelled, I am looking at a couple of ideas to teach remotely. I'm not sure if I could teach in a Zoom class.
I'm going to follow a couple of Makers on Patreon to see if this is a viable option for me to share my knowledge and generate some income as well. I'm also starting to record classes to put together for sell to individuals and to pass on to yarn shops and such to make available for their customers.
I have uploaded two new videos on YouTube, one is a technique video and the other is part two of my Can't Stop, Won't Stop wrap. The technique is how to bind off in the middle of a row or round.
I also released a new design on Ravelry today as well. Quarantine was a busy time for me. I went through my already released designs and did some tech editing and updates. This design is a large knit shawl. I finished it a while ago and finally finished the tech editing. It is called Tiger Lily. Here is the link to my project.
I'm very happy to be back here again and share with you guys. I will be posting weekly and will start sharing my projects starting with the GG KAL I participated in in March.
Until then please be kind and loving to each other, no matter who they are. Think before you speak and keep your mouth shut if what is going to come out isn't going to help. My heart is breaking for the destruction of lives that I see in the world around me. Lord Jesus, Your will be done.
Happy making!
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