In the Final Stages

I had a chest x-ray the other day to confirm that I had indeed coughed up one of my lungs. It’s curious, but they are both still there.

Anyhoo, the needle book pattern is finished and is now in the hands of my lovely, generous and good-looking pattern testers. Thank you, ladies! After giving the pattern a test run and any needed tweaks, I’m shooting to have it in the shop by mid-June.

Testing is always a great idea with new patterns, even though I’ve made so many on my own I feel I can do it with my eyes closed. Translating what you know into clear instructions for others to follow is a whole other ball game. There’s an intriguing article on the importance of pattern testing over here at While She Naps, especially as relates to the craft book publishing game. I really appreciate the the matter of fact articles Abby writes on issues that effect professional makers, and all the relevant comments and discussion that they draw. I know from experience that errors are not always caught before press time, despite the efforts of the editors. Actually, most craft books have a web page that lists errata. It’s always a great idea to check before you start a book project. That’s what makes the PDF format so appealing to me – if I do happen to notice a mistake or omission it is an easy matter to amend the file and get it out there.