I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. I've made some in the past, and forgotten about them within a week. This year, I plan on making some light suggestions of things I would like to do, and maybe you guys can keep me on target. ;o)
1) I just read about someone who tried to self publish a pattern a month. That sounds like a great goal, but again, potentially too lofty for me this second. If I fail at it one month, then I can see myself saying it's worthless, and end up not publishing anything else for the whole year. Instead, I would like to push myself to self publish at least once a season. A lot less pressure, but still a push towards productivity.
2) Submit patterns to pattern calls more often. I have let many submissions go by because I was too nervous to try. However, what is gained by not trying? I now have three accepted submissions to date that will come out later this year. I can't wait to try for more!
3) Unify my patterns. I have now looked back at the patterns I've written in the past. They do not sound like they are from the same designer because I wrote them at so many different times in my life. As my knitting has improved, so has my ability to write a pattern. I am currently working to unify my old patterns so that my new patterns will have the same voice. Once done with my old patterns, I'll start releasing my new ones. Thus, #1 will start in the spring time. I also like this for the due date it gives me with revising my old patterns. :o)
4) Design at least one sweater. I have ideas for 3 different sweaters in my head, and yet I still haven't actually tried to create any of them. This is going to change this year!
Some of these are things that one may read and say, well, all of these are simple or self explanatory... but as a truly new designer (yes, my patterns on ravelry go back as far as 2008, but as far as actually thinking of myself as a real designer and not just someone who likes to create things with knitting...) these are some big ideas for me. That I hope become second nature and I can expand on these next year.
1) I just read about someone who tried to self publish a pattern a month. That sounds like a great goal, but again, potentially too lofty for me this second. If I fail at it one month, then I can see myself saying it's worthless, and end up not publishing anything else for the whole year. Instead, I would like to push myself to self publish at least once a season. A lot less pressure, but still a push towards productivity.
2) Submit patterns to pattern calls more often. I have let many submissions go by because I was too nervous to try. However, what is gained by not trying? I now have three accepted submissions to date that will come out later this year. I can't wait to try for more!
3) Unify my patterns. I have now looked back at the patterns I've written in the past. They do not sound like they are from the same designer because I wrote them at so many different times in my life. As my knitting has improved, so has my ability to write a pattern. I am currently working to unify my old patterns so that my new patterns will have the same voice. Once done with my old patterns, I'll start releasing my new ones. Thus, #1 will start in the spring time. I also like this for the due date it gives me with revising my old patterns. :o)
4) Design at least one sweater. I have ideas for 3 different sweaters in my head, and yet I still haven't actually tried to create any of them. This is going to change this year!
Some of these are things that one may read and say, well, all of these are simple or self explanatory... but as a truly new designer (yes, my patterns on ravelry go back as far as 2008, but as far as actually thinking of myself as a real designer and not just someone who likes to create things with knitting...) these are some big ideas for me. That I hope become second nature and I can expand on these next year.