YarnCraft Episode 21 :: Sharing Your Designs with Others

29 Jul

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Crochet SamplerHave you ever designed your own garment? It’s great, and all of your friends ask for the pattern. Now you’re wondering how to share it with the rest of the world. In this episode, we take a quick look at various ways that you can share your patterns with the world, be it online or in print. Share your pattern for free. Sell it online. Submit it to a website or magazine. Liz and Zontee delve into all this and more in this episode.

At the CGOA Chainlink Conference and the Knit & Crochet Show that took place this weekend in Manchester, NH, we talk to Drew Emborsky, also known as the Crochet Dude, about his path to becoming a designer.

Sites mentioned include:
Ravelry.com
Knitty.com
CrochetMe
Knitting.About.com
Crochet.About.com
Etsy.com

Liz and Zontee are working on various projects, including Kelly Maher’s Ribbed Lace Bolero in Cotton-Ease, available on her blog (one of the ways to share your pattern with others that we talk about today).
Stash This: Ideas for Your Crafting Life – Get tips on estimating the amount of yarn needed for a given project, learn how to leave enough “tail” for a long-tail cast-on, and discover which stitches use up more yarn. Stay tuned for this useful segment.

To share your comments and thoughts, post a message on the blog, email to yarncraft [at] lionbrand [dot] com, and leave us a message! Our next episode will be about creating the perfect yarncrafting sanctuary, so call or leave a comment about your workspace or your dream workspace.

Direct Download

Look for YarnCraft on Blubrry.com.
And also look for us on Ravelry.com!

Theme music is “Boy with a Coin” by Iron and Wine, from the PodSafe Music Network.

Show Notes:
00:13 Intro and welcome
01:23 Listener call
02:22 What’s on Liz & Zontee’s hooks & needles?
06:40 Sharing your designs with others
16:00 Interview with Drew Emborsky, the Crochet Dude
22:31 Stash This
30:51 Thanks to our guests

  • Knittyo11

    There should be alive hot pink reindeer.

  • http://www.knitwith.us Nautical Knitter

    We share our designs with the entire world via the Secret of the Stole Knit a Longs. Our members are scattered over the whole globe, including China, UAE, Europe, Mexico, Canada, USA, South America, Egypt, and so on.

    You can find our current knit a long group here:
    SECRET OF THE STOLE III

    This is the way we like to share our patterns.
    Fair Winds, DK the Nautical Knitter

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  • http://web.me.com/kateycp2k Kate

    At the end of the podcast, you requested comments on your project workspace, so here is mine!

    I live in a townhouse in Mercer County, New Jersey and while I have plenty of space for a workspace – I really don’t have one! My workspace is wherever I can find room and whenever I can find time!

    My stash – a small one as I am very new to knitting – is stored in a moisture proof plastic storage bin in my basement office that also has holes to allow the yarn to breathe. (Fortunately, this house does not have a basement that floods on a perpetual basis like my last home did!) Most of my pattern books and magazines (like the stash, there’s not too much of this either) are also stored down here on my shelves and magazine holders.

    Right now I have two projects on the needles – a blanket (Lion Brand’s My Blankie!) that I work on at home and a scarf that travels with me on my daily commute. The “home project” is in a project bag I picked up at Michael’s (along with my needles and printed patterns) in my bedroom. The “travel project” stays in my work bag and has gotten me through many a train or bus delay, or comes with me when I go to my development’s pool. Only once has the “home project” traveled and that was under special circumstances (I took it to the hospital where my sister was giving birth to work on, anticipating an all nighter).

    Would I love a dedicated workspace for my projects? Yes, of course! Perhaps when I am finished with graduate school in two years my office and study area will be where I do all my yarn crafting. But for now, I am happy with the stolen spaces and oases of time for my knitting. Creativity and inspiration anywhere I can grab it can lead to some unexpected and wonderful results.

    I enjoy your podcast immensely and look forward to the opening of the flagship store. Keep up the good work!

    Warmest regards,

    Kate

    PS – you can see photos of my two projects on Ravelry – my username is kateycp2k.

  • http://www.restlessgrace.blogspot.com Grace

    Hey Liz, Do you have any pictures of your linen stitch scarf? I’ve never seen that stitch and it’s not in the Lion Brand Stitch Finder. *hint hint*

  • Harriett A Bromell

    What does increase and decrease in crochet patterns mean. Sometimes I still have trouble understanding that.
    Thanks

  • Lori

    I live in a 2-bedroom condo, so I don’t have much space either. I have a “sort of” workspace in my extra bedroom. I’m fortunate enough to have fairly large closets, with bi-fold doors. So I use that space by putting two of those inexpensive plastic storage carts on wheels, with 3 drawers each, in that closet under the lower clothes rack, and I store my yarns, patterns and other supplies in them. I have my comfy large chair that I do my work in, and a very small, lightweight and easily moveable table outside the closet (actually I think it’s old patio furniture, but it moves wherever I want it), and open the closet, and . . . TA-DA! I have a workspace, part of which hides in the closet when I need it to.

  • http://www.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi everyone, thanks for sharing your workspace stories!

    Harriet, for increasing and decreasing information, check out our Learning Center at LionBrand.com and click on either “Learn to Knit” or “Learn to Crochet” for detailed instructions and diagrams for increasing and decreasing in either craft.

  • Nancy

    I wanted to tell you about my little knitting nook. I am currently immobilized due to knee surgery, and my Nook is a haven!

    I live out in the country on 5 acres, with woods and a wide creek behind the house. I have a large bedroom with a bay window looking out into the woods, and I used to have a treadmill in this space. When the knee started giving me trouble, I donated the treadmill to a worthy cause and bought a big cozy recliner instead! Best trade ever! Now I spend hours every day sitting in this chair, currently with stacks of knitting supplies all around, with the leg propped up, knitting in the light from the bay window and looking out on the woods. I also have my laptop, to keep touch with Ravelry and my favorite podcasts, and an ipod and speaker system for listening to audiobooks while I knit. All in all, a pretty nice way to recuperate! Can almost make immobility fun, (as long as I’m sure it’s temporary!).

    Love the podcast!

    Nancy Rutland (aka FlashyGranny on Ravelry)

  • http://www.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Grace!

    I don’t have a picture of my specific scarf yet. I’m using a fairly dark color of Sock-Ease (Taffy) and my limited digital photography skills have prevented me from getting a shot that will show the texture of linen stitch. But I’m working on it!

    This site (http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches/linen.htm) has good instructions for working the Linen stitch, and a good swatch photo. I want my scarf to have some drape, so I am purling all wrong side rows without slipping any stitches – this is making a looser fabric.

    -Liz

  • sandub

    First, let me start by saying that I just love the podcasts, and I look forward to the Tuesday morning that I can listen!

    My “nook” is actually only a rocker in the livingroom. This way, I can still be with my family while enjoying my second love, yarn crafting!

    My stash is actually kept in my attic in clear bags. Although it does not appear to be very organized, I seem to be able to find whatever I need! As I am sure is the same with other “stashers,” it is hard to admit to myself and to others just what is stashed. While my sister was visiting over the weekend, I was showing her a couple of my projects that are either on hooks or needles and she shared with me about a project she wanted to do. She was quite surprised when I took her to my attic and encouraged her to pick what she needed for her project — hooks and all!!

    I, too, have at-home projects and on-the-go projects. My current on-the-go project is a simple washcloth that is being knitted on circular needles. This I keep in an easy zip plastic bag and just drop in my purse. You just never know when you will be in the car for longer than expected or sitting unexpectedly! My one at-home-project is a baby blanket for my cousin’s soon-to-be-born baby and my other at-home-project is a larger afghan that my 19-year-old daughter and I are working on in blocks. Several years ago I began making afghans for the young people in our church as they leave for college. This has been both fun and rewarding. However, in 2009, there will be six of our young people leaving for college! So, it looks as though my daughter and I have a busy year ahead.

  • Kathy in VA

    Just listened to Yarncraft Episode #21 about estimating the tail length in a long-tail cast on. A 3-to-1 ratio was suggested. Just to verify – if an afghan is going to be 48″ wide do you pull out 3 x 48 inch length of yarn – i.e., 144 inches?? Seems like an awful lot. Or if the afghan is going to have 100 stitches you somehow multiply x3 in another way? I listened to the piece of the segment three times and couldn’t figure this out. Thanks.

  • Donna Williamson

    I really enjoy listening to your podcasts and download them into my mp3 to listen while I walk or commute to work.
    My knitting sanctuary is in my family room, close to the kitchen. I keep my projects in a standing knitting bag I got from Bagsmith.com I am working on an alligator scarf for my nephew that is adorable! I also have a felted purse on my needles and to carry along with me I am working on a baby’s hat and booties to go along with a blanket I just completed using Lionbrand cotton ease. I choose to knit in my family room because the lighting is excellent and I can still be social and knit when I have a few minutes between household activities.
    My stash is so big that it is in a seperate room above my garage. I have some yarn stored in plastic bins but I like being able to see what I have so most of it is stored in plastic crates placed with the open side facing out. I have stacked them against a wall so I feel like I have my own mini yarn store. I keep my straight needles in a small pink trash bin and my circulars are organized by size in a binder. I use large zip lock bags to store the circs in the binder by using a hole puncher on one side to insert into the binder. You can then label the zip loc and insert your circs into the bag. I have a seperate book shelf in the room especially for my books, patterns and magazines. I try to keep a journal of ideas, tips and techniques that I’ve learned over the years. It comes in handy since it’s hard to remember all the techniques I’ve learned over the years.
    I’ve been knitting for over 30 years and I never grow tired of the craft. Love Lion Brand yarns and this web site is great! Keep up the good work.

    Donna

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  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Kathy in VA,

    To answer your question, you need to leave 3 times the inches of your project, so in your example, 144″ would be correct.

    ~Zontee~

  • http://www.knitfiber.blogspot.com Carrie

    Hey I love the podcast. It inspired me to hurry up and put my designs on daisymum.etsy.com I want to publish them one day. I am working on many more and they are so much fun to do. I love the challenge and actually wearing the final product. Thanks for the inspiraton. You all Rock.

  • Louise

    So Liz
    did you finish your scarf?
    how many CO stitiches did you do and how much sock ease? I also so weave so am eager to try this stitich!

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com Liz

    Hi Louise,

    No – I haven’t finished my scarf yet. I am a fickle yarncrafter, and have gotten distracted by other projects… but I’m still working on it! You can see my progress on flickr.

    I cast on 38 stitches, and I think that 1 ball of Sock-Ease will make a more than generous scarf!

    ~Liz

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