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| http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/intersect |
Once a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the Knitting world.
You can find Lara here and here on Ravelry.
Where
do you find inspiration? I find inspiration everywhere and keep a
notebook with me for jotting down ideas.
The wings of a butterfly, the spiral pattern of a shell, frost patterns on windows, looking at the way colors flow in a skein of
variegated yarn all give me inspiration.
I enjoy reading fashion magazines and get a lot of inspiration from them
as well.
What is your favourite knitting technique? Lace! I love knitting anything with lace incorporated into it. I also enjoy colorwork. My favorite projects are socks and shawls.
What is your favourite knitting technique? Lace! I love knitting anything with lace incorporated into it. I also enjoy colorwork. My favorite projects are socks and shawls.
Do
you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be influenced
by their designs?
I subscribe to several knitting
magazines and always read Knitty
when it comes out online. I think that as a designer it is important to stay on
top of what is trending and to know what knitters want to knit. While I do
enjoy looking at other designs, I strive to create new and unique designs.
How
did you determine your size range?
It really depends on the design.
A shawl may offer one or two sizes,
while a sock pattern will have a wider range of sizes.
Could
you tell us a little about your Etsy business? My Etsy
shop is very similar to my Ravelry Pattern Shop. I carry a full line of my patterns on both
sites. I will be adding a new line of
knitting bags to my Etsy shop at the end of April.
How
do you feel about the so called controversy of “dumbing down” patterns for
knitters? I
think that patterns need to be presented to knitters in a way that is easy for
them to follow and understand. I strive to have clear and concise directions in all of my patterns. Knitting should be enjoyable and trying to
knit a pattern that is hard to follow can be very frustrating. Many times
knitters just give up.
How
many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all
yourself?
I have a group of wonderful test knitters.
I have three test knitters that knit almost everything that I come out
with and there are several other test knitters that test knit when time allows. They all do a fantastic job with testing and
I don’t know what I would do without them!
I have one sample knitter and I knit each design that I come out with.
Did
you do a formal business plan? I do have a business plan. It is based over five years and includes an
intensive marketing campaign. I worked
in social media for a yarn company for several years and my marketing strategy
is very similar to the one that I created for them. It’s good to re-evaluate your business plan
every five years or sooner, make changes where you see the need, and go from
there.
Do
you have a mentor? I feel very lucky to have a few: Anne Hanson, Carrie Sullivan,
Kyle Kunnecke,
and Tabetha
Hedrick. It can be difficult to break into designing and I was fortunate enough
to be able to turn to friends when I had a question or needed encouragement.
Do
you have a business model that you have emulated? My
business model is based on customer relation's and support. First and foremost I want to be able to
provide a high level of service to people who have purchased my patterns. I love what I do and hope that it shows
through in my work. If someone has a
question I make sure that it gets answered in a way they can understand –
especially if they are new to knitting.
We were all new to it at one time and I think that sometimes that gets
overlooked.
What
impact has the Internet had on your business? My
entire business is on the Internet.
Ravelry specifically has made it very easy for designers to self
publish. Ravelry has a wonderful
advertising program that I have taken full advantage of. With the addition of Etsy,
Facebook and Twitter reaching potential customers is now much easier then it
was even just a few years ago.
Do
you use a tech editor? Yes.
I have a wonderful tech editor who does a fantastic job for me.
How
do you maintain your life/work balance? I really enjoy what I do and it
most of the time it doesn’t feel like work.
I try to stick to a schedule of writing in the morning and early
afternoons, and knitting in the afternoon and evenings. This changes if there is a deadline or we are
traveling. It’s really hard to write
patterns while we are on the road.
Knitting is a wonderful craft since it is portable and can be brought
most anywhere. It’s not often that you
will see me without it.
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| http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-outer-limits |
How
do you deal with criticism? I continually strive
to improve myself and my patterns.
If a test knitter has a suggestion or has trouble understanding
something that I have written, it means that I need to improve what I have done
before publishing. I want my patterns to
be clear and easy to follow.
How
long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?
I am not there yet, but am certainly striving to be able to do this. Right now it’s providing a small and steady
income and I am doing something that I absolutely love. I am fortunate that my
husband is very supportive and encouraged me to take the first step that lead
me to designing full time.
What
advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting? Take
as many classes as you can, attend events like TNNA and Stitches. Get your feet wet by offering to
test knit for designers whose work you like.
Make a business plan and know where you want to be next year and five
years from now. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. People are usually willing to offer advice
and suggestions. Most of all don’t ever
get discouraged.
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| http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spark-2 |
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