Designing the Experience

After twenty years of knitting from patterns by independent designers, magazines and books, I knew how frustrating it could be to decode abbreviations, guess what an instruction means and lose track of rows. A knitting project can take ten, twenty or forty hours. I wanted the instructions to support that entire experience, not just tell the knitter what to do next.

I write instructions in full words, with clear explanations and steps that guide the knitter through the process, offering support when challenges arise. I don't assume knowledge a knitter may not have, or send her elsewhere to find answers. In my sweater guides, the knitter calculates the garment around her own measurements, yarn and gauge, rather than choosing a standard size from a table.