I received exciting news…..

08 Oct I received exciting news…..

I received exciting news to start my Friday off! The post I had planned for today will just have to wait for next week because the email I received this morning was about something I had been waiting for, crossing my fingers & hoping for. So what is it you ask?

A couple of months ago I applied for an Associate level membership with the Association of Knitwear Designers (AKD). I felt this would be an important step toward taking my designing to the next level and toward designing becoming my one & only job. One of my designing goals is to provide you, my customers & followers, with patterns that are stylish, fun, enjoyable & 100% accurate – always. AKD is a community of designers who are all working toward the same goals, and helping each other along the way.

Applying to AKD means submitting a pattern that has been published (self or by someone else). The finished garment, pattern, charts if any & schematic are sent in. For my application I sent in Woodland Rose since it is a design I was really happy with. Here’s a photo……

Woodland Rose Tunic

This design was published by House of White Birches in “Circular Knitting Redefined”.

Shortly after sending in my application I was horrified to discover there was an error in the pattern. Both the tech editor & I had missed it. AAccckkk. So while the editor & I went through the entire pattern, re-editing the whole thing, I’m thinking that my AKD application is tanked. Once the re-editing was done I sent in the corrected pattern to AKD’s application coordinator anyway (and the tech editor sent it in to DRG/House of White Birches), and crossed my fingers that my application would not be summarily dismissed. The corrected pattern was received with understanding and a not to worry message. That restored some of my hope the pattern would pass muster. The application process is a juried one so everything counts.

Well, after waiting for a bit more, and distracting myself by working on other projects – I received the news this morning that my application has been accepted. And, the jurors felt my work is good enough to qualify for a Professional Membership! Yea!!!! (sing along now…) I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it……refrain again, and again.

For a knitwear/pattern designer, the feeling of a job well done – confirmed by others in comments, design success, accepted submission, and through a juried process like the AKD application – is a most wonderful feeling. It’s the pat on the back we all seek from whatever type of work we do. And this morning I am proud to say that I am now a Professional Member of the Association of Knitwear Designers!

I hope your day starts as good as mine has, and you have a most wonderful weekend….Cheers! Jean