Test Knitting

As promised, here is a short note on Test Knitting.

What is it?

Test knitting is one of the final steps in preparing a knitting pattern for sale. It is an opportunity for the designer to see his/her design in different yarns and made by different knitters. Having the pattern knitted by different knitters allows the designer to make the final assessments of their design. Test knitters will generally have some experience at knitting and some will be more experienced than others. Having knitters with a range of experience lets the designer assess if the pattern does suit the level of experience that they designed for. 

As knitting style (English, continental, combination) and yarn hold affect the tension of knitting, having a group of knitters work on the same design shows if or how these variations will affect the size and appearance of the finished design. This also applies to different yarns. The designer will have specified a particular weight of yarn (e.g. Fingering weight) but different fiber types can also have an effect on the finished item. Sometimes the designer will specify a yarn type. For example, in my test of Peacock Butterfly shawl, the designer specified that a 100% merino yarn was to be used. This specification is generally because different fibers behave in different ways. A merino yarn is softer and has more drape than other wool types. Silk, linen and cotton all behave very differently to wool or alpaca yarns. This can affect the drape and fit of the finished item.

  Test knitting is a final opportunity to catch any errors before publication. It allows for more people to check through for any typographical errors, symbols missing from charts or keys and to check the general flow of the pattern makes logical sense and is easy to follow.

Why do it?

For me, test knitting has always been a way of challenging myself and developing as a knitter. The first time I tested, the challenge was "am I good enough to do this". Some of the time the deadline is the challenge. Many of my test knits have introduced me to new techniques or stitches. Another challenge for many knitters is to knit strictly to the pattern.

I only test knit designs that I love and mostly from a few designers whose patterns I have knit in the past. Loving the design makes it much easier to stay motivated and complete the project by the deadline.

Another reason to test knit is to knit with a group. The tests that I have been involved with have all been conducted on Ravelry forums. This means that we see all the shawls in progress and can discuss any issues we are having with interpretation of the pattern and catch any errors more quickly. It is a bit like a virtual knit night, with friends from all around the world.

Test knitting the design means that you are one of the first to knit it. Often the designer will feature photos of your finished project on the Ravelry pattern page for the design and sometimes these photos will be included with the pattern as the stole in the photo below was.

How do you do it?

The test knits that I have been involved in (almost all shawls) have started with the designer posting a request for test knitters, either on a forum or (more rarely) by contacting me directly. Once all of the testers have been selected, the pattern is sent to them. 

After receiving the pattern from the designer, I read through it to check that everything makes sense to me - the "I can knit this" moment. After the design has been set up in my Knit Companion app, I weigh my yarn and set up a project page on Ravelry where I can keep all the records of my test. 

As I progress through the pattern, I keep a record of the size of the item at certain points (such as the end of a chart, before starting the border) and weigh my yarn so that I can calculate exactly how much yarn I have used. After binding off, the item needs to be blocked to the measurements in the pattern (or as close as you can get) and photos taken to be uploaded to the test forum and sent to the designer. 

The designers that I have tested for also have a survey that needs to be completed after the item is finished. This generally requires information on your gauge, yarn brand, type and how much you used, the size of the finished item and any errors, comments or corrections that you have for the pattern.  

So there you have it. I test knit because I love knitting shawls and the designers on Ravelry are coming up with new beautiful designs like the one below at a scary rate.