Thursday, April 26, 2012

Seasonal Crochet

Today is Day 4 in the 2012 Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, and the topic du jour is "A Knitter or Crocheter for All Seasons?" Participants are asked to answer the following question: "Do you make warm woollens the whole year through in preparation for the colder months, or do you live somewhere that never feels the chill and so invest your time in beautiful homewares and delicate lace items. How does your local seasonal weather affect your craft?"

Normally my crochet follows the seasons (and in Wisconsin we experience all four of 'em). Since I post a free pattern each month, I am especially interested in offering projects that are seasonally appropriate - to the Northern Hemisphere at least. In the normal course of things I'd be working right now on flowery, heading-into-summer designs. But for the last month and a half, my crochet has been devoted almost exclusively to wintry designs. You see (she says nervously), I've been submitting patterns to crochet magazines, and crochet magazines work WAY ahead of the seasonal game. It may be April to me, but they're already thinking winter and Christmas - and those are the patterns they want to see right now.

I've never submitted anything for publication before - it's rather a nervewracking process. You send your idea off into the unknown, with no guarantee of a response, or even an acknowledgement that the magazine has received your proposal. It's almost a case of "any news is good news" - if your proposal is rejected, you hear nothing whatsoever. If it's accepted, they get in touch.

(And I can't even post pictures of the projects I've submitted, hence the photo-less post.)

So right now my crochet is in seasonal limbo. I'm finishing up May's free pattern, which is rather cheerful and spring-y but could be adapted to any time of year. Between times, I'm biting my nails and checking my e-mail way too often, hoping against hope to see something (anything!) from "Editor@______" in the in-box.

Excuse me while I just check that e-mail again.

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This post is part of the 2012 Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. To see other posts on this topic, Google 3KCBWDAY4.

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9 comments:

  1. Good for you for submitting patterns, I hope you get published, how exciting would that be! Fingers crossed...

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  2. How very exciting indeed.....we will all be buying a copy and saying 'I know her!!'. I do hope you hear soon.....I can only imagine what being in a seasonal limbo would be like!

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  3. They would be silly to ignore anything you sent them, if you ask me!

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  4. How exciting, fingers crossed for you!

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  5. Good luck, I do hope that you'll be paid for supplying patterns.

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  6. Good luck! How exciting and I can well imagine the anxiety of it all. My fingers are crossed too for you.
    Happy weekend.

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  7. Oh, how nerve-wracking the waiting game when something has been submitted... I knew you wanted to do this, but I didn't know you'd already taken the plunge. Consider these responses as a sisterly hug with armsful of support and positive thoughts!

    On the bright side, you get to keep on being your own publisher right here, and there's a certain degree of joy in that!

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  8. They would be crazy to pass up a pattern from you!!!
    I think you will hear from them.
    Can't wait to see you in a magazine. :)
    I myself don't usually follow the seasons, I sort of work on what ever appeals to med at the moment.

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  9. I agree with Marigold! Good luck, Sue!

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