August Reboot Series - The Barbie Factor

This month I'm going to be doing some re-posting of older blog posts. Some like this one will have updates included as when I reread I often realize I've learned something new since the original post went up.  I hope to have all new interviews every Friday but many Pros take the month of August off and in past years I haven't always been able to get enough interviews back to fill all the August dates.  (As predicted I sent out a much higher number than usual of interview invitations but I don't yet have a new one to post.) 

Several years ago I spoke at my guild about Knitters and body image. I want to share a little of that presentation because I know many knitters who, due to body image issues, won’t knit garments for themselves. 

Body image refers to a person's perception of their own physical appearance. It describes how one perceives one's appearance to be to others, which in many cases may be dramatically different from one's objective physical condition or how one is actually perceived by others. Many people are so overcome by body loathing that the other amazing dimensions of who they are simply fade away and they negate attributes like exceptional talent, stellar careers and strong loving relationships.

Did you grow up playing with Barbie dolls? I did, so I thought that that’s what grown up women are supposed to look like. Researchers generated a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions and they said that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her torso would be too narrow to contain her organs.

Jill Barad who was the president of Mattel until 2000 estimated that 99% of girls aged 3 to 10 years old own at least one Barbie doll.

Today, whether or not to give little girls Barbie dolls is often hotly debated by many mothers who believe that they foster poor body image. Take a look at the image below. The real woman is shown as 5’4”, 145 pounds, with measurements of 36" 30" 39". Barbie is depicted with an 1 inch smaller bust but maintaining the proportions of a real woman. She then becomes 6' with the measurements of 35",19", 33". Unfortunately we incorporate these images in our view of the world and then apply negative comparisons to ourselves.

 

August Reboot Series - Standard Stitch Chart Symbols?

This month I'm going to be doing some re-posting of older blog posts. Some like this one will have updates included as when I reread I often realize I've learned something new since the original post went up. I hope to have all new interviews every Friday but many Pros take the month of August off and in past years I haven't always been able to get enough interviews back to fill all the August dates.

http://knitting.about.com/od/reviews/gr/chartmagic.htm

 
At a recent Knit Night we were talking about the many advantages of working from charts as opposed to text. You can read more about the why here. Someone in our group mentioned looking for charts with standard symbols. I'm not sure what standard symbols are. There are so many software packages out there for creating charts. Publishers do use one type for consistency within their publications but around the world there are many more.

If you google, knit charting software, you will see a large number of systems here. I can think of a few more that didn't even make the first page.

There are free systems as well, here is a link about one.

I use the right leaning forward oblique (/) for k2tog and the opposite direction left leaning oblique (\) for ssk. One of my peers thinks that is confusing to knitters so she uses two totally different symbols for clarity. The two are also very different from one another as opposed simply reversing direction of the same symbol. Another uses a graphic arts software unrelated to the knitting industry and created her own symbol data base.


Here is a chart from http://www.tettidesign.net/2010/10/cool-current-wristwarmers-pattern.html. This is a Ravelry designer from Estonia.

The thing that is most important for the knitter to know is, there is no truly standard system of charting symbols. Always check the legend for the specific chart you are working from to ensure accuracy.


I wrote this one back in October 2013. I don't have any new info to add but I still hear commentary on standardization as though it is an active ongoing process. To my knowledge the knitting industry is such a small market, progress is very slow. I have seen some software listed as multi-language but I've not seen actual numbers of languages available. Knitting is international but many of the tools we use are not. I'm also not a fan of rating a pattern poorly in public forums for using unfamiliar symbols. If a legend is provided I feel the pattern writer has met the requirement for the knitter to be able to interpret the pattern. Many more foreign language patterns are being translated as designers try to increase market share. I'd rather those patterns became available to more knitters than have them rejected on the basis of standardization.

August Reboot Series - The Camera Does Lie!

This month I'm going to be doing some re-posting of older blog posts. Some like this one will have updates included as when I reread I often realize I've learned something new since the original post went up.  I hope to have all new interviews every Friday but many Pros take the month of August off and in past years I haven't always been able to get enough interviews back to fill all the August dates.

One of the great things about my knitting career has been the amount I've gotten to learn about so many new things. Have you ever heard the saying "the camera never lies"? I used to believe that but now I know it isn't true.

The camera sees things differently than we do. Light conditions impact colour so much more than I was ever aware of before I needed photos that are true to the colour of a specific yarn. When I worked in my LYS we had a problem  pattern. I was told to let customers know when they tried to buy the yarn that it didn't come in that colour. The photo was incorrect with respect to the true colour, changing a beige yarn to pale green.

I've also discovered that detail shots have colour issues as well. When you move in close to get the photo the proximity of the camera changes the light. Sometimes we colour correct and other times we use a magnification of a full garment shot, crop and then sharpen it up. 

Once a friend was showing me wedding photos of what I thought were coloured blocked bridesmaid dresses. She mentioned that the colour difference was only visible in the photos. The dresses were made from velvet and chiffon that reflected light back to the camera differently.

Take a look at the photos below. I heard  Melisa Joan Hart mention on a talk show that the white mark on her forehead was not visible to anyone except the camera.

I've also noticed that designs like the ones below with small textured stitches look great in the real world. The patterns sell more copies when knitters see the garments but get less notice and fewer positive comments when viewed in photos. I have other patterns which I notice the photos sell more copies than the samples do.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-anne-meredith-cardigan

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-emily-brent-cardigan

I've heard similar commentary on the fashions at awards shows. The press people frequently comment on the difference between the photos and their real world observation of the clothing. It's never consistent as to which makes the garments and the attendees look better. 

My hands are not really this big, they are just closer to the lens in the first photo.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-sylvia-dering-infinity-scarf-and-gloves

Humm.. how do I say this, I occasionally have a similar problem with another part of my body that protrudes forward. I discovered this effect when we were taking photos at Christmas. I was wearing a cocktail dress that fits snugly around the torso. The shots where I was at an angle to the camera looked normal but the straight on photo looked very disproportionate.

August Reboot Series - A Question for an Expert

This month I'm going to be doing some re-posting of older blog posts. Some like this one will have updates included as when I reread I often realize I've learned something new since the original post went up.  I hope to have all new interviews every Friday but many Pros take the month of August off and in past years I haven't always been able to get enough interviews back to fill all the August dates.  (As predicted I sent out a much higher number than usual of interview invitations but I don't yet have a new one to post.) 

The title of this post was in the subject line of an email to me. 

The note reads:

Hi Robin,

After about 70 years of knitting, I didn't realize I wouldn't know the answer to this question until I came upon it. If a pattern calls for size 4 mm needles and farther on asks you to use needles one size larger, are they asking you to use size 4.5 mm or size 5 mm?

 

My answer:

You need to look at the pattern source. Even then you may not match your needle with the designers plan. U.S. needles are all sized as whole numbers except for the 1 1/2, 2 1/2 and 10 1/2. (Of course this depends on what chart you look at and has changed since I wrote the original post.) If the pattern was written with U.S. sizes and converted to metric, one size up is 4.5. However not all the charts agree on an exact equivalent for each size. 

 

Currently, metric sized needles are being quoted more often for accuracy, so the designer could mean one size up on the metric chart. The same problems exist with the old UK/Canadian system. I still have many of those needles as they belonged to my Mother and Grandmothers. Japanese needles have another sizing system which doesn't align with any of these systems. The simple answer is that only the original designer or sample maker knows for sure what their one size up means if it is not listed specifically in the instructions or materials section of the pattern. I sell a lot of my patterns in the U.S. so I include both sizes in my patterns. Manufacturing of needles is done in many countries so they may work to more than one standard of sizing. 

 

How do you know for sure which is the best size....you already know what I'm going to say, by knitting a swatch.

 

August Reboot Series

I was poking around in my google stats recently and I discovered my topic index has more page views than any single post on my blog. That tells me my old posts have lots of value for many readers. Generally when I find a new blog, I start following along with the current posts. If I really like what I see I read from the archives but it tends to be kind of haphazard.  

So I decided for the month of August (which includes some husband staycation time), I'm going to be doing some re-posting of older blog posts. I'll focus on the informational ones which see lots of traffic. If you are a newer reader you won't have seen some of these posts as I've been blogging since June of 2009. Some will have updates included as when I reread I often realize I've learned something new since the original post went up.  I hope to have all new interviews every Friday but many Pros take the month of August off and in past years I haven't always been able to get enough interviews back from them to fill all the August dates. 

Qualities of Fabric - Sheen

Fabrics may be considered to be matte, have sheen or be shiny. Fashion stylists will tell you that shine draws the eye of the viewer and will therefore make an area look larger or at least bring the viewer's attention. Matte fabrics will recede and may make you look a little slimmer. These effects are very subtle. Many of us draw attention to our faces with the sheen of jewellery or silk scarves.

I've collected some detail shots of some of my patterns for you, unfortunately the detail doesn't show as well as I would like. The top row is from left; mohair, bamboo and rayon/sea silk. The bottom row is mixed fibre rayon/wool/mohair, super wash wool and mohair/silk with a metallic thread. You might find it helpful to look through your own clothing comparing wool, cotton, silk and rayon to increase your understanding.

Here's a few fabric photos I pulled off of Pinterest to help demonstrate. 

Sheen, shine and matte.

We see mainly matte yarns and yarns with a little sheen in the knitting world. I did knit a very shiny sweater from lurex yarn  many years ago like this one:

http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/colourmart-lurex-sparkle-yarn

One other think to keep in mind is Imogene of Inside Outside Style  recommends matching our natural sheen with at least one item of the things we wear to create harmony.

An Interview with...Katherine Matthews

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amalia-shawl

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 Katherine here and here on Ravelry. She is on Instagram as KayMatthews.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/les-bermudes

Where do you find inspiration?

Anywhere and everywhere! I’m sure most artists and creators are the same way – we soak in inspiration from everything we see or do, or from our environment. Sometimes ideas are sparked, for me, by seeing something in a film or a documentary; sometimes it comes from art or nature. These days, too, I’m especially inspired by Indian films (I review and write about them), and Korean television dramas – especially when it comes to colour choices. And a visit to an art gallery or museum usually results in lots of ideas being noted down in my sketchbook.

What is your favourite knitting technique?

I adore lace, and that’s what I knit the most. But I also love the simple elegance of garter stitch. I love Fair-Isle and other stranded colourwork, and I used to knit a lot of it – I’m planning to go back to it, and I’ve got a few designs in the works that will move me in that direction.
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hana-bi-shawl

Do you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?

I tend to look at the work of designers who create things completely differently than I do – things I probably wouldn’t design myself (or maybe wished I had designed), because I love to see how other designers solve problems or explore different ideas. I actually don’t think it’s a bad thing to be influenced by the work of others. One of the most eye-opening moments for me came on a visit to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. At the time (they’ve since undergone renovations, so no idea if this still exists) they had a gallery devoted to artists and works of art influenced by Van Gogh, or by whom Van Gogh was inspired. So you see artists trying out different styles and techniques. I truly think this is how we grow as creative people, and how we stretch the bounds of what we’re capable of. Of course, we have to own those influences and share how they influence us. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/make-waffles

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?

Over the years, that’s varied, but generally I worked with one or two at a time. These days, because I’ve scaled back a little bit in order to deal with “life stuff”, I’m doing sample knitting myself, though I think it will be worth it to go back to using others to test/sample knit.

Do you use a tech editor?

Yes. Though I’m pretty thorough in terms of my pattern writing, I still think it’s prudent to take that extra step, and have an experienced editor double check things. For me, if they catch anything, it’s usually small proofreading mistakes, but even that is worth it. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mariza

Did you do a formal business plan?

I didn’t, because what I was doing just grew kind of organically. I do think it’s a sensible thing to do – and in fact, I took advantage of a workshop run by my local arts council last year, which was a business planning course for artists. I think my next step will be to implement some of the things I learned there, including trying to more formally plan out my next steps.

Do you have a mentor?

I don’t have a specific mentor; I do have a lot of supportive people around me who have helped when I needed to pick someone’s brains about things. I also find that being connected to my local arts council means that I can tap into information and resources that I might otherwise have overlooked.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rani

How do you maintain your life/work balance?

These days, I don’t, because my husband (who also helps with the business) and I are dealing with some of those big life changes that make it hard to find balance. I do think, though, that the secret to keeping some kind of perspective is to have regular routines, to make to-do lists, and to stick with them. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/breakwater-shawl-2

               Photo credit John Meadows, and the model is Jennifer Santos Bettencourt.

How do you deal with criticism?

It depends on the criticism. Valid, thoughtful observations about my work, I’m fine with, even if I don’t agree with them in the end. I’m also fine with the idea that not everything I create is for everybody; those who don’t like it have their reasons, and that’s okay. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tikal-2

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?

Learn as much as you can. Learn constantly. Value what you do as work (even if you are having to squeeze it in around a day job while you establish yourself). Set goals, and find the manageable, bite-sized steps to achieve them. Don’t be so excited about getting your work out there that you skip steps – it’s worth taking the time to do your best work, and present it in the best way possible.

What’s next for you?

I have a bunch of designs in sketch and swatch form that I’d really like to take on to completed patterns. As well, I’ve been dyeing my own yarns (I’ll have a table in the micro-market at the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters’ Guild Fair in September), and my aim is to produce some unique colourways combined with my own designs, whether just to sell at shows, but also with an eye to setting up an online shop and perhaps trying out some clubs. I returned to teaching last year at the Toronto Knitters’ Guild Spring Frolic, and I’d like to do more of that – I’m especially interested in Orenburg lace knitting, and have taught an introduction to that tradition, and I’d love to be able to teach more classes on it, as well as work on designs inspired by it. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tide-6

             Photo credit John Meadows, and the model is Jennifer Santos Bettencourt.