The rain started on Monday, and I haven't been able to get a decent outdoor photo this whole time. So, this is the best I could do, indoors, with my mediocre photography skills. I'm still working on Nejat's blanket. The pillows aren't started, but since, again, she doesn't even know when her birthday is yet, I can get those done as I am able.

The photo that follows may shock you. Avert your eyes if you are easily offended. They are all of my UFOs from THIS MONTH. These do not include the UFOs I have that I've put aside for the moment. These are just the ones I have been or should have been working on recently. Some are design swatches, so they won't need as much time or work, but still, they are unfinished.


I most definitely need to get on these. Especially the two on the left, as they have deadlines. I see some late nights in the near future.

Speaking of designs, I am going to try again with the magazines. I have three design proposals for two magazines right now. They each have a deadline in June, with one of those almost completely ready to send. There is also another that I am pitching to Knit Picks for one of their early spring collections. Actually, I am quite proud of that design. If it weren't for the rather limited number of designs that they are selecting, I'd say that this was a shoe in, but they are only seeking six to eight, and there will be a lot of other people submitting, so it's not quite so guaranteed. Again, if they don't take it, I will either offer it to them as part of their IDP, or pitch it to another magazine if it matches their themes (I can probably get it in for a spring submission, and if not, fall or winter would work, but not summer). If nobody wants it, I'll self publish. I told Rich that I had almost achieved the holy grail of cable knitting, and if I could work out (later, eventually) the other part that would make this aspect perfect, it would be even better. We decided that should be called the holy ciborium.

I'm comforted, even though a design I thought was excellent was rejected recently, that so far no rejections have come back with a request never to send a proposal in again. In fact, each time, they tell me when the next call for submission will be, so they must be willing to at least consider my work. I try to remember that this is a lot like writing novels or essays, and that for every acceptance, I'm probably going to see 10 rejections. It's still kind of discouraging, though. My ratio is actually better than that: Three acceptances, seven rejections. That's not too shabby. I'll try to remember that. Rich is my biggest cheerleader, though, and his (very typical male pilot) response was that if they rejected that design, they were fools. I can, at least, recognize that it may simply have not fit with the other patterns they chose, wasn't quite how they envisioned the theme being played out in the issue, or that they may have thought it was not quite the right color scheme and didn't want to take the time and effort to rework that. There are a lot of reasons for a rejection. I just kind of wish they'd liked it enough to hold on to it for a future issue. In any case, it is ready to resubmit to another magazine and we'll see how it does there. If that is a no go, then I will put it aside until the fall and try to publish it myself in late fall or early winter.

Again, if you haven't already liked Arabian Knits Designs on Facebook, please do. That's where I put updates and testing opportunities and other design news. Your liking it gets me more visibility with folks who may not know about my patterns and that helps me. Thank you!

I have to be honest and admit that I have read absolutely nothing this week. Not counting Facebook and our readings for Morning Prayer.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On, Yarn Fanatic Party, and One Project at a Time

Labels: Birthday, Books, Crochet, Design, Family, Homemaking, Knitting, Yarn Along