Summer, summer, wherefore art thou summer?

 Summer came and left in the blink of an eye! Here I sit on the edge of autumn looking back on the roller coaster ride that was summer this year. It was insanity at its best. Clicking through my pictures, I quickly realized that even in the insanity of it all, crochet was right there by my side.

I started summer off working on The Crochet Crowd Market Bag Challenge. I started hooking in Virginia all the way to Disney World in Florida and then back again. Needless to say, I did not make the deadline, but I did finish the bag! The challenge is over, but you can still get the free pattern and tutorial video HERE. (The first picture is of a crazy ape at South of the Border trying to steal my yarn! The second picture is the finished Market Bag.)

After coming home from our trip to Disney, my mother in law was put in the hospital with pneumonia, I got a free one week stay on a comfy futon by her side. While there, I had plenty of time to crochet. I thought it was the perfect time to work on a few prayer shawls. The ones I worked on while I was there, in the third picture, was a pattern called The Original Half Granny Square/Shawl it’s a free Ravelry pattern. I ended up getting three done while I was there!

 I Co-Lead a mission trip to Costa Rica next!  We built retaining walls, worked on gardens and building a feeding center. We served at a feeding center and more! Our days were filled to the brim, but in the evening there was a bit of time to spend teaching some of the youth how to crochet!

My last post has the picture of the Slouchy Hat I did up while I waited for everyone else to get off the roller coasters at Hershey Park. I have spent the last month doing a hodge podge of activities, to include white water rafting, picnics, car washes and one too many trips to Chuck E. Cheese. (We only took two.)

I managed to fit some pattern testing in this last week. Blackstone Designs is revamping her patterns, and I had a chance to test out her Mug Love Pattern, which happens to be on sale through Sunday for 58% off as well as all of her patterns! She has some super cool stuff you can check out here, Blackstone Designs. The Mug Love pattern is the one in the last picture up top. It is a super quick, super simple pattern to follow. I worked mine up in about a half an hour!

So, the fourth picture above…I made the set for a friend of mine. I used the Mallory Skirt Pattern (also on sale at Blackstone Designs) and a free Owl Hat Pattern by Repeat Crafter Me. The size is 6-12 months, and the skirt, I embellished with a loop edge and only used one of the pockets and made it an applique instead of an actual pocket.

Currently…no pics available, I am working on my entry for the Stranded & Tangled In Madagascar Challenge. Take a minute and go check it out!  You have until September 26th to get an entry in. Anyone can do this…YOU can do this. Lots of prizes, many are random so why not give it a go!

One more before I go! I am super…super…super excited about a purchase I made this summer!  For these…

I can’t get to an actual picture of the cards right now, but I got a set of notecards with this design on the front. Don’t “Ewe” just love it!? I got them from Deb Johnson at The Artsy Ewe! Go and check out her shop. Besides the notecards, she makes project bags for your yarn and they can be customized. A must see. Oh…and if you really like them, stay tuned there’s a very good chance they are going to be part of my next giveaway!

So, tell me, what did you get done this summer? Are you glad it’s come to an end and making way for autumn or are you disappointed and wanting this Labor Day to last forever so summer doesn’t go away?

Casting off until the next time we hook up!

Sheri

Pattern Testing: Is it for You?

This week I came across a designer who was looking for pattern testers. It just happened I scrolled past the request at just the right time. The first three to post with an email address would be sent the pattern to test. Several responded to the post, but only two others had left emails, so I quickly added mine and was excited to get the email from Kara Gunza, Petals to Picots, with the test pattern for this adorable Teether Lovey. Here’s my test project.

Edited to add: Pattern Now Available

Have you ever thought about testing patterns? You will need to understand how to read a pattern and be willing to give feedback. Reliability and communication are musts. I spoke with both Kara Gunza from Petals to Picots and Sonya Blackstone from Beautiful Ducklings about what designers expect from testers.

What do you look for in pattern testers?

Kara: Mostly dependability and someone who can clearly communicate any errors or problems.

Sonya: Someone with experience reading patterns, that is reliable and can meet the deadline. The testers definitely need to be able count stitches so they can tell me if my count is off.

Do you have a group of testers you use regularly, or do you post as needed?

Kara: I do not. I usually put a post on Facebook and choose the testers on a “first come, first chosen” basis. 

Sonya: I post as needed, gives everyone a chance to offer, although I have had a few bad apples, so I have considered just doing a group

What would make you use a tester more than once?

Kara: Sometimes I will ask a tester to test if I think they would have a particular interest in a pattern I am working on. For instance, if I remember someone recently had a new baby and I have a baby item to test, I might ask them first.

Sonya: I would use a tester more than once if they were reliable! Easy to communicate with!

What would make you never use a tester again?

Kara: I would never use a tester again if they were unreliable. I do understand that sometimes life gets in the way of deadlines, but if they don’t communicate with me about the delay, then I probably wouldn’t use them again.

Sonya: I have a few testers I would never use again because they received my pattern and then the next day they would message me with some thing like “Oh sorry my kids are sick” “something came up” or they would test halfway and get bored with the project and quit and just stop communicating.

Any advice you would give someone who is testing out a pattern for you or any other designer?

Kara: Just be yourself … trust your skills and instincts. And keep the designer in the loop with any problems.

Sonya: Don’t sign up to test if you can’t actually get it done! Most patterns only take a couple of hours in total to complete…most testers give 48 hours..that’s plenty of time to sneak in time to complete it! Don’t offer if you’re not 100% sure that you can get it done and provide feedback! BE RELIABLE!! COMMUNICATE!

Testing patterns can be fun, and can benefit both the designer and you. Before you sign up, be sure you will have the time to follow through, the supplies needed, and the skills for the pattern level. And most importantly, remember the designer is trusting you with their design. You should never publish or share the pattern or details of the pattern. 

Happy Testing!