At the beginning of the year, I encouraged our readers to “make with me“. In that post I shared a few of the many benefits that you may get from picking up a hobby, and I gave you a few simple suggestions for how to turn your hobby into a regular habit (that’s good for you!).
If you follow our Instagram feed or have been a long-time reader, it’s no surprise that my primary hobby is knitting. I always have a project (or ten) in the works. While I don’t need the encouragement to knit more, I’m taking this resolution as a nudge to share more of my projects, in their many phases, on the blog. And if you’d like to find me on Ravelry, my username is winterfoliage.
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Pattern Testing
Today I wanted to talk a little bit more about this sweater project. I shared a photo of it on Instagram when the pattern was released, and by then, I had already knit my version. How? Because I had volunteered to be a test knitter for the pattern!
What does this mean? Often times when a designer is working on a new pattern, especially one that is going to be published and sold to a larger audience (either independently or through a magazine or website), they will ask for volunteers to test the pattern. Testing happens with any sort of wearable pattern, whether it’s knit, crocheted, or sewn.
The call for volunteers may go out in numerous social media arenas, the designer’s blog, Instagram feed, or Ravelry group are examples. If you’re interested in being a tester, the best thing that you can do is follow your favorite designers. That way you’ll stay in the loop if they’re working on new designs and you’ll see any public calls for testing.
The designers are often looking for volunteers in every size and shape to test the pattern. The main requirements for testing are that you can work within a deadline, feel competent in your crafting skills, and can provide thoughtful and constructive feedback when it’s requested. The designer may also want to see photographs of your work.
The one tricky detail about test knitting is that you often don’t see what you’ll knit until you sign on and you can’t share updates of your work with the general public! The goal is to keep everything under wraps so that the big reveal can happen when the pattern is officially published.
About the Sweater
This is the Kennings Yoke by Sarah Pope of Whistling Girl Knits.
I signed on to knit this through Sarah’s Instagram feed when she put out a request for help and described the final project as having a textured yoke. Having followed her for a while, I knew that I liked her style and I was excited for the challenge.
I knit the smallest size using Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool. The heart detail on the back was added on using duplicate stitching after I had finished the sweater.
This sweater is similar in make the rainbow sweater that I recently shared, except the rainbows was knit from the top down, and this one is knit from the bottom up. tricky! But really, if you can knit and purl to create the textured design, then this sweater isn’t too difficult for a knitter that wants to give it a go. When you get to the yoke, you’ll decrease stitches evenly around the yoke on a few key rows, as you work towards the neckline.
This sweater looks beautiful on Sarah, but I also think it’s the sort of pattern that works well when worn slightly larger for a comfy, layered look.
If you’re a somewhat experienced crafter looking for a challenge and the intrigue of a secret project, I hope you’ll give pattern testing a try!