Monthly Archives: April 2016

As I was writing the post title I realize how impossible it would be to describe a day and say that was representative of every day.  And certainly, even if I could come up with a typical day for me, it doesn’t mean it’s typical for any other designer!

Since I also work as a locum tenens (filling in at clinics as needed) small animal veterinarian, part time to full time, my work schedule changes from week to week. Often I work half days at a local feline practice, and I’m usually home before 2p; sometimes I work a vaccine clinic on Wednesday nights, which consumes the time between 5:20 and 8 or 8:30p; other times I’ll do full days, which can mean I’m gone from home from about 7 or 8a to 6:30 or 7p. I also often work Saturdays. Designing fits in before, after and around those times.

If I’m don’t have a vet job that day, I usually work at the computer in the mornings, and (ideally) knit in the afternoons and/or evening. The occasional photo shoot is in the afternoon as well.

Computer time includes tech editing, website maintenance, social media, pattern layout, creating or editing charts, creating schematics, design planning, submissions, accounting, pattern support, self education (I really need to improve my Photoshop skills!), etc. There is ALWAYS something that can be done: uploading patterns to other sites than Ravelry, planning tutorials or blog posts, and so on. I wrote a whole post here on learning to develop my own website — not necessarily a skill you’d think you’d need as a knitting pattern designer!

Usually, though not ideally, those tasks spill over into the afternoon.

Knitting is just that:  swatching or working on a pattern in progress. I’ll knit or swatch in the evening as well. If I’m on a deadline, I’ll try to do more knitting, but if I knit more than a certain length of time (several hours) I’ll get to a point where my hands (especially my left) start aching and I need to stop. We’ve all been there!

If I’m working a full day at a vet clinic, I’ll work on computer stuff at lunch, and hope to knit in the evening when I get home.  If it’s just a half day, I hope to catch up on computer stuff and knit once I’m home. I’ll do quick tasks before heading off to work (if I start something involved, I tend to lose track of time!).