Now that I am a self-employed, independent knitwear designer, I get to wear all the hats. Well, except for one. I can’t tech edit my own work.
Here is a list of the “hats”:
- Design concept
- Knitting original sample
- Grading (calculations for multiple sizes – I’m typically doing eight sizes)
- Creating a schematic
- Writing the pattern
- Photography
- Photo editing
- Marketing
That gives you an idea. I’m really enjoying the process. Trying to keep myself on track for self-imposed deadlines. That needs a little more work. I’ve done the first five items for more than 80 designs, so they’ve become pretty easy for me. The photography and editing part is my current challenge.
My current budget doesn’t allow for a studio rental, hiring a professional model, professional photographer, professional makeup artist, etc. That would cost several thousand dollars. So, I am doing it myself. And while I am figuring that part out, my aesthetic will most likely be an evolution. I am completely fine with that. There is freedom and excitement in being able to experiment. I’ve hired a former co-worker to teach me the basics of photo editing, which I have yet to master.
I recently read a great article written by Tread & Ladle talking about the cost of a knitting pattern. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this process and the extensive amount of time it takes to create one, you might find this an interesting read.
If I can get the photo editing done, I hope to release the first two designs by the end of next week. Fingers crossed. Here’s a sneak peek:
As always, thanks for following along and happy knitting!
Shellie (and Bentley)
s h e l Designs 