Testing

The subject line of the email caught my eye.

Last week I’d filled out  a form to test knit a pattern for a designer. A test knitter’s job is to follow a draft of a pattern and let the designer know if there are glitches, or if things are going really well. It gives the designer a way to get samples knit up that other people can see in all possible sizes – a job that can take some time if you had to do it all on your own.

I have long wanted to do test knits for people and had filled out forms a couple of times, but, as teens with no previous experience will tell you, you need experience at the job to get the job. So far, my replies had all been of the  “Thanks, but…” variety. Until this email message.

I get to be a test knitter for Mina Philipp (The Knitting Expat)!!!!

The sweater is an adult version of her Little Nugget sweater, the Not So Little Nugget sweater

It is a straightforward sweater pattern, which means an easy enough knit. The real learning curve is on the expectations for test-knitters. I need to keep track of some data I don’t usually track:

• how much yarn was used, in grams and meters/yards (for each color),
• needle size
• gauge achieved
• finished measurements of the item
• any comments I have

I also have to set up a project page on Ravelry (that’s like Facebook for knitters, in case you don’t know) and link my page to the finished pattern, once it has been published.

The final sweater isn’t due until May 4th and I am already thinking about what yarn in which colors I might choose.