This Sweater Had a Secret…
I was having a discussion about this with a fellow-knitter a few weeks ago, and was going to show her this picture as an inside joke. But then I thought, you know what? Others might benefit from knowing this sort of stuff. Not only because it’s kind of funny, but also because it firmly removes the temptation to place designers on any kind of pedestal. This sort of thing happens more than you might think. And once you know how to recognise it, there is a lot of fun to be had spotting it in pattern photos.
(Just out of curiosity, did anybody guess before reading the post?)
The sweater pictured above was still on the needles when these pattern photos were taken. About a third of the bodice is missing (the fabric ends where it appears to be tucked in!), and the unfinished cuffs are sitting on scrap yarn, with small balls of yarn tucked into inside each sleeve.
I had decided at the last minute to knit yet another sample of the Saglan pullover. I was hoping to get it done by the day of the photoshoot, but the timing didn’t work out. So on the morning of, I quickly tucked in the loose ends so that I could at least take some work-in-progress shots. I had not anticipated that the sweater’s unfinished state could be hidden so well, or that this sample would end up playing a prominent role in the photoshoot. But it was a bleak, hazy day, and the vibrant blue photographed well compared to the other sample colours. In the end, I liked the photos of the blue sample so much that I decided to make one of them the pattern cover. The unfinished bits are completely out of the frame, so technically they are irrelevant. But I still feel as if I’ve somehow tricked people by putting a photo of an unfinished sweater on a pattern cover!
It isn’t the first time I’ve done this either, albeit never with the main cover photo before. This Dropp sample - you can probably see it now more readily - is still on the needles, missing the hem where it appears to be tucked in. I can probably find other examples over the years if I rummage through my photos!
I’ll be the first to admit that, while funny, this isn’t exactly professional. And being an independent designer perhaps this is one of the downsides to lacking a 3rd party/ boss/ manager type of setup to ensure that timelines are realistic and the workflow is suitably paced to meet them.
That being said though… over the years I’ve had acquaintances who work at knitting magazines, as well as photographer friends who work with fashion houses and fashion publications. And guess what? Even in the realm of these well-organised, expertly managed enterprises, this stuff happens. The most amazing example I know about is a photo of a handmade indie-designed dress on the pages of a mainstream magazine, where the entire back of the dress was missing. The designer could not get it done in time. So the front had to be glued to the model’s body, who then had to pose very strategically! While the photographers did their magic. You would never know any of this looking at the pictures.
Ah there, I found another one. Almost done, but the front hem was still on the needles - which were tucked under, and no doubt poking poor Anna in the arm. How stoically she suffers this sort of nonsense!
While I wouldn’t point out similar ‘secrets’ in other designers’ pattern photos, you can spot them if you have a trained eye for it. When a part of a garment is consistently hidden or tucked away in every single photo, it is usually for a reason!
As for why this happens, it’s actually not necessarily about not being able finish on time. Sometimes the photoshoot gets moved up ahead of schedule for logistical reasons. And sometimes I take photos of works-in-progress, and a specific photo ends up being particularly interesting. So even though I do have photos of the finished garment, I decide to include one from the work-in-progress stage because it looks nice.
In any case, I just thought you might enjoy this bloopers-reel type post. And now you know the secret of the blue Saglan Pullover (which has of course since been finished!)
