How Crochet Designers Celebrate

I've just mailed off a design that will appear in the Spring 2010 issue of Interweave Crochet magazine. I can blog some fun things about it as we get closer to the publication date.

Designers I've talked to celebrate after they mail off a design for publication because it's momentous! It means:

• completed item has all ends woven in, photographed, measured before and after being wet-blocked and completely air-dried, then boxed up and shipped off;
• the written pattern is completed, proofread, and emailed to the company;
• schematics and other diagrams are created in a format that can be emailed (I still draw them on paper and then upload a photo of them; others scan them in or draw with software)
• contract is signed and mailed or faxxed

A design event leaves behind a lot of clutter--rough drafts, submission guidelines, tools for finishing and blocking, yarn and swatches, candy wrappers.... so it's not surprising that most designers I know do a big clean sweep around their studio. That's what I'm going to do next.

Some designers go out for a nice dinner with their families. Do you know what else is common? Sitting in front of the TV totally vegging out! I don't need to do that this time because I didn't have to write the pattern for five sizes. Sizing crochet patterns turns the usual designer into a mumbling zombie LOL.

Others immediately begin their next design. This is the case for me this time, happily. I'm writing up lots of new downloadable crochet patterns to offer soon, and I love it! I love designing more than ever! I'm getting close to launching my own crochet pattern store so I can start blogging more about that.