Lazulum, Knitscene 2014, and a Bias to change …

It is official.

My first pattern– my Lazulum Shell–has been published in Knitscene Spring 2014, on shelves now. My first print magazine, and I could not be more proud!

I received my copy of Knitscene Spring 2014 in the mail on Saturday and I started jumping up and down, squealing with glee. I showed it to my husband and he is happy for me, but I feel like he maybe didn’t quite get it. This is a big deal. Well, to me it is, and really that is all that matters.

This piece was a beast to develop. But the things that are simple are never easy. The Center panel is knit straight with shaping. The side panels are knit on the bias, also with shaping. Here’s the kicker: Your gauge changes when knitting straight versus on the bias.

Just pause for a moment and think about that … This means that there is no physical way to knit this in two pieces (front and back) without extreme and crazy detailed directions for each specific size.

The yarn was also new for me, Filatura Di Crosa Brilla, in radiant Royal Blue. Swatch after swatch, panel after panel I knit, finding trouble. At first I thought it was the yarn that was doing funny things, playing tricks like the clever fox. So I tried with other materials, and the gauge still changed, but not in consistent ways. I knit this tank top 5 different times to work out all of the details of the shaping, the gauges, and the pattern. I worked with Interweave’s wonderful pattern editors, to make sure that it would be a good experience for the knitter.

Diligently, patiently at first, less patient in the middle, fairly frantic, heartbroken, then more patient at the end, I worked. Finally I found the solution. The details flowed like water, instead of trying to battle fire in a drought ridden meadow of summer grass. Long, but simple. The pattern was finished.

Originally this piece was named the Slantwise Shell, which I think is an appropriate name given the development process and as a symbol of how my life has been for the past long while: Nothing easy, nothing is straightforward, and it is going to take a lot of work to create an effortless solution. But like with Lazulum, I got there. I’m getting there.

I’ve been long absent from my blog and things need to change, I need change. So it is time think about things on the bias. Things change on the bias. I have been diligently working–just as hard as I did to create an easy to follow pattern for Lazulum–on making changes to my blog.

I really miss this, the writing, philosophizing, and fashion. I’ve missed posting my creativity, thoughts, knitting, and I’ve missed sewing. I haven’t sewn in almost a year.

Changes are coming, they’re already on their way flying in on a western wind, I feel bias to change. I must, I need to.

This is a big, big moment for me, and I want to embrace it. My first pattern published in print. Wow. I feel honored to have my work included in my favorite knitting magazine. I don’t think that words can articulate just how proud I feel, how lucky. At long last it is here and in beautiful blue, my favorite color!

Studio images © Knitscene/Harper Point Photography