Yarn + Collaborative Design Contest

Would you like to be a designer?  Would you like to bring a unique idea into the world, and make an exquisite knitted piece?  Join me, and let’s design together!

A couple of weeks ago, I announced my first Yarn + Collaborative Design contest.  One lucky winner and my lucky self will collaborate on a design; from conception through to the production of a completed pattern!  I will be writing a series of tutorials for each step of the process, so you can follow along!  [ The drawing will be held on June 1st, so if you haven’t already signed up,  ENTER HERE ]  You can join other fans on the Tin Can Knits Ravelry Forum.

I have had an overwhelmingly positive response to this idea: thank-you to all who have signed up and introduced yourselves!  I enjoyed looking at your projects on Ravelry, and hearing why you love to knit.  One knitter told me:

“I am really excited about your project.  I don’t think I’ve heard of any other designers using such a simple concept for new ideas.  Basically brainstorming for knitting!  I love it!  I have been contemplating doing some designing and would love to get into your heads to see how you guys go about designing.“

It’s a shame that I will only be working with one knitter on this project; and so I hope that the tutorials that I create to guide the process will inspire other knitters to follow along, and begin to create their own lace designs!  Knit design is so exciting, and with a little guidance, it is accessible to the intermediate knitter who wants to apply their creativity!

Join us and design your own shawl!  I will be taking questions and fostering a discussion on our new ravelry group: Tin Can Knits.  Follow along as I describe and guide the process of our collaborative design!

How exactly will the collaborative design work?

• Drawing will be held on June 1st : contest winner will be announced – YIPEE!
• I will give you a call, and we’ll get to know each other, and talk about the kind of lace piece you would like to create, and what colour you would like to work in.  We will create an initial concept, and we can each make sketches to help us decide on the design direction.
• Alexa will dye the yarn into the colour you requested, and then ship it out to both you and myself.
• While Alexa is dying, we will discuss the architecture of the shawl shape chosen.  We will pick possible lace patterns, and knit swatches to determine which of the patterns are suitable & how they will go together.
• Then we will work out the details.  We determine how to shape the lace so that it conforms to the desired shawl shape, and how to transition from pattern to another (if necessary), and what sort of edging pattern to use.  Once these decisions have been made, I will create finished charts for the pattern, and we will knit up samples!
• If we agree that the finished piece is beautiful, we can choose to publish it as a free pattern, or perhaps a paid pattern to support a charity of your choice!

So if you are the lucky winner, what kind of a shawl do you want to design?  Will it be for a special person or a special occasion, or just a special creation of your own?  Will it be simple or complex?

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