Design Journal for Knitting Rockstars: A Product Review

Recently, I received an email from Lisa Savage of Petite Tuques. She asked me if I would like to review a brand new product of hers, called The Design Journal For Knitting Rockstars. I said yes right away, as I am planning on eventually writing my own patterns. Then I forgot about it completely. I started a new job a little while back, and that knocked me on my ass. You may have noticed my lack of posting lately, that's because of the job, and how tired I am when I come home. I came across the email in my inbox again a couple days ago, and said HOLY CRAP I NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS! I opened it up, and took a peek around, and I can't wait to use it. First of all, it just looks pretty. The colours are lovely, it's laid out in a way that makes sense, and everything is there for designing your own knitting pattern. This is definitely a little kick in the pants to get cracking on creating my own pattern.

I’ve been asked to continue the blog series about Designing, so here is today’s post: 5 Tips on Hiring a Test Knitter

Once you have finished writing up your pattern, it would be a good idea to get it test knitted. This process helps with finding mistakes in your written pattern and any inconsistencies or errors.
1. Word of Mouth is a great start to finding people who will test knit. This includes social media sites. Ask around on facebook, twitter, and ravelry.
2. Leave an Ad at your local knitting shop with your name and number. Local knitters love to be involved with a local designer.
3. Interview your potential candidates. Make certain you and the candidate understands what is to be done and in what time frame. Ask for previous work experience. If applicable, ask for a sample of a finished piece.
4. There is no set fee structure for the industry, but most test knitters will accept to be paid in yarn or patterns. It really depends on the pattern difficulty and whether the knitter will have to buy all the necessary yarn and needles to complete the project.
5. Once you've selected your test knitter and you've both agreed on the service to be provided, be sure to make a clear and detailed contract that outlines the payment agreement and is clear with the expectations of both parties . Most designers will skip this step, but once you start using more than one test knitter, it becomes easier to keep track of what everyone is doing.

Part 4 of the series is on Falling Stitches blog!