« dreary. | Main | two things that are awesome, and one that is not »
March 16, 2007
in which our intrepid heroine announces some changes and asks you, the reader, for assistance
I've done some spring cleaning around the portfolio area of the website, shifting and re-categorizing and tweaking here and there. Everything that was not representative of my best work has been removed (*coughmyentirefirstyearofgradschoolcough*), and a lot of the new work has been added. The "in progress" page now features projects I am actually working on, rather than dead old sows I'd already left behind the barn to rot months ago. Click on "artwork" in the header and tell me what you think!
Next up is to update the knitting pages, and here's where I need some help from you guys: if you have knitted any of my patterns, would you be so kind as to allow me to display a photo of your finished item in my reader gallery? If I have specifically asked you before and you already gave consent, please take a look at the gallery and see if your sweater has actually made it in; I think I may have lost some things along the way. If you'd like to be included please e-mail me (jodi@jodigreen.ca) an image a minimum of 200 pixels wide, and include your name, website url if you have one, and a description of any modifications you made to the pattern. Thanks!
I'm also working on pattern support pages for some of the designs, most notably poor Mariah who, though I love her dearly, is full of flaws. The rewritten directions for the yoke and hood will be there, as will the directions for the 33" bust size. For Durrow there will be notes on making the neck not so too-large (whoops) and also a flipped cable chart for anyone who wishes to have their sleeves be mirror-image rather than the same. Please let me know if you can think of anything else that needs to be added, or if you've experienced difficulty with any other of my patterns that I might need to address in a support page.
But wait, that's not all. I'd like to start collecting data about where and by whom my patterns are knitted; I'm not asking for personal information and this isn't material I'll publish on the web, and I promise I won't use a photo of your face (if you send me one). I've been thinking a lot, in terms of my design work as it relates to my studio work, about the value placed on these different types of creative output, and about audience. I've reached a far greater audience with my sweater patterns than I ever have (and perhaps greater than I ever will) with my studio work, and I take part, however passively, in a sort of collaborative work with everyone who uses my patterns to make a garment. These collaborations are something I'd like to start mapping for myself, and although I'm not sure yet just how (if at all) this information will end up in my artwork, I think it's a useful exercise for me at this time simply to collect it, sort it, map it. So if you have knitted (or crocheted, le's not forget I've also got a crochet pattern out there) one of my designs and would like to add your information to my collection, here are the sorts of things I'm looking for:
-which design you made, and do you wear it? any thoughts or feelings relating to the knitting of the garment, was it peaceful, enjoyable, frustrating, did you knit it during a happy time, during a sad time? Feel free to write a novella or write nothing at all, it's up to you. I'm interested in anything you have to say about the experience of knitting this garment, and of wearing it
-an image of the finished knit, and a description of any modifications you made to the pattern (this is the collaborative part)
-if you still have the printed pattern and you've made any notes on it or marked up the charts in any way, I'd love to have a copy or scan of that
-if you and I corresponded at all to discuss the pattern and you still have a copy of that correspondence, would you please forward me a copy? I did not keep any of it and now I wish I had
-something about where you live, so I can mark your area on a map; the more you wish to tell me here the better, so I can get a sense of where my little baby spiders have flown off to (yes, all of my stupid analogies come from my childhood, why do you ask? don't make me tell you about the dead sow behind the barn, okay?)
-any other information or images you're willing to share
-written permission to use what you send me in a printmaking project (if you wish to give permission for some things and not others, that's okay)
Like I said, I don't know where this will end up, perhaps on a gallery wall or perhaps simply in my filing cabinet. But if any of the information you send me ends up in a print, I will send you a print from that edition. Deal?
Posted by jodi at March 16, 2007 10:44 AM | categories: art stuff : knit design : projects
Comments
thank you intrepid heroine for the motivation i need to revive a dead old sow of my own. namely the durrow i started for my lovely man a longtime ago.....i intended to finish it when we visited Canada last summer - luggage (containing durrow) got lost and i resigned myself to it being gone for good. i was overjoyed when the case turned up but some how have never gone back to it. i now have an incentive. Ta very much
Posted by: visionon at March 16, 2007 11:49 AM
I still have my marked up Mariah charts and pattern notes. I'll scan 'em up this weekend and pass them along. I love the way a pattern looks after it's been through the wringer.
Posted by: caro at March 16, 2007 02:32 PM
I'm normally just a lurker, but I did knit Mariah. I'll work on getting an email written up for you, probably over the weekend.
Posted by: Christina at March 16, 2007 03:58 PM
Looks great, baby. Here's a suggestion for your works in progress page: I know you have a number of relevant images on your flickr site. Why not create sets for each and link to them from here? Something like "See more images of this project". This could open in a new window, if desired, or not.
Posted by: peter at March 16, 2007 07:04 PM
dang, now I need to knit some of your cables so I dont feel left out LOL
Posted by: bonnie at March 16, 2007 11:57 PM
That Flickr idea is great. I just sent you an email before I read the second half of the post. I'll try and upload something to Flickr this week that you can use.
Posted by: crumpet at March 18, 2007 09:00 AM
Still knitting away on Durrow...I just keep putting it down for other projects. I'll have to remember to come back to this when I finish it.
Posted by: anne at March 18, 2007 08:34 PM
I am simply not a committed enough knitter to create one of your designs, but I am endlessly proud of you for your accomplishments in designing them and love to see others posting their versions of them!
Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Mary at March 21, 2007 07:10 PM
Cool.
I made Mariah, and wrote about it alot. Feel free to go to my site and search Mariah. The main post is here:
http://www.claudiasblog.net/2006/03/
mariah_and_me.html
Feel free to use any pictures and text in your art.
Posted by: claudia at March 22, 2007 09:44 AM
BTW, I'm wearing Mariah today. :)
Posted by: claudia at March 22, 2007 09:44 AM
I've just started Durrow in the second smallest size. I've got the back done and am half done one arm. Do you have any suggestions for me about the neck? I found the mirrored charts for the arm online.
Posted by: julie at March 28, 2007 02:59 PM
I am starting Mariah, over a year after I purchased some Cascade 220, on sale for another cardigan that I found much too complicated and tedious to knit. I am disappointed to have read your blog tonight to learn that there are flaws(?) in the pattern. It always takes me so long to commit to a cardigan and I finally did... Anyway, before I worry too much more, I think I'm knitting it too tight. Although my gauge was OK (of course), I think I've just been knitting too tight to avoid knitting too loose, like I always used to. Anyways, my big question now is, what shoud the width of the right and left fronts be? I love lotsa diagrams in my patterns, and Mariah has the one. I'm going to keep on knitting, but if you can send me more measurements, especially the front sides, like I said, that would be great. THANK YOU. PS I really love the way the sweater looks and fits in the photograghs. Cindy
Posted by: Cindy Putterman at March 30, 2007 10:06 PM
Ow. I wish I had met Mariah at a more experienced point in my editing career. Mea maxima culpa. :(
Posted by: Mandy at March 31, 2007 04:35 AM
Oh, Mandy, it's not your fault. I wish I had dreamed up Mariah at a more experienced point in my designing career, I really had no clue what I was doing, and that crazy-ass hood shaping I did by the seat of my pants looked totally plausible on paper and somehow worked when I knitted it, but was a disaster for everyone else. Mariah was a huge learning experience for me, and I think I've gotten better because of it.
Posted by: jodi at March 31, 2007 07:21 AM
I just found Durrow, and was all keyed up to make it, but I've been reading about the neckline problems (yeek!) I ordered the wool for this piece off Elann.com today, so I have a bit of time, but I would really appreciate whatever updates you can provide. It's such a fabulous piece, and I don't think my patience can hold out for long!!!
Posted by: Robin Leighton at April 14, 2007 02:42 AM