What a month!

Jackson and Manaia, our two Australian grandsons are on their long summer holiday break from school. Grandad and I stepped up to the plate and offered to have them quite a bit to help their parents and to save the boys from going to vacation care which they hate.

We enjoy our time with the boys. We are very conscious that at age 11 and nearly 9, it will only be a few more years before they will want to spend more time with their friends and not their grandparents.

One consequence of having the boys is not much knitting/designing was achieved. I did, however, do lots of thinking about what I want to focus on with Mainly Cardigans for 2020.

Since beginning Mainly Cardigans in 2018, my focus has been the designs and learning the ropes of being an independent designer. I have to say I have enjoyed nearly every minute of my journey – even when frustrated, for example, when trying to get my head around Stitchmastery.

What I have enjoyed the most is the creative process of designing – looking for stitch patterns, modifying them and working them into a coherent knitting pattern.

As I know many knitters are always on the outlook for new stitch patterns, the number one focus this year will be increasing the number of new stitch patterns in the stitch library. I think it is time to revamp the library by changing the layout, the photos of the swatches and to include charts as well as the written pattern.

My designs have been available on Ravelry since the beginning of my journey and the patterns have been sized from 34 – 44 inch busts. There are two problems with this. The first is the issue of being more inclusive in relation to sizing. Should I for example, size my patterns to say 50 inch bust or more? I would love to hear some feedback on this.

The second problem as I see it, is the number of pages knitters must print when all sizing is in one document. My patterns can have 20 pages when catering for all sizes. For this reason, I am going to slowly change my already published patterns to a new format, one that all new patterns published will follow.

On Ravelry, each pattern listed will be available in the first three sizes (34, 36, 38 inch bust) only.

There will be a link to Mainly Cardigans shop where knitters will find both these sizes along with larger sizes being available to download. Thus, the sizing will be in three groups: size 34, 36, 38 (available on Ravelry and website), size 40, 42, 44 and size 46, 48, 50 on website only.

Not only does this mean less paper required to print the pattern, it also means I can have more communication with my knitters, through help/tutorials and perhaps holding KALs.

What will not change is my focus on creating elegant and fitted cardigans using merino yarns sourced from either my homeland, New Zealand or my adopted homeland, Australia.

In the next two weeks, my new design Irish Rose shall be published on Ravelry and on my website. This design is an all-over lace and cable design, knitted in Touch Yarn (NZ) merino.

And, yes, the stitch pattern is already available in the stitch library.

In the meantime, please think about the changes I am looking at and let me know what you think.

Photo: My grandson Jackson as a toddler looking out to sea.