Hey there! It's been so long since I posted a new blog. The reason is because I'm not that good at it but here goes....! ^_^" Since many people asked me how I design my patterns. Who doesn't like to know? The most important thing you need when designing a new pattern is your imagination, pencils and some inspiration. :)
One of the most asked questions that I received is: "Can I just copy parts of several patterns and make my own pattern with it?" The answer is: NO! You CAN'T!! Doing so will cause you law suits and high fines for breaking the rules of a copyright law. Every written pattern, be it written on paper be it written digitally, is protected by copyright laws. So PLEASE do not copy parts of other patterns! It feels so much better to look back at your own work after completion. Something to be proud of. :) Anywaaaysss................ The things you will need are: - Inspiration/good idea - Notebook - sketching pencil - colouring pencils
Inspiration Google is your friend! Inspiration comes in many many ways and I decided I wanted to create a new theme for my Shia Doll. I already got the pattern for the body half a year ago. It took me over a year to get the body to my liking but I used the same concept that I'm describing here. :) Google for things you like or hate! Yes, you heard it right! Sometimes things that you hate can be turned in something you really like. :D I googled for chibi anime figures that have a similar tiny body as my Shia Dolls but I got discouraged and tried "coffee" and "coffee cartoon". A lot of coffee related pictures and junk came up and suddenly I saw a picture of Mocha Latte and the colours spoke to me. :) Don't get mistaken, I HATE coffee. You should get an idea for what to crochet by now. Get it on paper Now draw what you would like to crochet. It doesn't need to be neat but be sure all the details are in there. Your project will always turn out a bit different than you intended but that's good! Now colour the drawing. Believe me, it saves so much head ache when you start crocheting. ^.^ Crocheting Now, this is the hardest part. You will need to crochet what you just drew. It can take about 4 or 5 prototypes before you are satisfied but sometimes it will work out after just 1 attempt! :D That's what happened to me this time. It turned out a bit different than my drawing but still looks super cute! Keep on trying if it didn't work out the first time!
Notes & Photos Ofcourse you'll need to take notes of everything you do. All the steps, colour changes and how many stitches each row has after finishing a row/round. As important as taking notes is taking pictures of every step you make. This is not needed when you want to make a one of a kind doll but a must when you write patterns. The photos show your customers what they should and shouldn't do. Depending on how many details your final doll has, you'll end up with 10-30 photos and 6 to 20 pages of text in combination with the photos you made. Writing You'll need to re-write your pattern in a program like Word so it will be digital. Ofcourse, you can decide to keep it on paper. Look at how other patterns are set up and try to do it the same way. Head Body Arms Legs etc. are common headers to put in your pattern. This is how mine turned out! :)
