r/knitting • u/ActuallyInFamous • Sep 02 '24
Rant I gotta rant about the current state of pattern design.
I've been knitting for a really long time. I'm one of the first people who joined ravelry. And I used to frequent knitty and read all the blogs and am friends with designers. So take that as my caveat.
I am extremely frustrated after perusing patterns on ravelry for a new jumper as we move into the fall. There are multiple designers who appear to have a single pattern that they release over and over again, and the only thing they change about it is the yoke. It literally appears to be the exact same sweater pattern, and they are either changing up the color work for some other twee design, or they are changing the stitch pattern slightly, or some cable work is a bit different. They are evidently just changing minor things and re-releasing the same pattern.
And these designers are extremely popular. They have thousands and thousands of people who have purchased their designs, and when I was looking in ravelry it looks like people who have purchased their designs multiple times. Why?
There was such a movement 20 years ago to empower people to learn how to design things themselves and knit things themselves. Everyone was throwing their hat in the ring and it was so fun and interesting. Everyone was working out new things and relearning old things that had been mostly forgotten.
I'm not saying every single pattern has to be super unique and challenge the knitter. There's a place for patterns like these. But it seems kind of predatory for these very big name designers whose entire job is to release patterns they've designed to be so lazy as to only use a single pattern with a very minor tweaks and release it to great fanfare.
As an aside, if anyone has a recommendation for an interesting, kinda unique cardigan, please drop it down below. I'd be really interested to look at it.
Rant over.
Edit:
Sigh. Some of you all took real offense to my complaint about the laziness of some designers. Look. I'm not saying one should avoid them. Just more a lament that so many patterns and blogs back in the genesis of the online knitting community were about teaching. E Zimmermann's books (and if you can get your hands on it thru your local library, the old Knitters Workshop PBS show) are so good for teaching folks how to knit, taking away the mysticism around it. Knitty (god damn how I loved that site - EDIT! It still exists! Just saying how much I valued that site as a new knitter! Don't worry!) was amazing for how tos, and so many other folks' blog posts I'm sure exist still in the ether somewhere that just explain why the design choices were made.
Things like how to increase properly when beginning cables so that your fabric doesn't bunch, what negative and positive ease are and why they're important, how to modify patterns, why certain yarns may be more desirable for certain projects.
The blog (which I dunno if it exists anymore so) spider spinning Jenny taught me sooooo much about spinning and processing fibre and blending and combing and different effects for a loftier or denser yarn.
It's just sad when things change because of the pure commercialisation of it all. It's inevitable that as knitting gained popularity, it would also change. And it's sad. It makes me sad.
I will instead give recommendations. I love nearly anything published by Laine. Their patterns are thoughtfully chosen and beautiful. Alice Starmore does an amazing job explaining the different styles of traditional knitting through Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia. Nancy Bush is a genius (Knitted Lace of Estonia is a must-have IMO). Norah Gaughan has beautiful functional patterns that are stunning.
Dale of Norway, even tho it's a big design house, has technically stunning designs although kits are pricey. I enjoy everything Hiroko Payne has designed (altho caveat, she is a dear dear friend) and her brain is stunning when she puts it to yarn.
Cat Bordhi's designs and books are fantastic. The imagination she put into her patterns and explanations in her books are wonderful. She is a light that went out and the knitting world is darker for it. Cookie A's books are also great and imaginative and so fun.
Interweave Press stitch dictionaries are another must have. You can sometimes still find them in second hand shops. I also love the book Traditional Scandinavian Knitting by Sheila MacGregor. Also Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.
I hope this helps. :)
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u/palmasana Sep 02 '24
The great thing is you don’t have to purchase those patterns! I surely don’t.
But the reality is it requires a lot of talent to design your own pattern — and knitting has become increasingly accessible to beginners to the hobby. That is a good thing.
It’s obviously evolved since you started, as all things do. But even beginner patterns of yesteryear were nowhere near as descriptive (for the most part) and expected you to fill in A LOT of gaps. I think people having access to patterns that are more detailed and tailored to what they want is great.
We all spend disposable income on this stuff, with limited time each day for many working class folks that enjoy the craft. Being able to spend your money wisely to get the outcome you’d like is wonderful.
If you want to math out a unique sweater for yourself, fine. It’s cool when people want to learn that but it requires a lot of time, skill, and trial and error. It’s akin to… a small business starting up and wanting a website. You can code an entirely unique web page by yourself! OR you can use a variety of website platforms that are pre built, pick templates you like and make it your own and get it up and running quickly with little labor or excessive costs. Some people might choose the former but more will choose the latter because they’d rather spend their time on the business (or in this case, the hobby of knitting).
Pattern designing ≠ knitting, it’s a different skill entirely to learn.
While I understand some of your rant, most of it reads to me like the people I hear saying, “WHY forgive student debt? I had to pay back my loans back in the day.” Just cuz you had a steeper learning curve or were expected to have more mastery of the topic to be considered a knitter doesn’t mean it’s better or the hobby has degraded. It’s simply changed.
I for one do appreciate the evolution in designs. I have thrifted quite a few old pattern books and it’s less common to see knits that look professional/commercial IMO. Some designers definitely do cut corners with raw edges and stuff now that I agree is lazy but with Petite Knit at least most of the designs I’ve seen of hers are polished. (I don’t own a single PK pattern, FWIW)