Sketching 101: flat sketching
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | 7 Comments
Sketching for design submissions seems to be a hot topic lately on Ravelry and twitter, so I thought it might make some nice blog content while I’m working on my super secret (and therefore super boring) projects. I am going to start out with flat sketching since it’s a little easier to do and makes a perfectly acceptable sketch for a submission. During school, we learned how to sketch on the fashion figure first and flats were just an afterthought. However, once I got out into the real world, I rarely use my fashion figures anymore. All of my sweaters are drawn as flats.
Flat sketching
Flats can either be technical and to scale like a schematic or they can be a little more stylized and fashion like. They are called flats because that is what the garment looks like when it is laid down on a flat surface. I will start off simple with a more straightforward technical sketch then move into showing you how to add a little more personality to your sketches in a later blog post.
Croquis
Croquis are a guide you can use for sketching. There are fashion figure croquis, but we are going to be starting off with a flat sketch version. I created my croqui in illustrator full size with typical measurements I use for a junior small, then scaled it down to a usable size. The measurements don’t have to be the exact size of your sweater for your flats, it’s more important to sketch the correct proportions so it’s easy to “read” your design. My flat croqui has major waist positions and lengths marked as a guide. To use your croqui, just lay a sheet of paper over the top and trace over, or when you’re first practicing, laying a sheet of tracing paper over the croqui makes it easier to see. If you happen to have a light box laying around, that also helps if using a more opaque sheet of paper.
Click on image for full size croqui you can print out and use for practicing
For our first sketch, I’m going to work off of a garment that has already been made. I’ll be sketching this lovely striped cardigan.
So let’s take a look:
It has long sleeves. It’s probably about 22″-23″ long. The body length hits at about the same point as the sleeves. It has a set in sleeve. The front neck drop begins below the armholes. The bottom rib pulls in at the hem. It doesn’t have waist shaping.
The sketch:
Using the croqui under a new sheet of paper, begin drawing out the sweater paying attention to the shape and proportions of the sweater. Try to make your lines as smooth as you can, instead of “sketchy”. It will get 
easier with practice! Promise!
Start out with a simple outline of the garment. Try to make it as symmetrical as possible. Notice that the button placket goes past the center line of the sketch.
Next fill in details such as neck finish, sleeve and hem trims, buttons, and stripes. My stripes aren’t too straight, but that’s ok, it can be fixed later.
Finally, I take a thick sharpie marker and trace around the outside of the sketch. Then I fill in details with a Extra Fine rolling ball pen. When the ink is dry erase all of your pencil lines. (Don’t be impatient, the ink will smudge!)
My sketch isn’t exactly perfect, but it conveys the idea of the sweater well. You can see where each area is supposed to hit on the body and that it is a striped sweater. 
I know this explanation is pretty simple, but the key to learning how to draw well is careful observation and practice, practice, practice! The easiest way to practice is to start off with something already in your closet just like we did above. Study the proportion of the sweater and how the hem, sleeves, neck drop, and details all relate to each other.
In my next post, I’ll give a few examples of sketches I’ve done for submissions and pair them up with photos of the finished garment. Also, I’ll cover how to add in stitch interest like lace and cables and how to give your flats a little more personality. After that, I will move into the fashion figure croqui.
If you happen to have any specific questions about fashion sketching, please drop me a line! I would be happy to answer any questions in the next few blog posts.
Going for Gold
Posted on | February 27, 2010 | 2 Comments
So tomorrow marks the end of the Olympics and I can hear your needles busy clicking away to meet your goal for the Ravelympics/Knitting Olympics. I had entered myself in the WIP event, but never knit more than 4 rows ceremoniously during the opening ceremony.
Instead, I’m going for gold in the Super Secret Deadline Knitting Olympics, or SSDKO for short. It just so happens that I have two projects due the same date and they both need to be mailed off this Friday to meet deadline. Patterns need to be written for both by Monday. So needless to say, things have been a bit frantic in my world the last 4 weeks (with snow plus a sick husband not helping the stress level either).
Thankfully, with all my frantic knitting, my wrist (knock on wood) has been holding up pretty well. It’s been a year since I injured myself and I haven’t quite healed 100%, which made me a little nervous with such a tight deadline. Taking lots of breaks and trying to keep to a certain amount of inches a day has helped keep me in good shape. Also, I found that my wrist brace usually reserved for my karate lessons offers much more support than my knitting one. A big thanks goes out to DH for suggesting that one.
Good luck to everyone going for the gold! And here’s hoping for less frantic days ahead! I should be returning to my regularly scheduled program next week, complete with a new pattern for the collection too.
neoknits volume one: Cohansie
Posted on | February 20, 2010 | 2 Comments
After a little bit of a delay, I’d like to introduce the fourth pattern in neoknits volume one: Cohansie. The Cohansie cardigan is constructed all in one piece with a fake drop stitch pattern on the body. Clean lines are achieved with a snap closure placket with a grosgrain ribbon backing for extra support. The subtle shading of the Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 3ply in Salt Spray sets off the stitch pattern beautifully and was such a pleasure to knit with!
For more info, please check out the pattern page. You may purchase Cohansie as a single pattern or as a part of the collection. If you purchase the collection, a pattern link will automatically be sent to you as each new pattern is available. New patterns will be released approximately every 1-2 weeks.
Cohansie may also be purchased as a kit containing the yarn and pattern at One Planet Yarn and Fiber.
To Purchase Pattern or Collection Click Here
Special thanks goes out to Connie for taking the awesome pictures of this sweater while my hubby was laid up sick.
Interweave Knits Spring 2010 Preview
Posted on | February 13, 2010 | 3 Comments
The Interweave Knits Spring 2010 preview is up! I designed the Double V Cardigan for this issue.
The cardigan features a lace rib pattern in a somewhat chunkier weight yarn than is usually paired with lace. The cotton/linen/viscose blend yarn gives the garment a nice crisp feeling, but still drapes beautifully thanks to the viscose. It’s a little hard to see in this picture, but the sleeves do have a slight puffed shape at the cuffs. Nothing too drastic though, just enough to add a little interest and update a classic V neck cardigan silhouette.
Sundara Sport Merino Is Back!
Posted on | February 8, 2010 | 1 Comment
Good news for Tatami holdouts! I guess this is kinda old news, but Sundara’s gorgeous Sport Merino has been added back to her yarn range! She has even made it a lot easier to grab a decent amount of it, yes, even sweater amounts of it.
Sundara Sport Merino was the original yarn used for Tatami, and while Louet Gems made a nice substitute when Sundara’s yarn was (temporarily) discontinued, it just didn’t quite have the same effect. Yarn amounts and yardage are the same for the sport merino and gems sport, so no need to calculate for substitutions. Although if you are afraid of running out of yarn, it’s never a bad idea to purchase one extra since it is hand dyed.
The Latest Sweater Saga
Posted on | February 6, 2010 | 2 Comments
For the past three months or so, I’ve been working on a new sweater in Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 3ply (which will be apart of the collection) and I am very happy with the way it has turned out, but there’s certainly been a few bumps along the way. It’s always easy to shy away from “the deep dark secrets” (ok, maybe that’s a little dramatic) behind a design and just tell the happy story at the end. The end when everything has been written up, edited and gone through with a fine tooth comb – the cleaned up final pattern.
Well this sweater seems to have a little, shall we say, attitude. That’s Attitude with a capital A.
It was innocent enough in the beginning. It went from a high rib start to a normal 2″ one. From a sweater knit in pieces to knit in one piece up to the set in sleeves. From set in sleeves to a raglan. And finally to a sweater in one piece. The stitch pattern is a little particular, although very easy to knit, and needed a just little extra design attention apparently. Usually I can predict how something will work on paper before one stitch is every knit, but every once in awhile my best laid plans just don’t turn out that way.
So the ripping was over and I thought I had a finished sweater. I blocked it and hit it with the hairdryer once or twice to help it dry a little quicker. Finally a few weekends ago I was sewing up the one seam it has and tried it on. It was cute, oh so very cute, but the muscle was just a tinge too small. Not enough to look funny, but just enough that I’d knew I’d be fussing with it whenever I wear it.
So now comes the hard part. I had to rip. I had to rip out everything but the body.
While it was a little painful, I survived. It was re-knit over the Holidays, it fits much better and I’m much happier. It’s probably one of my favorite designs to date and I predict it getting plenty of use. The finished product will be a part of neoknits volume one, most likely the 5th pattern to be published in the collection. I hope it will be worth the wait! And lucky for you, I’ve already worked out all the kinks!
Collection Update
Posted on | February 3, 2010 | 5 Comments
I know I mentioned that new patterns would be released once every 1 or 2 weeks, but I feel a little guilty that there won’t be one for this week. My photographer, aka neoknit’s husband came down with Mono about 2 weeks ago and I’ve been unable to photograph patterns 4 and 5. He should be cleared from quarantine this weekend so I can get some photos and get those patterns up.
In the meantime, here’s a few teasers:
I am also steadily working on pattern number 6. I hurt my wrist a little again, so knitting has been a bit slow. There shouldn’t be any delay in the release of pattern 6 though.
Thank You!
Posted on | February 1, 2010 | No Comments
I really don’t know how to thank you all for your generous response this month as I collected money for the Haiti relief effort! I managed to hit the $250 mark for Doctors Without Borders, but all of the credit goes to you! I only supplied the vehicle, you did all the work. It’s amazing (although not surprising) to see the tremendous generosity that knitters can possess. Seriously, knitters rock!
I also want to thank you for your continued support of me as a designer. It gets a bit hard sometimes to continue going down this road for various reasons. It’s nice to feel appreciated and I thank you all for cheering me on, especially when it’s been a rough day. Thank you!
neoknits volume one: Beulah’s Mitts
Posted on | January 25, 2010 | No Comments
My third pattern to be released for neoknits volume one is Beulah’s Mitts. A winding, leafy cable pattern adorns these cute mitts reminding us that Spring will indeed come again! Until then, they will keep your hands toasty and your fingers free to knit, knit, knit. For more info, please check out the pattern page. You may purchase Beulah’s Mitts as a single pattern or as a part of the collection. If you purchase the collection, a pattern link will automatically be sent to you as each new pattern is available. New patterns will be released approximately every 1-2 weeks.
To Purchase Pattern Or Collection Click here
Help For Haiti
Posted on | January 17, 2010 | No Comments
Ravelry has added a “help for haiti” tag for designers who wish to donate part of their proceeds to the relief effort. I am proud to announce that neoknits has now joined with many other talented designers on Ravelry in helping to raise money for the relief effort.
I will donate 25% of my sales of the patterns listed here (including my new ebook) for the entire month of January to MSF/Doctors Without Borders. In the case of Sesame, I will donate 100% of the donations received to the cause.
Thank you! At the beginning of February, I’ll announce the total amount that was donated. Hopefully we can all make a small difference together :)
Previous Entries »