THE OPINIONATED TECH EDITOR

What kind of knitter are you? Are you a picker or a thrower? Are you a stickler for all-natural fibers or do you find solace in easy-care manufactured fibers? What about needles—straights, circulars, double points, metal, wood, plastic? Do you swatch conscientiously or do you just wing it? Opinionated knitters engage in animated discussions over these questions. But the question I hear most often (and the question most central to my tech editing experience) is…are you a process knitter or a product knitter?

If it’s the finished product that motivates you to pick up yarn and needles then you are results oriented. You see a pattern or design that you absolutely desire for yourself or for gifting. You want to knit something that will enhance your wardrobe, make your grandson the coolest kid in kindergarten, or make you the star of the baby shower. Although you want to determine whether the pattern is within your skill set, the process is secondary. You will probably enjoy the journey, but the finish line is your focus. You are a product knitter.

Conversely, I happily admit to being a process knitter. Although I hope to achieve an admirable result, my true joy comes with the actual knitting. I rarely make the same pattern twice. If I do, I tweak it with my own take the second time around by changing something, or several things. Most often, I seek out projects that differ from anything I have done before, especially designs that offer new techniques and teach new skill sets. I remember my first pair of mittens and the thrill of mastering double-point needles!

Designers should consider both types of knitters. Originality goes glove in hand with achievability. When developing a product idea into a pattern, designers must consider both product appeal and pattern accuracy. Gorgeous lace, bold cables, or scrumptious colorwork must be balanced with swatching, gauge, fit, ease, standard sizing, photos, charting, grading, test knitting, marketing…

This opinionated tech editor must also keep both product and process knitters in mind. I always review a pattern to make sure it offers both types of knitters what they need.

For the product knitter, I determine whether or not the pictured item can be knit from the pattern provided. Do the numbers yield the stated sizes assuming that gauge is achieved? Do schematics and grading provide reasonable sizing against some standard? Are charts accurate? Do charts match written instructions? Does the pattern provide adequate designer notes and/or instructions for the item to be produced? Are any guidelines given for yarn substitution? Is there consistent use of abbreviations and punctuation?

Of course, some overlap of criteria will occur for the process knitter. Additionally, I look for a pattern to be “knitter friendly”. Process knitters frequently select patterns that will stretch their skills. They need things to be spelled out—no assumptions that a knitter will be familiar with all procedures involved including pattern stitches or special techniques. Designer notes, embedded photos, plus links to additional resources go a long way with process knitters. Additionally, many process knitters like to print all or part of their patterns; therefore, a layout that allows selective printing of only what is wanted is also appreciated. Finally, for “in the round” knitting, inclusive patterns should allow knitters to choose their preferred needle method among double-points, traveling loop, magic loop, etc.

Any and all of the above might be brought to a designer’s attention by an opinionated tech editor whose goal is to evaluate patterns so that both types of knitters will find satisfaction from a pattern and return to a designer again with trust.