Why now?
I’ve been thinking about this for awhile actually. There have been a lot of changes in my life since I designed my first pattern in 2017. I don’t want to get too deep into things here and now, but I’ve moved to another state, been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, had a life changing surgery (partial foot amputation), gotten divorced, built a local knitting community, developed an awesome support system, and rescued another cat. It’s been bothering me that my very first pattern, Ocelot Bandana, featured my ex-husband in all of the photos. I knew I eventually wanted to republish it and I’ve decided to refresh all my patterns before embarking on some new knitting adventures.
What’s changed?
I have transitioned from printing patterns to using my iPad and I know a lot of other knitters have too. What looks good on paper doesn’t always translate to a convenient digital file. Danisty Designs patterns will come with two optimized files. The print pattern will be in an easier to read serif font and the pictures, pattern instructions, and charts will be on separate pages as much as possible so you can choose what parts you want to print to save on paper and ink. Digital files will feature a sans serif font which is much easier to read on a screen and will be oriented in landscape mode. I’ll be putting extra thought into how the pattern can be formatted in Knit Companion as well.
Additionally, I am beginning to design sweaters and am committed to being size inclusive. After all, I would like to actually wear my own designs. I find reading patterns with more than 4 or 5 sizes unnecessarily confusing. In the past, with traditional publishing, there were reasons to try and cram it all in together. That’s not necessary today. You choose what to print if you choose printing at all. I’ve decided to split these patterns up into two different files to make it cleaner and more concise. I’m knitting in bifocals these days and don’t have any extra real estate in my field of vision. #oldpeopleproblems