What is it like to be a knitwear designer? What are the challenges? What are the rewards? How did they begin their career? Who taught them to knit?
photo by ldyck
From 2010 to 2012, for this blog, I interviewed a community of knitwear designers--for this blog. These interviews offer a unique insight into the career of knitwear design.
Interviews with Knitwear Designers
My advice to knitters is to enjoy the process. You should allow yourself to experience the pleasure of all that yarn running through your fingers, how you feel about your accomplishments, learning new things, and seeing what transpires as you manipulate your yarn and needles. In the end, if you had to knit the same ball of yarn over and over, it could still be a pleasure (well, for a while). We get too focused on the price of the materials we are using and how long it takes, and we forget how much we get out of it. Not only do we create things, we entertain ourselves, sooth ourselves, and it helps us get through things we’d just rather not (kid’s sports, waiting rooms, family visits, you name it!)
Knitwear Designer, Author
Jill Wolcott Knits
Who taught you to knit?
I was taught to knit by my mother when I was five years old. I remember carrying my knitting around the neighbourhood that summer while I was working on my first project—a baby pink scarf. I don’t honestly remember if I ever finished it, but I do remember that several of the rows were a dirty grey because I must have been knitting with grubby hands. I also remember counting my stitches at the end of every row and then running home to have my mum fix my dropped stitches.
Knitwear Designer, Author
Where is your favourite place to knit?
Two places: Sitting on the sofa in our basement, the dog snuggled between me and my hubby, watching something good on TV, with a cup of tea at hand. My second favourite place to knit is the streetcar: I have a long commute to one of my regular teaching gigs, and I enjoy very much getting a window seat, listening to music on my headphones, knitting away and enjoying the view as the city goes by. The first is comfier, but the second location has better light!
Knitwear Designer, Author
When did you become a knitwear designer?
I’m not sure; I think I always have been. I’ve worked professionally in this business for two years (this interview was conducted in 2012), but I am just now getting to the point where I feel okay to call myself a “Knitwear Designer”. I honestly think people throw the term ‘designer’ around way too much. Designers are those who work tirelessly for their art. It’s like a home baker calling themselves a Chef. There is a big difference!
How did you become a knitwear designer?
WORK!! Lots of work! I average about 100 hours a week. I wake at seven and work until bedtime. That's the only way to make it in this business. You have to be willing to put in the time.
Knitwear Designer, Author
Crafting a Handmade Home
How did you become a knitwear designer?
Like many people, I started altering patterns, then I morphed into designing my own patterns just for myself, then decided to start developing patterns for public consumption.
Stephanie Tallent
Knitwear Designer, Author
I've always created. I majored in crafts (jewellery, ceramics, and textiles) in art college and received my degree in Fine Arts. I was working as a jeweller, both teaching and designing, and was feeling uninspired. We wanted to have a baby, and I felt that the toxins I was exposed to at the jewellery studio were just too risky. Knitting was my passion, though, and it was consuming all of my free time. I decided that it was time to apply my design skills to knitting.
It didn't occur to me that I had no instruction or experience in knitwear design. My art college education gave me a good grounding in design in a general sense, and I applied that and my common sense to figuring out how to design knitting patterns. There were few resources at the time, although now there are many books on designing your own knits.
Knitwear Designer, Author
Tell me about your first pattern. Where was it first published?
About ten years ago (2000), I was shopping at the Boulder Handweavers’ Guild annual sale, and I saw a marvelous felted bag that I wanted to buy. It was $75 and quite outside of my budget at the time. I was with my mom at the sale, and we decided we would try to figure out how to make the bag ourselves, so we went to the local yarn shop, bought some wool yarn and a book with some information on felting, and I went home and started to play. I ended up with one of my favorite bags of all time—I still use it today—and it also became my published knitting design.
My first published design was in Family Circle Easy Knitting. I always loved that magazine and was sad to see it go away!
Donna Druchunas
Knitwear Designer, Author
What is the most rewarding aspect about being a knitwear designer? What’s the most challenging?
Creating something that people love to knit is a fabulous feeling! I think self-doubt is the most challenging. Every time a design goes out, it’s a part of me, and I’m hoping that I wasn’t fooling myself into thinking it looks good!
Rosemary Hill
Knitwear Designer, Author
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a knitwear designer?
It's exciting to see knitters' reactions to my designs to see if they understand what I'm trying to communicate with them. Being able to spend my days immersed in the knitting—both the physical knitting and the planning and making it work part—are immensely rewarding.
Challenging?
Marketing and paperwork are definitely challenging for me. I would love to be able to just create and have someone else swoop in and spread the word for me and do my books.
Knitwear Designer, Author
