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| Upcoming publication please see the note at the bottom of the post. |
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 Lisa here on Ravelry.
Where do you find inspiration?
I
find inspiration everywhere that I can see the play of different
colors, including, but not limited to: store displays, walks in the
woods, flower gardens, wallpapers. Pretty much everywhere.
What is your favourite knitting technique?
I
am a stranded knitter. I like to use traditional motifs from
Scandinavia and Fair Isle but many of my motifs are mine, created as I
need them to execute a new idea. A good example of this is my
collection "Exploring World Cultures" which takes a look at many
different cultures, many with no real knitting traditions. Once I have
found motifs / stories relating to the country, I turn them into motifs
and create a piece that tells a story about the country and its history
and folklore. (See the Ravelry Bundle "Exploring World Cultures") This is the type of stranding design I love. To make a design that is efficient and tells a story but doesn't look childish.
Do you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?
That
is a great question. I don't look too much at others work mainly
because I knit small pieces only. Hats, mittens, cowls etc... as I like
to move quickly onto the next piece. If I need one of these pieces, I
design them. BUT, I am influenced by everything I see, especially play
of color. I am more likely to notice color combinations than the
design. My mantra when teaching stranded design classes is "Color
changes everything" When someone posts a photo of one of my own
designs, I am often taken aback at how their choice of color changes the
final product. Any knitter who takes a pattern and makes it his/her
own by changing colors, or making pattern modifications to suit their
needs, is a designer and I am influenced by what they do!
Two of my most popular designs are inspired by Olympic Hats - The Latvian Hat from 2018 and the Slovak Folklore Hat from 2014.
How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?
I have had many over the years. It depends whether or not I have lots of new elements in a piece if I have it test knit. I find testers on Ravelry and have had a wonderful experience with the process.
I have had many over the years. It depends whether or not I have lots of new elements in a piece if I have it test knit. I find testers on Ravelry and have had a wonderful experience with the process.
Did you do a formal business plan?
No.
When my youngest was small, I began designing. This was in the paper
publishing world. It was labor intensive, printing patterns, flyers,
doing mailings. In the end, making money was difficult. I taught a lot
at that time in local shops.
I
stopped publishing for about 10 years, then discovered Ravelry. I
still remember figuring out how to put a pattern up and creating my
designer profile. About 5 minutes after putting it up, I had my first
sales. I was blown away at how easy it made the whole industry.
Now,
of course, there are so many patterns available as well as free
patterns to compete with, but still, it makes a one-person business much
easier to run. There are now many other sites now, Etsy, Craftsy,
LoveKnitting, Patternworks. I sell on many of these as well as WEBS.
In
truth, my business plan has evolved over time. I have geared my
business toward charity. Nearly all the money I make with my patterns
goes to charity. I don't really advertise this fact though I have many
patterns that explicitly state that all proceeds go to charity. I have
created many hats for specific events, the most well known being the
Boston Strong hat created after the Boston Marathon Bombing. All
proceeds to the victims fund and also a large volunteer effort to put a
hat into the hands of every victim who wished to have one. Photos of
some of these folks in their hats are shown at the end of the movie
"Patriot's Day".
Do you have a mentor?
My
truest mentor is Susan Shabo, a designer and my first knitting teacher
and a cheerleader for me over time. She is a wonderful person.
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| https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/latvian-team-hat-2018 |
Do you use a tech editor?
I
used to, but since my pieces are all small, I have a formula for sizing
and find that I don't need a tech editor unless I have something so new
or different that I am not confident. Usually in this case, test
knitters turn up issues in the instructions.
How do you maintain your life/work balance?
I
set aside a certain number of hours a week to work on design. After
that, I volunteer. I work for a dog rescue, a homeless shelter, I dance
with Alzheimer's patients and am currently training to be a hospice
volunteer.
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| https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/autumn-glow-hat--cowl |
How do you deal with criticism?
Initially
it stung. Now I take it in stride. The Internet is a wonderful thing,
it brings so much to the knitting community, allowing connectivity and
sharing of ideas and advice. The flip side is the anonymity, folks can
say things in a way that they wouldn't if they were sitting across from
each other.
I
have had few issues in this vein, one after I published a simple hat
using a traditional tree motif. A raveler saw the hat and commented
that I had stolen the design as she had knit one similar from another
pattern. I responded that I had not seen the other pattern, but that
since it used a simple, traditional motif, there were probably lots of
similar hats. It was fine in the end. I try not to make it emotional
or angry, as it solves nothing.
How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?
I
have never tried to support myself, always considered it "extra money"
and have been very happy with what I make. My background is in
computers, so I could make more money in computing, but this gives me
money and the flexibility to do the other things I like in life.
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| https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wizard-in-a-blizzard |
What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?
It
is a niche business and some folks make a true living at it. I think
of it like sports. Everyone has a team they love, merchandise they love
to buy, but when it comes down to it, there is only room for a limited
number of players who can become Superstars. I do it for the love of
design and am rewarded with followers and purchasers of my product. I
won't live in a mansion because of it, but I have raised a lot of money
for charity, I have met some of the most amazing people, I got to teach
on a knitting cruise and get to do what I love.
My
advice: Be ready to work hard, have a real business plan so you can
measure goal attainment and give yourself time to "become". You have to
survive the first few years of losing money or breaking even before you
can assess your real future. Working for yarn companies if you can
find a partner, is a big help. Stick with it and you get to something
you love.
What’s next for you?
It's
winter. New Indie yarns. More hats. It never gets old. There are so
many designs that percolate in my brain. Time to knit...
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| https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blythes-snowy-day-cowl |
The
“Storyteller’s Gift Cowl” is so named as the knitter creates the gift
of a story to the recipient. Use the charts here or create some of your
own. Many here are versions of ones used in many of the hats in my
World Cultures Hat Series - motifs from around the world, many not meant
as knit motifs, but created from folk motifs. Knit a cowl using the
charts shown here or make up a new combination of charts. A blank chart
is included for personal use. When finished, wear it. When the right
time comes, find someone who can use the warmth of a hand knit hug.
Gift the cowl to that person, wrap it around his or her neck. It may
be someone you have never met, or someone you know quite well, someone
in need of your hand knit support. That person may choose to pass it on
in the future. One day you might receive one back...
The
first cowl I made to give away has a special story. A friend lost her
adult son in workplace accident. In the family’s grief, they did
courageous thing and donated his organs. Four people were saved. My
friend is the first recipient of a Storyteller’s Gift Cowl. All the
motifs are here: A trio of hearts, one healthy, one broken and one
large heart representing her son’s gift; a happy pup, Mingus, her son’s
favorite; music motifs representing his work and love of music; stars,
sun & moon, a connection to the song “Close Your Eyes”; the word
MOM (WOW upside down) she is both to me; an anchor for Hope; a flower
from a knit class we were to attend together in Vermont at the time of
her son’s passing.
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