As an optimistic designer-in-waiting, as I like to think of myself (so many ideas, so little time to make them actually happen), I love love love reading how other designers find inspiration to arrive at their designs. Cookie A talks a little bit about inspiration in Sock Innovation, and she recently wrote a blog post about how she was making up a pattern as she went along, which I thought was awesome (and then became very intimidated, because if that’s what she calls “winging it”… there is no hope for the rest of us).
Mari Muinonen recently posted a blog about the inspiration for her new Twist design, Luminen (you may remember the stir that her Sylvi caused last year).
I loved Mari’s little inspiration board that she shared in her post, as well as the fact that the design was inspired by the movie The Golden Compass (I’m a bit “eh” on the movie but I love the books, and I did like the artistry and overall visual look of the movie). There’s also some Princess Amidala and Matrix action going on in the inspiration board, which appeals to the geek in me.
I’ve never really thought about where I get my inspiration from. Sometimes it’s from TV or film; one of the designs floating around in my head is a pair of slipper socks to wear around the house, inspired by the shoes the character Annie wears on Being Human. I’ve even bought the yarn and have started pattern drafting in my head, and figuring out how I will finish them (to felt or not to felt? lining or no lining? fleece/roving lining or some sort of fabric lining?).
(I know that good pictures of her shoes exist, as I’ve seen people make icons and avatars that include her feet, I just can’t seem to find these pictures myself.)
I’ve also found inspiration from stitch patterns, as well as individual yarns. I picked up a gorgeously dyed one of a kind skein from a dyer-friend of mine and have a Great Plan to design a pair of socks around the yarn, it just hasn’t happened yet. Designer-in-waiting, like I said.
Inspiration is important to every person, whether they knit or not. Which has me wondering, where do you find inspiration? Not necessarily for designing or even knitting, but what inspires you to be creative or to do something that you love? Or even to just get out of bed in the morning? Sometimes I have trouble being inspired to do that.
