The June 2021 issue of Crochet World magazine has arrived
and my Ginger Purse pattern is inside! I've been looking forward to the release
date for months. It's always exciting to see one of my designs in print, but
this one is special because it's one of my favorites. Why? It's a small, simple
project, but I feel that it really represents my style. It also represents the
progress I've made since I began designing and submitting my crochet projects
for publication over the past five years.
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| I had some Patons Grace yarn in my stash--perfect for a summer project. |
Designing and Submitting
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| My original mock-up used for submission. |
After some sketching and calculating, I started crocheting. Although
the submissions call only required a swatch and sketch, I wanted to create the
basic purse pieces so I'd be sure they worked together as I intended. I arranged
the front, button band, and one strap into a mock-up and photographed it. (If
you look closely at the photo, you can see that the button isn't sewn on.) Well
before the August deadline, I emailed the submission—photo, design description,
construction information, yarn suggestion—to the Crochet World editors and
moved on to other projects while I waited for a reply.
Design Accepted!
Several weeks after I sent my submission, I received the
email I had been hoping for—my Ginger Purse had been accepted for publication! Great
news, but I still had a lot of work to do.
First, I confirmed the terms being offered—rights, fee, and deadline, as well as any changes the editors wanted made to the design. Then I had to make a sample for photography. Crochet World offers yarn support—don't you love that term? It means they work with the yarn manufacturers to supply the yarn required to complete projects for publication. Because it was 2020, there was the added challenge of yarn availability. The pandemic stay-at-home situation had apparently increased the demand for yarn, and yarn companies were dealing with manufacturing and distribution challenges. Luckily, the company was able to supply the yarn needed in the required colors.
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| You don't always need a complicated stitch pattern--basic stitches can really show off the yarn and a project's design. |
Writing the Pattern and Making the Project
While I waited for the yarn to arrive, I worked on writing my
pattern. I already had notes and a rough pattern written long-hand on a legal pad—my usual
process for designs in progress. I typed it up according to the Crochet World guidelines
so I would have a clean pattern to work from and edit. When the yarn arrived, I
put my hook and pen to work. I try to make sure all my patterns are as
error-free as possible before I send them for publication, so while I was stitching
up my purse sample, I corrected and edited the pattern carefully.
When I was satisfied with my sample and pattern—and keeping the deadline in mind—I sent them off to Crochet World.
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| The vintage button has a touch of shimmer that works nicely with the yarn's sheen. |
Publication
Now, seven months after I shipped my design and pattern off to
Indiana, I get to see my Ginger Purse on the pages of Crochet World. During its
months away, the purse has been styled and photographed, the pattern has been
tech-edited, and the issue has been laid out and printed. Although Crochet World shares a sneak peek at each new issue on their website
and social media, I love when I finally get to flip through the whole magazine,
find my project--and see what all of the other designers have created.
I'm already looking forward to the next submissions call!
Love the way my Ginger Purse was photographed! Here's a photo of the June 2021 issue cover--look for it on your local newsstand! (Photography: Annie's)