In Which I Am Grateful

I've dedicated the new book to any knitter who has ever knitted from a pattern.

But actually, it's dedicated to me, 10 years ago. Me, when I was just publishing my first designs. This is the book I needed when I was trying to write up those first patterns, to save some myself some serious embarrassments and mistakes... (And to those poor knitters who tried to knit from my early patterns.)

I hope that it will help the next generation of knit designers as they publish their first designs.

---

There are lots of people to thank for supporting me on the project.

Kim Werker - editor extraordinaire. I'll be honest: I was worried when, after her first editing pass, she said it was in fantastic shape. I thought she hadn't read it closely enough.
Zabet Groznaya - not only is she a great person and a really good graphic designer, but she gets me. With barely any direction she produced a layout concept I adored.
Allison Thistlewood - marketing support. She asked the sensible questions and helped me figure out how to tell the world about it, and how to get it into people's hands.
Krystal London and Anne Blayney - for responding to desperate calls on Twitter for fast-turnaround design support. (The fact that they both regularly post adorable dog pictures on Twitter may or may not be connected.)
Avalon Sandoval for a bit of knitting which is being seen more broadly than I think she expected...
Gillian Martin and Sue Frost for some hilariously terrible photography.

And there are those who helped me with the content itself...

All the knitters who replied to my "tell me what you do and don't like in patterns" survey.

All the designers and experts who endured my questions and let me quote them:
Ruth Garcia-Alcantud, Kara Gott Warner, Elizabeth Green-Musselman, Zabet Groznaya, Nadia Majid, Kim McBrien-Evans, Amy Palmer, Emily Ringelman, Caro Sheridan, Lynne Sosnowski, Jenna Wilson, and Woolly Wormhead; Lorilee Beltman, Anne Berk, Donna Druchunas, Fiona Ellis, Katya Frankel, Deb Gemmell, Julia Grunau, Kate Heppell, Hunter Hammersen, Melissa Leapman, Lucy Neatby, Laura Nelkin, and Lindsay Stephens.

Those who suffered through early drafts:
Cari Angold, Rayna Curtis Fegan, Beth Graham, Janelle Martin, Kim McBrien-Evans, Lynne Sosnowski, Karie Westermann, Keri Williams, and Edna Zuber.

My former and current colleagues at Knitty:
Liz Ashdowne, Ruth Garcia-Alcantud, Ashley
Knowlton, Mandy Moore, Jillian Moreno, and Amy Singer.


Some key contributors deserve special mention: Lynne Sosnowski, for her most excellent contribution to the Selling Online chapter, and Jenna Wilson for setting me right on Copyright.

And then there's the home team: Norman for letting me shrug off housework, meal-making and dog walking duties. Anna at Cafe Unwind for Friday afternoon coffee breaks. And for Dexter, who didn't try to eat or destroy this one.