Making the cut
How do I decide which patterns to include in a round-up and which ones don’t make the cut? Sometimes I wonder myself and since my analytical brain likes a good list, I thought why not write it down and make it somewhat more coherent and transparent.
Choosing patterns for a round-up post can be tough when the choice is so vast.
I often start with an idea. For example: “a sweater with stripes”. It doesn’t need to be a specific piece of clothing. It can be any illusive attribute or type of knitting feature that I find intriguing. Usually, it is related to something I want to knit myself or I get inspiration from friends or family when they ask me questions about knitting (patterns).
From there, I start my research. Whether that is scrolling through Instagram and previously saved inspiration posts or Ravelry using different search terms, I scribble down all patterns that catch my eyes in terms of what I like and what would like to knit myself. (I have to say this is a very dangerous job because my own personal knitting list grows with it and I only have so much time — as do we all of course!)
And, yes, selecting “what I like” is highly subjective! However, I look for modern (again with a very loose and personal definition) patterns that fit within the frame I have given myself. Such as: Is it a sweater with stripes? Is it something I haven’t seen before? Would I like to make and wear it?
As the list grows, I start looking at differences. And I mean that in the widest possible sense. I want to include different yarn weights and difficulty levels as much as I want to include different styles. So, for example, I would choose some patterns with cables and others featuring more clean lines (although admittedly I tend to fall more for the latter so you might see more of those throughout this page).
What is most important to me, however, when presenting a round-up, is the diversity of designers and patterns included. I want to ensure equal representation of the diverse knitting community that I know exists.
Is the pattern size-inclusive? Do the images show other people than white, thin female-presenting bodies? Are there designs of under-presented groups that I could highlight?
What I don’t want on my page is to contribute to society‘s prevailing racism, sexism, or exclusion of any sort. Instead I want to give a platform for equal representation. I want to give a voice to everyone, while using something we all love, that connects us, to show the diversity of the community and highlight the strength in that.
Lastly, and very practically speaking, what ends up published on the blog, are those patterns where I have received written consent from the designer to publish a photo of the design. We are all visual creatures and seeing an image of a pattern helps a lot. However, copyright means that I can’t just use a photograph that is owned by someone else on my own page. So I ask for permission, which is usually granted.
In summary, and for an overview (as we all know how much I love a good list), here are some of the questions I ask myself and of the patterns:
Pre-selection
Does it have the features I am looking for?
Is it modern? Is it something new to me or something I haven’t seen before?
Selection
Are there differences in style, yarn weight and difficulty level?
Is the pattern size-inclusive?
Do the images show other people than white, thin female-presenting bodies?
Are there designs of under-presented groups that I could highlight?
Can I select patterns from as many geographical locations as possible?
Did I get written permission to use a photograph?