Thanks and Credits

As the book will be ready very soon (eek!) I felt it was time to reveal the names of all the amazing people who have played a part in getting this project off the ground. They will of course be credited in the book too, but I felt it right to thank them publicly here. So without further ado, may I present....

The Team
I am so, so lucky to have talented and wonderful friends to call upon. Each one has bought their strengths and have been extremely valuable - this book wouldn't be getting published without them.

Photography - the talented PixelDiva. An amazing job done - yep, she's responsible for the cover photo, and I can't wait to reveal the rest of the shots! I know she's proud of the photos she's taken, and I'm sure you'll agree they are fantastic. More than fantastic. There's some serious eye candy in store, let me tell you.

Tech Editing - Maths whizz MLQ. My saviour, as falling pregnant and coming off my meds screwed my brain beyond comprehension, and so she's helped with resizing as well as the tech editing. I'm sure she'll tell you that Hats aren't always as simple to design as many people perceive, especially when their construction is sideways requiring a 90 degree shift in thinking. A total star.

Tech advising, proof/copy editing - Susoolu. Someone who holds that skill with words that I can only envy.... the ability to not only find the tiniest of typos but also turn my rambling explanations into something clear and comprehensible. She even uses proper English. The introductions and tutorial/techniques pages are that much better thanks to her time and patience.

The Models
It could be very easy to hate this bunch for being so damn photogenic, but you can't because they're all such great people, and a good laugh to work with! To say that the photo shoots ran effortlessly and were such fun might sound like a well worn cliche, but they were. It was more like a bunch of mates getting together for the day rather than 'work'.

Amy, she off Knitty Hexed fame. Her particular niche is with the quirky shots - she can make the strangest of Hats seem ultimately wearable! (not that the book is full of strange Hats, btw)

UKnitty - someone many of us know for her knitting blog, and if you've all been wondering where she's disappeared to you'll see soon enough. She's a complete natural in front of the camera, more so with a hangover!

Corrie - another friend I've come to know through Amy. Down to earth, somewhat camera shy with cheek bones to die for. The ideal short haired lass to show that yes, short hair does suit most Hats.

And of course, the token male model, my very own Mr Tom. He's been complaining from day one about getting roped in, and hates to see photos of himself, yet he's the most photogenic male I've ever known. And no, I'm not biased. You'll see.

The Sponsors
Sponsorship is important, and can make or break a book. I didn't want to go for total sponsorship, as many yarn companies (one which shall remain nameless yet is the largest UK brand) like to take control of your project, and I wasn't going to let that happen. I'd sooner blow the budget and buy all the yarns myself than let one company take ownership.

Instead, I opted for a few choice yarn suppliers, those whose yarns I felt complemented the patterns and whose ethics and attitude I supported.

Foreign Strand - indie supplier of unusual yarns and knitting notions. I've since developed a great relationship with Luciana and hope to go on to better things.

Posh Yarn - surely we all drool over Dee's hand-dyed yarns? Well, they are just as yummy to work with too!

Brown Sheep - because there needs to be a good selection of US yarns as well as UK, and I totally adore their colour and fibre range. A company that deals only in natural fibres wins my vote. Their down to earth attitude and designer pack full of colour samples and info puts the bigger UK companies (again, they shall remain nameless) to shame.

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Next time I hope to share the photos - wheeeee! Trying very, very hard here not to get *too* excited...
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