I started crocheting about the age of 6, a kindergarten classmate showed me how to make a chain. I made miles and miles of it. I had no idea how to turn around and go the other way, but I saw my grandma do it, so I knew it was possible. Knitting came along not long after that when I asked grandma to show me what to do with the miles and miles of crochet chain.
I made “things” all my life. Mostly sort of square granny squares and odd rectangles I’d sew together, but I never really made anything identifiable until I was an adult.
Suddenly, I was newly married and pregnant with my first child! Of course, I instinctively knew that I HAD to knit and crochet “things” for this baby!
Armed with little more than general knowledge and a huge sense of “I can do it!”, I started trying to make “things”.
I didn’t know anything about gauge, or reading patterns. I didn’t understand how to use the right size knitting needles, or that there were different sized crochet hooks. The only yarn I really knew about was Red Heart either worsted weight or baby weight.
My first attempt was to knit a baby sweater, that I made up as I went along, using too small needles with worsted weight yarn. I knew how to sew, so I figured I knew what shape the sweater parts needed to be, right? There is a measure of that in the process for sure, but so much more than that, I soon discovered.
I knew how to knit and purl, and I knew that the stretchy ribbing around the bottom and sleeves was make by knitting one stitch and purling the next, but I DID NOT know that you have to move the working yarn between the needles from front to back between each stitch. So, ya, I ended up with this growing fanning lace looking thing. I guess one could say I was just doing advanced stitches that I was not intending 😉
I gave up. I bought a pattern book, and successfully made a pair of booties. I say successfully because I followed the instructions and the booties turned out looking like booties! But I didn’t understand gauge, and I was still using TOO SMALL of needles for that yarn I unraveled from the sweater attempt. The cute little booties only fit baby’s tiny feet for a short period of time and were pretty rigid.
I gave up knitting. Decided I hated it. I went back to crochet. I understood that better, I thought, and I decided that I could figure out how to crochet anything that was knit, and there begins my exploration into pattern design.
When a friend of mine told me that crocheting with crochet thread was the same as with yarn, just smaller, that the lights started to come on. The designs started pouring out of me! But only that friend knew about my new found skill.
I kept it a secret for another 10 years, before I learned that I could submit my design ideas to publishers! My first design, a simple crocheted baby headband, was bought by a large publishing company! And a few more to follow, but I still didn’t go all in on submitting my designs for publication.
Fast forward, skipping over a whole ‘nother lifetime of experiences in my stitching self-training, and arrive in this current age of self publication options, and I now have several designs out in the world at large.
During this time of pandemic, I have had time to reflect and get re-inspired to put more time, effort and energy into updating designs I started long ago and creating the new ones that keep developing in my mind! Designs that will help each of us dig into the stash we already have, or discover a yarn that we might now have thought to use. Designs that will challenge us to build our skills, just a little challenge at a time. Designs that we, or our loved one, will actually want to wear!
It’s a time consuming process to be sure, but I’m super excited about the vision for Perfectly Knotty as 2020 eases into it’s final quarter! I have some exciting things in store for you, maybe not in a landslide, but in a steady stream of awesome!
Love you all, and thank you for being part of this creative journey with me!
Love,
SuziQ