Back in September,
we started a Berroco Design Studio blog...
For those readers new to the on-line world, the term
blog is a shortened version of the two word term "web log". Written in my
voice, it's informal and conversational, allowing us to give you a window into
the design process and see how much knitting is a part of our everyday
lives here at Berroco. The conversation also involves you. Comments from
readers are interesting to fellow readers and sometimes spur on new entries
as well.
About: Intended to be a glimpse into the inner workings of the design studio at Berroco, our blog is written mostly by me, Norah Gaughan, the design director. I intend to have all of the characters involved making appearances. Our work is fun, it's hard, it's frustrating and sometimes crazy. Learn a little about what makes the design team tick. Get the inside scoop.
 The Characters:
Margery - notoriously shy about having her picture taken. Even her college (RISD) yearbook had a quadruple exposure - you can't see a thing! So, bringing her into the blog is a challenge. I managed to snag a shot of her
notebook though. Check out Margery's drawing skills ;)
Me -Discover the earliest roots of my of my polygon
obsession in the very first entry.
You - A lot of readers seem to appreciate our photos of norah
gaughan vol.1 sweaters
on "real" knitters.
 
Supporting Characters - I'll manage to sneak in info on the rest of our design team as the blog progresses. Deana, nerve center of our design room - Donna, gracious voice behind pattern support & a great designer to boot (see our Knitting
Tote for proof) - Brenda, ever busy technical writer (pretty fairisles are her specialty) - Taro, indispensable art director & Warren, fearless leader.
 The Drama:
So far entries have ranged from exploration of the boyfriend sweater curse to a reader participation guessing game. The slow unveiling of Celestine,
our Christmas tree topper was great fun. This piece looked so very curious when
I was working on it that Margery had the idea that I should show it on the blog
and ask folks to guess what it was.
Our Spring 08 patterns will be on the Berroco web site next week, but I've managed to sneak out a few teaser previews. This page
layout and a detail of Currer show a bit of norah gaughan vol 2.
 
The Mundane:
How many Knitting needles does one woman need? I've been collecting them for years. Read about my favorite kind. Now, every serious knitting blog must have a few requisite kitty
shots. Both of my cats (Lena and Jake) as well as Margery's Fred have made appearances.
 
This Week:
I'll be answering a reader's question regarding Joyella and
felting, which ties into Situate, the free pattern in this Knitbits.
 
Plans for the Future:
I asked a few veteran bloggers for feedback and here are some of their great ideas that I would like to incorporate in our blog:
- A day in the life of Margery and Norah - from the outside, it looks like such a fun job, so it would be great to temper that thinking with some reality
- the occasional top ten eg: top ten podcasts, things to do this weekend, beginner knitting books, online recipes, knitting blogs, knit related things to do with an ipod, websites) things every knitter needs to know before choosing a pattern...
- a look into the garment design process (sketches/photos/yarn all the way through to the finished product) and discussion of upcoming trends in clothing, knitwear and your new yarns. Any
sort of content that is a 'window' into the garment design process
Viewer Participation:
Please feel free to add to my list of plans for the future. Comment on the blog or write
to us with ideas or requests. I'd love for this blog to grow and change to fit your needs and desires.
Revisit the blog:
The web address is http://blog.berroco.com (no www). Next week we will have a brand new home page with links to the blog, but in the meantime, you may want to add the address to your favorites, or bookmark it, on your browser. You don't subscribe to a blog like you subscribe to an e-newsletter, but if you want you can add us to your RSS
news reader and you'll know the second I post a new entry. Sometimes I get comments so quickly, I feel like other knitters are sitting right across the room from me.
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