Gotta start somewhere

I'm new to blogging, but thought it would be a great accompaniment to my newest business venture, Eco Chic Knits.  In this blog I'll track the pattern creation process from inception to completion, along with pictures. 

So far, I've created four sample patterns (to be blogged about later), had a soft launch in my home city of Toronto, bought supplies, and learned that despite how hard I try, I am a terrible photographer.  With patterns running a muck through my little grey cells and a stash of yarn that shouts to me every time I pass by "knit me, knit me, knit me," I've mostly been focusing on knitting.

Relaxed Petal Ruffle Scarf
using Americo Pima Cotton Lace
and amethyst glass beads

Black Willow Cowl
using organic cloud cotton (by Estelle)
and copper glass beads

Currently unnamed,
perhaps
City Nights, City Lights scarf
using Americo Pima Cotton lace
with gold and silver glass beads

Currently unnamed,
using Sublime Tussah yarn

I design both garments and scarfs.  The garments always include shaping because that is what I like.  Whenever I buy patterns, I also end up amending them from the block shape to an hour-glass.  I don't have many curves, but want to make the best use of what the Lord gave me!  I'm fascinated with beading in my scarfs.  Not all my patterns will include beads, but a good deal will.  My method is to bead using a crocket hook as I knit, because I want them exactly where I have them planned in my pattern.  One of the few times in my life that my recessive perfectionism becomes dominant is in my knitting.  I'm a hybrid knitter, starting both with an idea in mind and sometimes a completed pattern already typed up.  Other times, I start with a drawing or even just start knitting and recording my steps.  If it doesn't come out like the image I have in my mind's eye, I rip it out and start over (or rip back to where I did like it).  This is where I think most readers will get their pleasure - cringing over the hours of work that gets ripped out... pictures included!  I'm not one for knitting swatches in the beginning.  For me swatching comes at the end of the project, with the left-over yarn, I'll knit up a swatch for Warm Up America and try to replicate my pattern in the 7x9 space required.  Due to my allergies I'm restricted in the yarns I'm able to work with and all have to be pre-washed.  But the bright side is the yarn will be pre-shrunk so the final product will be too!

So that's that for now.  I'm off to pre-wash the lovely organic cotton I bought for my first man's scarf pattern.  It is based on the Fibonacci sequence.  More to come on this later!