Designing a Sweater

Well guys, I'm finally doing it. I'm designing my first knitted sweater! 

I've wanted to do this for a while, but the gauge swatches and measurements and multiple sizing intimidated me just a little bit. However, I think in the end all the work is going to be worth it. I love knitting and I love figuring it out. Designing a sweater is a little bit like solving a puzzle, actually. Anyone ever play the Nancy Drew PC games? In every game there are a series of tasks and puzzles you have to complete before solving the mystery. This sweater feels a lot like that! First you have to knit a swatch using the needles and yarn you selected. Then you have to measure the stitches per inch, and rows per inch, and then use that to figure out how wide and long your pieces need to be. It's a lot of work! Once you've knitted up your base size (mine will be a S/M), you need to then translate your pattern into a few larger sizes to better market your design (no one wants to buy a sweater pattern for only one size!). This requires even more math and problem-solving. Once THAT'S done and your pattern is written up, you may also want to write out a chart for whatever stitch pattern you used. 

When it's all finished, I'll then have to decide whether I want to self-publish or try publishing it through a yarn company. Thoughts? Experience? I'd love to hear.