To say this last week has been chaotic would be an understatement. Between a laptop that officially kicked the bucket, pattern work, a few freelance orders, one of our sweet dogs running off (and yet to be found), and so many other little things let’s just say I am more than ready for some a nice weekend to come this way.
While a good portion of these things are outside of my control, there are some things that are VERY much within my power to “fix” myself. For starters, I am working really hard to make this year as successful as possible in terms of pattern designing and releasing. Currently I am about a month and a half ahead of new pattern releases. Which is exciting to say because over the last two years it’s felt a tad overwhelming to stick with a release schedule. Some months I would have a plethora of inspiration and crojo followed by months of no desire to pick up my hooks at all. Luckily, I have an amazing group of testers I can always count on to be there when my inspiration does come back and I punch out new pieces. To be honest, I absolutely couldn’t be a designer without them. They are an integral part of my pattern writing process that allow me to make sure I am releasing quality patterns. So this week’s blog post is dedicated to my testers. For those who may not know, any designer worth their salt (in my opinion) has their patterns tested. You see, pattern testers do so many things. For my own testers I require a pretty “strict” list of things to look for when they work up my pieces, including deadlines. As much as I would love to say I can type of a flawless piece from start to finish by this point, I am only human. My testers go line by line helping to spot any typos or inconsistencies that may pop up. They also look over the materials list and reference photos. They work each section of the pattern up and let me know of any questions they may have, or row count discrepancies, and in some instances recommend an addition that may help make the pattern easier to understand. My testers also provide me with photos of their pieces, which allows me the opportunity to see if what I have written was clear enough to understand and recreate. Because let’s be honest, there is nothing more frustrating that working up a pattern and having it look wonky compared to the cover photo! I have testers of all skill levels test the pieces as well. My aim of course being a pattern that even a brand new beginner can enjoy. I am extremely grateful for all of my testers and really couldn’t design without them! Well, I guess technically I could…. But I highly doubt it would end well! My testers are very much a part of my close crochet circle who I know I can count on. Together we have created a little community group that keeps the Once Upon a Hook Crochet gears turning! And with that, I would like to give them all another shout-out and thank you! They really are the best. I hope you all have a happy weekend and Happy Hooking! P.S. Here’s a little sneak peek of some soon to be new releases ;)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
March 2023
Categories |