Working away in secret

It is rather strange that half, no, perhaps three quarters of the making on this blog is subject to a time lapse. Apart from the little ‘me’ entertainment projects, most of what I am working on has to be under an embargo. I can’t really share the commissions and the development of ideas as they happen. Sometimes when I am really organized I take photos mid-process and at a later stage I can find these and show them later. But by then I have usually moved onto the next ‘quick, quick, quick!’ deadline.

At the moment I am working away on three blanket designs – simultaneously (phew) and editing the next book. In terms of publications this is my largest and most complex yet. I can tell you I have never been so excited. On Saturday the first proofs arrived to look through and I jumped and danced around the kitchen in delight.

A bit like a television programme, it is surprising how many people there are involved in creating books. Lots of design, editing, tech-editing, photography, illustration….my part is probably quite small in comparison. Even before I send the patterns to the publisher, my wonderful friend Sue looks over the text with her beady eye. But you know, you can never guarantee that the odd mistake won’t slip in.

During the design process, the crochet tends to follow me about. I take it with me to visit my family, I sit quietly in the corner during social occasions. The items get propped up in my home or poke out of baskets in the living room, which means that lots of my friends feel they have invested in seeing the book develop too.

As the proofs arrive, Little B takes a keen interest, he flicks through the pages; ‘Oh I like that! That is such a cute photo’, he is my ‘cute’ barometer. Plus he is savvy enough to see if he will get a mention in the text. Well he is only human. So we are probably mid-way through the development process, this is my favourite project yet, and I am so very excited. I can’t wait to share it properly with you.