That new design I’ve been working on has finally come together. Switching the needle size and finding the right yarn (nothing variegated!) were all it took for me to like the stitch pattern, which is Lazy Rib out of Barbara G. Walker’s Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns with some minor modification.

I think I’ve even got the chart finalized after 23887492834 versions and tweaks. I include written instructions as well as charts with my patterns and I dread writing out the 44 row repeat for this. I could skip it, but don’t want to put off anyone who can’t read charts yet. Then again, I’ll likely end up grafting it together to make a loop – an advanced skill, so I should be safe assuming advanced knitters know how to read charts also. Something to ponder and decide on while I finish knitting and get a move on writing the pattern in inDesign.

And names. The first name I’d like for this is taken – there’s already an Hourglass Cowl on Ravelry, so I’ve got to come up with something else. The pattern reminds me a little bit of seed pods but “Seed Pod Cowl” lacks a certain something, it sounds alien, like something out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That’s not the vibe I’m going for. So that’s still percolating.

I’ve also been scoping out calls for submission in the Designers group on Ravelry. I think I’m going to pick one and give what I think of as real pattern design a go. I mean, what I’m doing is pattern design but so far self-publishing hasn’t been a great success, so why not try this route?

The only problem is that this month is crazy busy at home; my oldest son is graduating from high school next week (!!!), we’re having a big party, and he’s got new student orientation the following week, which means an overnight trip. And my other two sons have things going on as well. And my daily schedule is about to go into summer mode. Also, I’m supposed to be writing; I kept saying I want to write/be a writer (more than blog writing & the tech writing I do & used to do full time) and my therapist has me on assignment, so to speak, to get me going. But I haven’t gotten going.  And I have a lot more excuses to use to not be bold and give pattern submission (and writing) a go. Imagine the things I could be doing if I were as good at getting things done as I am at procrastinating! I’ve definitely earned this patch: