Why not publish a pattern a week for a year?

Well, that’s the question I asked myself, anyway! And here’s what happened…

I ended up starting this.

Every week, I’ll release a new pattern.
Every week, we’ll make careful notes about promotion, sales, you name it, and collate all of that into posts for our Patreon supporters. We’re trying to accumulate as much data as we can so that we can help other designers strategize the best ways to promote and grow their design business in today’s market conditions. I’m also planning to write a followup to my bestselling Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design that will incorporate as much of this information as is appropriate (depending on how things go, I may split it up into more than one book).

Internally we’ve been calling this the 52 Patterns Project but it quickly started to grow as other opportunities popped up, so who knows how many projects there will be in total by the end of this! I’m currently designing something for New York Fashion Week… which is in FEBRUARY. I’m trying to use as much of my on-hand yarn stash as I can to make the economics work out better as we’re ramping up. I’ve got amazing sample knitters who are deciding to do things like knit a second sample in one of their on-hand yarns “you know, to see what it would look like.” I am blessed with an amazing team of people who have pitched in with so much energy and enthusiasm it’s astonishing to me.

Some of the yarns from my stash that should be making an appearing in the 52 Patterns Project this year include: Anzula, A Verb for Keeping Warm, Bartlett Yarns, Black Bunny Fibers, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Brooklyn Tweed, Cascade Yarns, Cephalopod Yarns (yes, I KNOW, but YOU SHOULD SEE MY STASH and anyway we can tell you what to sub for it), Clara Parkes’ Clara Yarn, Dragonfly Fibers, Elsebeth Lavold yarns, Erica Knight yarns, Fable Fibers, Hope Spinnery, Indigodragonfly, Kaffe Fassett’s amazing Colourscape yarns from Rowan Yarns that I LIVE FOR, Kaunis, Lichen & Lace, Louet, Madelinetosh, Malabrigo yarn, Miss Babs Hand-Dyed Yarns & Fibers, Neighborhood Fiber Co., Noro Yarns, Plymouth Yarn Company, Quince & Co., Spunky Eclectic, Swans Island Yarn, Tahki Stacy Charles Yarns and The Fibre Co…. GREAT yarns, all of them.

I want to stop for a minute and particularly thank my longtime tech editor, idea-wrangler, yarn road trip-taker, and overall wonder of nature Andi Smith (aka Knitbrit) for all her help so far, and everything she does for me, Cooperative Press and Knit Edge magazine on a regular basis. She is a two-color-cable, sock, and (well, let’s face it, EVERYTHING) genius and I couldn’t do it without her. After being reminded that my assistant Christina knit and gifted me one of Andi’s patterns (French Quarter) this day last year, I know that it’s a sign this project is going to go well.

Tagged with: 52 Patterns, Patreon