The Secret's Almost Out

I received an awesome email this morning from the editor of Knitcircus, a really fashionable and informative on-line knitting magazine.  The Knitcircus Magazine, Issue #16, Winter 2011 will be released next Thursday (11/17/11), and one of my patterns is going to be included.  I can hardly believe it.  I've had to keep this a secret for almost 6 months now - and I can't keep it in much longer.

Designing a pattern for a publication was one of my goals this year.  I believe it is one of those steps that I have to take to see myself as a real patternist/designer.  I have been watching "calls" for designs in publications for a few years now.  Every time I would see one, I'd try to think of a unique idea, but then the old self doubting would take hold, and I wouldn't follow through.  I mean, I'm not a "real" designer, I can't draw, I don't have good taste (this is always said in a Nina Garcia, of Project Runway and MarieClaire fame, voice inside my head)...the negativity goes on and on.  

But this year I decided that I needed to take this business seriously if I wanted to really do more than recreational design and knitting.  That meant making time, setting goals, and following through.  It dawned on me that these were all skills I had acquired in my other career as a consultant, and in that role I was certainly no stranger to developing and sending proposals.  And I realized that I could accept the fact that I wasn't going to win every one of those proposals - I had developed tough enough skin long ago to try to learn from the rejection, but not let one get me down so far that I couldn't write the next proposal.

It finally dawned on me that submitting design ideas to a publication was no different than submitting proposals in my "real" job.  The same things are important - understanding what the "client" wants;  meeting the design specs 100% (using and following each publications submission criteria and templates); tracking and meeting deadlines; and keeping enough in the pipeline that I'm not crushed when some are rejected.    Past experiences often form the cornerstone on which we build new skills, but self-doubt can really weaken the foundation - if you let it.  

I have been on a steep learning curve, but I am loving the process.   Thank heavens for Ravelry, The KnitGrrl's Guide to Processional Knitwear Design (by Shannon Okey, Cooperative Press, Cleveland, Ohio, 2010 - www.knitgrrl.com) and the support of a great team at Knitcircus; everything has come together for my first published design.  Here's a little sneak peak.  I can't wait to show it to you next Thursday.

Bonus points to anyone who recognizes the stitch pattern from one of my scarf patterns.  Hint