Patterns

Are you someone who sees patterns in the world around you? Maybe patterns in nature, like ice crystals or flower petals?

Our friend Jean Haley likes to make nature-inspired fractal patterns to use in her naturally-dyed wool hooking projects (check out one beautiful example here and others on her website jeanhaleydesign.com).

And recently when our learn-to-knit group was making items to donate, I used the Fibonacci sequence as a guide to striping on a ribbed hat—a bit nerdy perhaps, but that pattern, common in nature, gave me some ordered movement as I worked.

Or maybe you are someone that sees patterns more in the how something was constructed. I grew up learning to sew as a child, so that was my first introduction to how a pattern is related to a final garment. And if you want to learn more about my sometimes-pathologic perfectionist personality traits you can ask me about the story my family loves to tell of my 11-year-old 4H-focused declaration of “I sew to win!!”

A raglan sleeve detail from Linda’s “Ruby Red” knitted cardigan, pattern by Anna Mikuskova

When I first started knitting in my 20’s I can still remember the first time I saw a sweater out in the wild and thought “I know how that was constructed!” I loved the connection this gave me to the object, and also the possibilities that it opened for me in thinking that maybe someday I could make a pattern for knitting.

Making patterns is, of course, both an art and a science. Some people, like my daughter’s friend, a fashion design major from Baylor, can make anything without a pattern! A few years ago, she took 3 measurements of me and then promptly produced this gorgeous lace jacket that I wore to a wedding I officiated. She had to use some technical knowledge and skill to do this, of course, and it would take additional skills to turn her design into a pattern that could be used by others to make the same thing.

If you’d like to see more of Hannah’s designs, check our her IG @blackberrylily

Shield Maiden, pattern by Trish Hernacki

This sort of blending of art and science is behind the designs of accomplished knitting pattern designers like our friend Trish @PHiberOpticsKnits. Check out her other gorgeous knitting patterns by searching designers on Ravelry or on her website payhip.com/phiberopticsknits.

So I had both great excitement and great trepidation in developing and releasing our first Color Me Happy pattern, philia. Knowing my perfectionist tendencies and my novice status, I chose to design something really simple: a coffee cozy and ear warmer--no sizing really necessary except for figuring out how much larger the ribbing had to be for a head compared to a coffee cup! I knew I wanted it to be something quick and good for gifting, and we settled on a Valentine’s theme to guide our design and our natural dyeing, hence the natural theme of X’s and O’s in cable work and solid and variegated peaches and purples in our yarn.

Claire, modeling the ear warmer and coffee cozy!

All told, I think I knit versions of this pattern five times before settling on the simple cable edging, the best option for joining the ribbing to the cable section, and the best yarn to use. I tried a simple garter edging but that wasn’t decorative enough. I tried knitting with our MCN DK but that wasn’t thick enough for my imagined cozy, so then tried using 2 strands of DK held together, before settling on using our regional superfine Pure Merino, which had just the right roundness in the yarn and squishiness in the finished product. Then of course we had to get the variegated yarn dyed just right (also an art and a science but that will be for another article!) and I had to write up the pattern, which took a lot more time than I expected, given the need to clearly describe and photograph how to do the joining. Last, but not least, Michelle knit one up as my test knitter and made great suggestions about pattern clarity.

Our first Color Me Happy pattern live on Ravelry!

Having done this on a quite small and simple pattern, I am even more in awe of the designers who do this time and time again on complicated shawls and sweaters! I can see why there is often a year or more in lead time to design, test knit, modify, and release a pattern. I can also see, however, how rewarding this process can be. Having been a Ravelry user for many years, there was a really special moment of seeing our pattern appear on the “recently released” thumbnails on the Ravelry home page that was so gratifying 😊.

I don’t know exactly what patterns are in my future (although a 2-skein baby blanket is something you’ll see coming this spring!), but I know Michelle and I are excited about designing more patterns that show off our amazing naturally-derived colors and yarn bases. We are also so excited about partnering with other knit and crochet designers to develop new patterns and kits. After all, designing and celebrating color and fiber in community with others is our reason for being here, and we are so glad you are part of this collaboration.

We hope you enjoy philia, which you can purchase alone on our website or as part of our custom kit that includes the pattern and our regional superfine Pure Merino. Don’t forget to share your creations with us on social media (IG and FB @colormehappy.fiberarts) and DM us or use our info@colormehappyfiberarts.com email to ask a pattern question or suggest ideas for patterns and kits you’d like to see us release!