Formal Qualifications in Hand Knitting

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-prudence-crowley-vest-2

I love the quote below about formal education.

"Being formally qualified is overrated. Passion and results can be the best credentials there are. When we try to hide out lack of qualifications we actually weaken the potential strength of our brand. Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs. All billionaires. All college dropouts. Jimi Hendrix couldn't read music. Rachael Ray never went to cooking school. John Fluevog went from working in a shoe store to creating his own shoe empire."

Danielle Laporte The Fire Starter Sessions


The vest above continues to be my best selling pattern. This is from the April 2014 Patternfish newsletter:   
 

"It’s no surprise to the editor that there are two vests in the top 10 patterns of 2013. I rarely see a vest I don’t want to knit, and these two are among my favourites, Cabin Fever’s Side Pattern Vest by Deb Gemmell, and The Prudence Crowley Vest by Robin Hunter. Gemmell has a wonderful habit of encouraging knitters to apply their own ideas to patterns and become their own designers. The Side Pattern Vest is a wonderful example. Hunter’s flattering and surprisingly easy to knit pattern has been a favourite with Patternfish folk for years."

Deb and I have no formal certification, however we both have unlimited passion and curiosity when it come to our knitting. 

If you are looking for more information on hand knit design certification see my previous post here:  http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2013/03/hand-knitting-design-certification.html

Hand Knitting Design Certification

I'm often asked about training and certification for the knitting industry. Most of my peers are self taught. A few have fashion school degrees that focused on industrial applications of knitting for the retail world. I have a background in custom garment construction mainly from the local board of education. Classes had no certification and fell under continuing education for adults. I worked mainly with woven fabrics and used cut and sew techniques with machine knit yardage. I did classes in millinery, tailoring, pattern drafting and couturier sewing. Eventually I taught for the board giving classes in basic sewing, sewing fake fur coats and (big surprise) I ran a hand knit design class.

I recently discovered this, it is the first mainstream Hand Knitting Design Certification program I have ever heard of. It doesn't appear to be part of the regular program as it is under the Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education header on their web site.

This online program is in the UK. 

The Craft Yarn Council has a teacher certification program here. They also have begun to offer their Certified Instructors Program (CIP) in association with the Center for Professional Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT).

The Knitting Guild Association has a Master Program here.

I'd love to hear in the comments from anyone who has personal experience with any of these programs.

ETA: The link in the comment below does work. It does not reflect the usual hyperlink colour perhaps due to a blogger comments limitation? You can link here. There is a Ravelry group here.