Daisy Creations Designs - Episode 1: Welcome

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you enjoy this. Its been a while that I wanted to start a podcast and finally have time to :)

Here are the Show Notes:

Daisy Seeds: 
Wedged zippered project bag from Jordyn Dunaway. Check out Handmade By Jordyn


Watering Daisies: 
Plain vanilla sock, 2.50mm (US 1.5) Lorna Yarn - Sheperd sock Mt. Creek colorway
Baby Cabled Cardigan, 6.00mm (US 10) Red Heart Super Saver Yarn - Buff colorway
Among the Heather Shawl, 4.00mm (US 6) Wendy Happy Yarn - Aquaris colorway


Picking Daisies:
Daisy Mae Shawl, 6.50mm (US 10.5) Red Heart Super Saver Yarn - Yellow and White colorways
My own design and still looking for a couple more testers. 


Cultivating Your Life: 
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rotted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV 

Knitwear Designer Interview and GIVEAWAY - Lindsay Lewchuk

I am really excited about this interview. Lindsay is a great designer and a very sweet person. She also graciously offered 3 pattern giveaways.

What I am going to do is open a thread in my Ravelry Group. You can post there and on the blog. I will draw 2 numbers from the Ravelry thread and 1 from the blog.

I won't keep you wait so here is the interview. Enjoy :)

1. How Did You Start Knitting?
   I first learned to knit as a small child from my Baba (grandmother dad’s side) and Nanny (great grandmother mom’s side). But it didn’t really stick. Yes, I did use it in multi-tasking challenges with my older sister - who could do more things at once: read a book, while listening to the radio, while watching TV, while doing sit-ups, while knitting. It always put me over the top since she couldn’t knit and anytime I beat my sister it was worth writing home about. However, as a craft I wasn’t really a fan. Looking back I realize it was due to the itch synthetic yarns and the fact my tension was so tight I actually broke needles when trying to do knit and purl stitches. Then when I was in the hospital for weeks on end without being able to watch TV, read books, or do anything except be a guinea pig jabbed with needles every 8 minutes all day long while doctors watched to see what happened, I convinced the doctors that knitting was benign enough not to interfere with the testing and they agreed. I was allowed knitting needles and 1 skein of organic cotton yarn. Without a pattern or anything I played around with the yarn for hours. I learned by trial and error about tension and the joy of whipping through a ball of yarn and turning into a finished object.
2. What is your inspiration for your designs?
   Living in the midst of serene mountains, I am inspired by God’s beautiful creation.
3. What is your design process like?
   Typically I design “on the needles.” However this is a rather inefficient way to make a living as it requires me to do each step twice. I.e. write the pattern on scrap then write it again on the computer. Knit the pattern while developing the pattern, then knit the pattern again for testing. This week I’m trying something brand new. Writing the pattern on the computer while I visualize the knitting. Then knitting from the directions I wrote to see if it turns out how I visualized. I’m rather excited! Hopefully cutting my pattern writing time in half will enable me to publish more of the ideas floating around the little grey cells.
4. Who are your favorite designers?
   With the Indie Designs GAL, I have recently met a wonderful bunch of indie designers. I’m knitting two projects now, a cowl for my mom from ravelrier Ninaknits (Nina Machlin) and a sweater for myself from ravelrier MindofWinter (Julia Trice).
5. What is your favorite thing to knit?
   I enjoy knitting cowls the most because I am a slow knitter and I get a sense of accomplishment in a weekend rather than a month. I also like intricate garments since I knit difficult cables and lace at the same pace as Stockinette.
6. What are you favorite needles and yarn and why?
   I love bamboo needles, but use plastic as a backup for yarns that tend to split. I use standard clover needles, but have been intrigued by ads of lovely hand turned hardwood needles. One day I’ll take the plunge and be able to compare. My favorite yarns are organic, natural, socially responsible, low impact dyed, natural dyed, cottons, silk, bamboo, milk, and soya.
7. If someone asked you how to be a designer what advice would you give?
   Make sure you do your due diligence on the business side of designing before starting. I suggest reading Alex Tinsley’s “So You Want to be a Knitwear Designer?” It is a cursory overview of all several aspects designers need to have knowledge of. There are lots of great books, blogs, and websites that talk about different aspects, but her book gives an overview of many different important topics. My second piece of advice is to create a polished finished pattern before publishing. Set up a budget for tech editing, layout, photography, and advertising. Have your pattern test knit by both experienced and inexperienced knitters so you are aware of the questions that may arise and can either address them before publication by altering your pattern (or pattern notes) or have resources lined up for when people ask questions (such as with unique stitch patterns).
8. Do you have a current WIPs?
   I do. With the Indie Designs GAL I’m knitting two of my fellow indie designers’ patterns, Ninetta’s Neckwear and Elia. I also have personally designed WIPs that I will be publishing in the future.
9. What do you enjoy most about designing?
   I love that it is actually therapy for my illness. It works several different areas of my brain that were damaged. Since the brain is also a muscle giving it a work out on a daily basis is great for healing. Designing combines mathematical, logical, and analytical skills while knitting activates creative and motor skills.
10. How has knitting changed your life?
    Given the negative future forecast by my doctors, knitting and designing has enabled me to work. I actually am a contributing member of society despite my illnesses. This was an unexpected and wonderful gift from the Lord! Each day I wake up with a purpose and a plan in anticipation of what new designs God gives.
    
    
    
    
    
    Now wasn't that fun getting to know Lindsay? Don't forget to comment and leave your Ravelry name. Check out my group Daisy Creations Designs.
    
    

GIVEAWAY WINNER

I recently did an interview with Deborah Tomasello. She graciously offered to giveaway 1 free pattern. The giveaway was open until Nov. 8th.

To insure a fair drawing I recruited my mom. She used the random number generator on Random.org. It chose number 11 username: CookieMonsta18

Please pm Deborah Tomasello on Ravelry. I told her who won.

Thanks for entering and be sure to check back for another interveiw. I have some great designers in the works. Also join my group on Ravelry. Daisy Creations Designs.

Coming in the next couple weeks I will be sharing my latest pattern.

Happy Knitting,
Grace Mae

Knitwear Designer Interview - Deborah Tomasello plus GIVEAWAY

Hi Everyone, I am so excited to have the opportunity to interview Deborah Tomasello 

She is a very talented designer and loves colorwork. Since the first time I saw her designs I knew I wanted to get to know her. I asked her some questions and she was so wonderful at answering them all. 

Please comment in order to enter to win a chance to receive one of her patterns free. The giveaway is open for 1 week. Be sure to leave your Ravelry Username in your comment. 

1. How did you start knitting?

My grandmother, who lived with us, taught me when I was very young---about five yrs. Old. I would knit small bandages for leper colonies…just knit, back and forth, row after row. It was fun. Gramma and I would sit and chat and knit away the hours, year after year. I equate knitting with Gramma, still.

2. What is your inspiration for your designs?

Wow…it can come from anywhere and anything. It can come from an art piece, colors in nature, even food or smells. I don’t look for things to design. The ideas just pop in, and I am compelled to chart them. It’s all about color for me. Sometimes, I wake in the middle of the night and I have to get an idea down while I am thinking of it. If someone says to design this or that, I can’t do it. It’s more a heuristic process. Ideas flow or they don’t.

3. What is your design process like?

It starts, generally, with vague color itches that need scratching, if that makes sense. I might dream of clouds of turquoise (which I have done) that stay with me, and I sit down with my aquas and wait for the form to take shape. Sometimes the result will not be Turquoise at all. In this case, the turquoise clouds became Brilliant Twilight. Again, when I force it, it seldom works. 

4. Who are your favorite designers?

Alice Starmore, for sure. She started  the whole colorwork thing for me. When I saw her Mardi Gras sweater, I was blown away. Knew I had to learn how to do stranded knitting. It was a life-changing moment. Kaffe Fassett is also brilliant. I am also intrigued by Prudence Mapstone and her freeform designs. 

5. What is your favorite thing to knit?

Wow. That’s like asking what’s my favorite food. It changes from time to time. I get on these jags. Sometimes it’s socks , sometimes mitts. Right now I am loving designing shawls and my wowl cowls.

  

6. What is your favorite brand of needles and yarn and why?

I really don’t have a favorite brand. I guess I would say anything that’s inexpensive with a sharp point, for needles. Yarn? I love so many! But I am partial to anything (Merino) with a hard twist, fingering weight,Hardtwist yarns yield great stitch definition. And a wide color range. I love that indie dyers are doing neons. Yay for neons!

7. If someone asked you how to be a designer what advice would you give?

First and foremost, do what you WANT to do. I don’t think someone can become an artist, for example. It’s either who you are, or it isn’t. Love it, and it will happen. If you don’t love it, and if it isn’t who you are, you will probably get frustrated. If you want to see what you have in you…start with your thoughts and graph paper and sketch some ideas.

8. Do you have a current WIPs?

OK. I just really LOL’d. Do I have “a” current WIP? Off the top of my head, I can name 23. I have projects going all over the house. If I get a design idea, I have to abandon one project and get moving on the fresh idea. I have had a great baby sweater on the needles, waiting to be published, for a year and a half! Life is good!!!

9. What do you enjoy most about designing?

I am so very lucky to be able to get up each morning and indulge my desire to design and knit. I “work,” if you can call it that, about 10-12 hours every day. It’s like zen for me. Pure bliss. I like the whole process, from the thrill of getting an idea, to choosing the colors and the yarns, to see it take shape on the needles. And then, to present the pattern. I am thrilled when I see others knit my designs. I am always fascinated with their color choices. And I am amazed at how merely changing up the colors can change the whole design. I am just so very lucky.

10. How has knitting changed your life?

Knitting has always been a part of my life. Now, in mid-life, it has become my life. I have never been happier than I am now. I sometimes look over my shoulder, waiting for the shoe to drop (pardon the mixed metaphor). I just feel so fortunate to live here, and now, and to be able to be so thoroughly immersed in the world of knitting. I have a large group on Ravelry---Colorworks By Debi, and we have monthly kals with designs I come up with just for them. We have a lively group of great, like-minded women from all over the world. Where would we be without Ravelry, by the way?! 

I get to teach knitting and colorwork. I love, love, love teaching. And, because of knitting and designing, I have also been able to indulge in another of my passions, which is writing. I have published several eBooks and recently released my first book, Wrapped in Color: Stranded Knitting in the 21^st Century.

 

 I also have to thank technology. I have been able to post YouTubes. My husband, Andrew, has been so supportive. He does the videos for me, and he is my Swift. He loves to untangle yarn knots. Isn’t that great? I really want for nothing.

DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT TO WIN A FREE PATTERN. GIVEAWAY WILL BE OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER 8th.

Learn to Knit

Have you ever wanted to learn to knit? Well look no farther. I have recently uploaded videos to teach you step by step how to knit. Check them out and subscribe to my channel.

How to Make a Slip Knot

 

How to do the Long Tail Cast On

 

How to do the Knit Stitch

How to do the Purl Stitch

If you have questions email me at: daisycreationsdesigns@gmail.com 

or 

message me on Ravelry as DaisyCreations is my user name.

Welcome

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by. I am excited to announce that this blog will contain the latest information on my patterns and knitting designs. 

You can also find me on the following sites:

Ravelry - DaisyCreations
Plurk - DaisyCreations
Instagram - DaisyCreationsDesigns

I have knitting patterns for sale on Ravelry - DaisyCreations. The items range from fingerless mitts, baby, accessories, and more. 

I am always working on more patterns and hope to have video tutorials to go with them. 

Blessings and look forward to getting to know you all.