Since process fascinates me, and I don't seem to have moved much past dwelling on my Christmas projects, I thought maybe I'd share a little bit of how my mind allegedly works.
My projects all begin with a snarky little idea such as:
"Hmm, the Daleks on Dr. Who come in a lot of fashionable color combos these days. That snazzy red and black look is a good combo both classic and trend-tastic. Wonder what other colors they have. Ooo. Lots of different ones - some with gold. Gold? That's a regal and festive choice. I wonder what Davros would have decking his halls during the holidays? Oh oh oh I know..."
... and then the process continues along lines mostly
Since I have no documentation of the mental runaway train action, I'll start our journey with a little sketch.
I did say little... and crappy.I freeform my crocheted applique figures. A little like sculpting with thread and stitch, but I need a point of reference, a shape to follow and emulate. Especially when shooting for a Dalek which has various unusual sloping angles to it that I just can't visualize strongly enough to keep in my head. Sooo... To the internet! ...with fully optimized download capability.
"Source Material"You know, in hindsight, I probably could have colored it in with Photoshop while I was cutting and pasting my way through the copyright laws, but I didn't think of it at the time and I really, really enjoy using my super el cheapo colored pencils for some nostalgic preschool playtime.
Top down is how I like to roll, so while staring at the vandalized print-out I began working on the basic forms starting with the domey head which was an easy enough structure of a flattened quarter circle. The "neck part" was a little work but the look of the elements was achievable with simple techniques that were easy to anticipate: sides flared via end-row stitch increases and slats raised by post stitches.
The part that kept throwing me though was the skirt. (Yes, get over it - it's a skirt.) I've done alternating rows of decreasing stitch sizes as attached rays before and had that idea ready to go, but this time the pitch of each ray was different and that bounced a rugged little curve ball off my forehead.
I mostly work by starting on an object and ripping and redoing along the way if it isn't shaping up right because I can usually tell if a compound structure I'm trying to build will work before the object is complete. The skirt is different.
For some reason, I have a butt-load of trouble discerning spatial interactions. (Makes driving an adventure: How far is that car and what speed is it traveling? - oh just gun it - WAHOO! - Thrill Driving!!) Anyway, with the Dalek skirt, I just couldn't tell if the proportioning was correct as I was stitching. I had to make complete models before I could tell if the slope was right. What a pain! So this time I have nasty little proto-versions lying around.
Trial and ErrorNasty little things but getting me closer to go. Eventually I figured out the right distribution of angling then blocked, card-stocked and bejeweled it up a treat.
Ta Da!
Exterminate! Exterminate! La! La! La!Wow, I really do amuse easily.
But then, who wouldn't want a glittery Dalek applique of their very own?
Guess what? I took notes along the way. I always forget to do that!
Working NotesAnd looking at the photo above, you can probably guess why. My notes are a mess and barely useful. Yes, I do understand them, but sadly, only for a day or two then I'll be as lost as the next hook-monkey looking at crochet gibberish.
So I often try to rewrite the mess before I forget everything:
So I often try to rewrite the mess before I forget everything:
Cleaned Up NotesBetter? Meh.
Works for me though. In my shorthand code because I am much too lazy to write out the entire word for a stitch much less any explanatory sentence on how it was achieved and accompanied by the odd sketch or two because I'm a very visually oriented lazy person.
So by virtue of the herculean effort that resulted in this extensive documentation, I may just be able to write out this pattern for others to understand. Who knows?
And that is my "process": from internal dialogue brainstorming/idle daydreaming nonsense to cheesy and vaguely unethical image research to brash just-jump-in almost blind "stitch sculpting" to finished project with the potential accompaniment of a juicy stockpile of the raw compost necessary for pattern writing.
Not pretty; but fun as Hell.
Hook On!
C
Works for me though. In my shorthand code because I am much too lazy to write out the entire word for a stitch much less any explanatory sentence on how it was achieved and accompanied by the odd sketch or two because I'm a very visually oriented lazy person.
So by virtue of the herculean effort that resulted in this extensive documentation, I may just be able to write out this pattern for others to understand. Who knows?
And that is my "process": from internal dialogue brainstorming/idle daydreaming nonsense to cheesy and vaguely unethical image research to brash just-jump-in almost blind "stitch sculpting" to finished project with the potential accompaniment of a juicy stockpile of the raw compost necessary for pattern writing.
Not pretty; but fun as Hell.
Hook On!
C
