An Interview with...Ann Weaver

Once a week I post interviews with interesting designers about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed that every designer makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the Knitting world.


You can find Ann here and here on Ravelry

Where do you find inspiration?

Oh, the inspirations... they come from the oddest places. Most recently, I've created designs inspired by photos of Johnny Rotten, Josef Albers' "Portrait of a Square" paintings, and sports attire worn by athletes from the Netherlands (orange, so orange). I also have an ongoing fixation with stripes and small stranded patterns in various Grellow (grey and yellow) color schemes.

I never know what's next; I keep an open mind. I've been meaning to knit a jacket inspired by one Nick Cave wore for a concert in 2001 I attended. I even purchased the yarn for it last year.

What is your favourite knitting technique?

I like easy stuff; I like simple yarn-over patterns, big cables, and traveling stitches. I work with a lot of different techniques to get the results I want, but man, I love to knit a lot of garter stitch.

How did you determine your size range?

Well, when I started designing it was arbitrary; I just tried to size for "a lot of sizes." Now I make sure to include sizes meant to fit at least 32- to 56-inch busts when I have control of the sizing. For very fitted garments I size up every 2 inches, and for less fitted ones every 4 inches.

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

I look at everything. I love making things from others' patterns, it's a joy. I'm very particular in what I design and make; it's usually something highly specific that I've been turning over in my mind for months, if not longer... I don't worry about being derivative.

How do you feel about the so called controversy of "dumbing down" patterns for knitters?

I haven't followed this particular controversy, but I do know that it is difficult to find a balance between helpful pattern support and impossible hand-holding, and between thorough directions and ridiculous verbosity.

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

Everything I have published up until this point I have done myself, but I have so much going on right now that I have found a few sample knitters for my designs.

Right now I'm working on several unisex designs, for which I'm knitting the female version (since there is more shaping to work out for the initial pattern) and a sample knitter is knitting the male version after I've finished writing the pattern and having it edited, at least roughly. I've also had a fabulous sample knitter do a portion of a VERY large but simple upcoming design. So I'm learning to delegate.

Did you do a formal business plan?

No, never. Still don't! I switch jobs, nay, careers, every 6 to 18 months, really. I'm not much of a formal planner. From my first paid publication, however, I have saved the money I made from designing and put it back into knitting and design expenses. It has its own account! That's planning, right?

Do you have a mentor?

No.

Do you have a business model that you have emulated?

No.

What impact has the Internet had on your business?

The Internet made my business possible. The former online pattern site MagKnits was the first place I submitted a design and the first place I was published, followed by knitty, and the attention my knitty patterns received brought me offers from other publications and projects and gave me the confidence and experience to write up designs for self publication and submit to print magazines.

I can't imagine self-publishing printed patterns. I don't think I ever would have considered it. The profit margin is so tiny.

Do you use a Tech Editor?

Oh yes. Oh my yes. My Tech Editor is the best.

How do you maintain your life/work balance?

I am not the person to answer this question. My life has always been inseparable from my work, with the exception of a jobs that were so soul-sucking that I had to turn myself off when I went into the office. I will never go back to that sort of work.

Since then, work and life are one adventure after another. Since last February, when I was fired from the last of the awful jobs, my life has been a flow of interesting things that I do.

How do you deal with criticism?

I like the constructive sort! Feedback on things I've published to this point helps me rewrite patterns, if necessary, and makes my patterns better and better.

As for the sort that is not constructive, I ignore it. Sometimes I will get a rejection letter and the reasons for the rejection will seem ridiculous to me, or a knitter will write a particularly nasty comment about difficulties with the stitch count in one of my patterns, and I'll sigh and dwell on it a bit and then let it go. Because seriously. Life it too short.

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?

Oh, I don't support myself through knitting alone, though knitting is becoming a larger portion of my income. Honestly, it's only since last February that I have pursued knitting design to the point that I can work only part-time at another job (or walk out of a job and not have to worry about rent for a month or two, ha ha). Since that point I've been designing and submitting constantly, rather than only when I was particularly inspired, as I had previously.

I don't know that I would want to support myself solely through knitting. I always want to be able to choose my projects and love each one, rather than feel the need to produce produce produce to pay the phone bill. I want to be able to turn down opportunities that don't interest me or aren't the right fit for my style.

Right now I'm working on a self-published collections of patterns that may make me some decent money. Or it may not. All I can say is that it is going to be crazy awesome and that I have loved knitting the projects.

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

First, realize that no one owes you a living. The vast majority of artists, musicians, actors, dancers, and knitwear designers have other incomes. Recently, there has been a great deal of discussion about how underpaid knitwear designers are and how it is impossible to make a living through designing, but I would argue that this is the case in every field of the arts, and always has been. It may be unfair, but it is how things are. So pursue your knitting to the extent your job allows. If knitting starts paying, you may find that you can work part-time knitting and part-time doing something else.

Secondly, SUBMIT SUBMIT SUBMIT! Publication, in print or electronic form, will help you learn about pattern writing conventions, will show you how to work with a tech editor, and will give you visibility. My various experiences with publications have been invaluable in helping me to create self-published designs. As for rejections, remember that EVERYONE gets rejections. At least half my submissions are rejected in their initial form; however, some go on to be accepted and often very, very popular in other venues.

Finally, design the things YOU want. Because if you do, even if the submission is rejected and the self-published pattern doesn't sell well, you have something you love that you have made. And isn't that what drew all of us to knitting in the first place?

Knitting and Happiness

I'm a regular reader of Gretchen Ruben's Happiness Blog and have been for some time now. I believe that knitting has lead to many of the good things in my life. I've gained so much more than the end product of sweaters, scarves and shawls. Many of my closest friends are knitters and I'm never bored. I always have something to engage me from the actual knitting, to planning the knitting, to reading about knitting and now pattern writing and all of the new skills I'm learning related to that, for instance this blog. I also always have something that is easily carried with me to fill time during all the endless waiting and traveling that we do in our daily lives. I belong to two knitting groups and absolutely love teaching others when I get the opportunity to do classes.

I really enjoyed this posting "People Who Knit Are Usually in a Good Mood. People Who Stare into Their iPhones AND Demand Your Attention Aren't as Much Fun." That statement is so true in my experience.

A much earlier post also gave me a good laugh - you can read that one here
The title is "Choose the Bigger Life; No Pressure Knitting." I don't think I know a Knitter who doesn't relate to that resolution!

Designer Secrets - Schematics Lie

There are a lot of people who work on a designers pattern when it's sold to magazines or for books. Publishing has many steps and therefore many potential times for errors to be introduced.

The schematic above accompanied a very long cardigan. On the model the hem hit about half way between the top of her leg and her knee. The measurement on the schematic shows the underarm to the hem as 15". I'm 5'2" and 15" hits me at the high hip. So did the garment stretch? Is there a typo on the schematic?

I've seen other examples of this in the past. It means that you need to look carefully at the pattern and the photo of the garment and then compare both to the schematic to be sure that you are going to end up with what you are expecting for all of your hours of hard work. Has this ever happened to you?

An Interview with... Kim McBrien

You can find Kim's yarn and fibre here
She is on Ravelry here

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.

Where do you find inspiration for your colourways?

Everywhere and anywhere. A photograph or painting. Everyday things. Maybe it's something a friend has said. Sometimes it's a customer asking for something special: "Could you design me a colourway that looks like the Concrete Blonde version of Little Wing?" Sometimes it's the "I wonder what will happen if I layer A and B together". Sometimes it's just playing and improvising to see what happens. I think the key is not being afraid of getting it "wrong."

What is your favourite dyeing technique?

Something that I call "Improv Dyeing". Some of my favourite colourways and effects have come from throwing leftover dyes in the pot, randomly placing them on the yarn or fibre, in no particular order or effect. This has taught me that being less controlling with the yarn and fibre can leave the most beautiful effects.

How do you choose the fibers that you work with?

I choose fibres that I like to work with, for the most part. Or blends that I think will be interesting. Sometimes, when I've discovered a new supplier, I'll poll my customers to see what they'd like to see next. If a yarn sells well, it stays in my lineup. If it doesn't, then it goes. With a few exceptions. I carry a line of certified organic merino which is one of the most wonderful yarns I've ever worked with. When I discover something great, I'm willing to be patient and let it slowly grow on people.

I'd eventually like to use some local fibre in my line-up, and dye the fibre for spinning or find a small mill that's willing to spin it into yarn for me. Find Ontario sheep farmers that I can work with. In fact, this afternoon at my local farmer's market, I discovered a small alpaca farmer who's willing to sell me some fibre. And I hear rumours about a llama farmer down the road...

How did you determine what weights of yarn you stock?

Again, I start with weights that I like to work with. I like to knit a variety of things: sweaters, scarves and shawls, mitts... And I also poll my customers to see what they're most interested in. I also take requests.

How do you come up with names for your yarn?

I have to admit, my partner Ron comes up with most of our names. Left to my own devices, my colour names would probably very insightful, deep and tug at your heartstrings. But as we sat in the living room of our tiny Toronto apartment watching yarn dry after the first dyeing day, Ron said, "so you know what you should call that purple one? Groverkill." And that was it. The "artistic" direction changed. If we say it out loud and it makes one of us smirk or laugh, then we know it's THE name.

There is a list of names waiting for the right colourway to reveal itself. They come from a number of places: suggestions from friends, quotes, obscure pop culture references... We seem to maim a lot of muppets.

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

I do look at other dyers' work, but am not afraid that I'll be influenced by their yarns. I've been a fibre artist of some description since I was 4 years old, and using and mixing colour for at least the past 26 years. Sometimes I'll notice that one of my colours is similar to another dyer's, but then I'll look back over past work, way before I started knitting with hand-dyed yarns, and much of my colour sense has remained the same.

I'm a visual person, so by nature I'm influenced by everything that I see. Other hand dyed yarns are part of that, but not the whole picture. I've developed a very strong voice that I believe is unique.

Are you a knitter as well?

Yes, since I was 4 years old.

Did you do a formal business plan?

I have a business plan. It's not all written down yet. That part will come though. As part of my day job, I work with artists and help them develop their businesses, so it's important to practice what I make others do!

I think it's very important to know what you're doing business-wise and why you're doing it. I also think that a business plan should be a living, breathing document...not set in stone. There are too many factors that change in our world, and you should be ready and willing to be flexible to weather those changes.

What impact has the Internet had on your business?

The Internet is 99% of my business. I primarily sell on the Internet. And even the customers who aren't comfortable buying yarn online (and yes, there are still quite a few of them), often see my yarn online before they buy it in person. I advertise online, I sell online, I blog and I use Twitter and Ravelry extensively to build a community for our yarn.

How do you maintain your life/work balance?

At the moment, not very well! *laughing* About a year ago, I lost my job. When I found a new one, it was an exciting one, but only part time, and required a huge move. The yarn dyeing business was supposed to also be part time, to supplement my income. Both jobs have turned out to be full time jobs. And because my partner has been unable to find work in our new town, my two "part time" jobs have become our family's income. So I struggle with the life/work balance on a daily basis.

How do you deal with criticism?

So far, I haven't had to deal with a lot of criticism regarding my yarn and fibre. But in general, I try to take it in and learn from it. Is it constructive? Will it help me be a better dyer? A better artist? If so, I'll use it. If it's destructive and won't help, then I don't use it.

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?

I'm still in my first year of business. I'm fairly close to being able to support myself with just the yarn business, but not there yet. I anticipate it will take at least another year.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in hand dying yarns?

First of all, be safe. Make sure you fully understand dyes and dye safety. Your health comes first. Learn your craft. Understand what makes good hand dyed yarn, and learn how to do it REALLY well. Find your niche. There are so many great dyers out there. What makes you unique? Find it. Embrace it. Be true to yourself.

Fearless Knitting Workbook Review

I spent a lot of time sewing in the past. I was fortunate enough to take classes with an amazing women who had been teaching and doing custom work for high end clients for more than 40 years. After taking a project class with her I registered for her couturier samples class. I wanted to accelerate my learning. Unfortunately she didn't get enough students to run the class. I registered for her next garment class and as a side project she started me doing samples that were separate from the garment I was working on. I learned more from the samples than I did from the suit I sewed that term.


My experience working in my LYS taught me that technique books are a hard sell. The Knitters who won't buy them are often those that would benefit most. The same thing happens with knitting classes. So many Knitters struggle to learn things that a good teacher could help them with yet most of us are so focused on a finishing a specific project that we miss the lessons along the way that would ultimately improve our knitting for the rest of our lives.


Fearless Knitting is that kind of a book. It explains so many of the knitting terms and techniques that become second nature once you have been knitting for a while. It's a book that a beginner would learn so much useful information from. It's an excellent substitute for a knitting teacher and is laid out in a manner that allows the novice to progress one step at a time building specific skills and understanding that will serve them for the rest of their knitting lives. Sure - you can log onto the Internet and google any knitting term to find a description or a video but the advantage of the workbook is that it includes topics that you haven't yet thought of. Most of us learn best by doing and attacking the various skills in a logical step by step manner. Unfortunately that is not something a novice can plan out for themselves as effectively as has been done in this book.


The swatches and illustrations are excellent. The weaving in ends sample was especially well done. I did notice two illustrations with problems (out of the hundreds in the book) There was some shading referred to in the text on page 27 that was too light to be clear in the illustration. An incorrect illustration was used on page 129 for yarn overs between 2 knit stitches, it was a duplicate of the one for yarn overs after a purl stitch and before a knit stitch. There are a few other items listed on the Interweave Knits page here


Jennifer Seibert quotes a fortune cookie in saying "All things are difficult until they are easy" I regularly tell students that "it's easy when you know how" so I totally agree with her and the only fix is to get out there and learn.

Thank you Shannon!

I interviewed Shannon a week ago and (full disclosure) asked if I could have a copy of her book to review as well. I am so glad that I did. The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design is a must-have resource for knitwear designers. This is a one stop how to guide for all of us "wanna be" designers. It is not a how to on writing patterns, it's a guide filled with industry knowledge that many designers only learn by doing and experiencing. The interviews were wonderful. Shannon and I have both interviewed some of the same people and I enjoyed those interviews just as much as the ones here on my blog. Second full disclosure! I even get a mention in her book for my interviews.



I realized that it's time for me to add all my patterns into Ravelry with links to Patternfish after I saw Shanon's stats on social media sites. So for me the book is a call to action as well.



The section on marketing yourself to yarn stores is especially timely for me as I'm just about to start doing that. I was teaching at the much missed Village Yarns until they closed. Since I was working full time until March I had never actively pursued teaching opportunities. I taught at my guild whenever I was invited but it's now time to look for more opportunities. There is also a section on book proposals which many of us will need to review.



Shannon includes sections on other topics like: what does it mean to be a professional?
test knitting, what to do if your copyright has been infringed, trademarks vs. copyrights, contracts, sizing, new technological possibilities for print, do you need an agent?, advertising, further education and professional organizations and associations. And much, much more!



I'm strongly committed to supporting other designers as I believe that by promoting one another we promote the industry and that we will all benefit as a result.



I have a PDF version so this is not a problem for me but I did notice there is no index. I expect that I will be referring back to the book on a regular basis so those with a print copy might want to tag specific sections with post-its for future.


I highly recommend that you buy this book if you wish to pursue designing.

An Interview with...Kate Atherley

Once a week I post interviews with interesting designers about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed that every designer makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the Knitting world.

You can find Kate's blog here and you can find her here on Ravelry.

Where do you find inspiration?

I love traditional techniques and patterns, and I enjoy reinterpreting them for modern tastes. For example, I have used gansey stitch patterns and construction for socks; and I love using very traditional Shetland stitch patterns in modern colours.

What is your favourite knitting technique?

I'm going through a lace phase at the moment. If you're asking about straight up technique, I would have to say my most favourite and comfortable technique is working in the round on dpns. It feels so very natural.

How did you determine your size range?

Being a petite sort myself, I always ensure that I design petite-friendly sizing. For women's garments, I tend to start with a 30 inch bust measurement and go from there. A pet peeve of mine is socks that come in only one size - I have a size 6 foot, and a very good friend of mine has a size 11 foot - one size fits all is a filthy lie! If we're going to the trouble of knitting something, it should fit well and precisely. For garments, my size range has been greatly increased through my work with Knitty - Knitty insists, very fairly, I think, on a broad range of sizes.

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

This is an interesting challenge. After all, there are only so many stitches and constructions and techniques. I had an experience just the other week that shows that even if you don't look at other designers' work, you might still be copying. I had been working on a beginner-friendly lace shawl, and I landed on a stitch pattern that I thought was manageable and interesting, and the shawl was going very well. When it came time for the edging, I chose one of my favourite simple but elegant patterns, and was happily knitting away. A few days later, I was browsing some of my favourite blogs, and found a friend of mine working on a previously-published shawl that is almost exactly the same as the one I was working on. So I think it's a risk you run either way, producing something that looks like something else.

How do you feel about the so called controversy of "dumbing down" patterns for knitters?

Kate emailed me about this question to ask (Can you clarify this question for me? I'm not sure I know what you are referring to. I do want to discuss this, however - I have some very strong opinions on how patterns are written. If what you are referring to is taking something that's written in the style of EZ or the European magazines (one size only, that sort of thing), and turning it into a recipe that's detailed, clear and helpful for knitters of all levels, then I would have to say that this is a wonderful development! What's the controversy?)

I emailed Kate back "The dumbing down question was a result of two different conversations with 3 BIG name knitters. The choice of words was a result of one designers actual words. The general thought-line was that while Knitters want really inexpensive or free patterns they strongly criticize any pattern that does not explain every technique individually. So where does a pattern end and a technique lesson begin? It was also observed that some Knitters won't buy reference books or even go online to look up techniques. The term "spoon feeding" was also tossed around. The question was included because of those conversations which I felt were a little skewed to the negative viewpoint.To be honest I was just curious how the majority of designers feel about those issues."

Kate says "I tend to see the other side of things... patterns that are incredibly vaguely or poorly written. This is the problem with a lot of self-published patterns online. I had a student in one of my classes pay $5 for a pattern on Etsy that didn't even have gauge info. And there's a lot of designers out there who are self-publishing who don't bother getting it technically edited or proofread. We're doing knitters a disservice if we let bad patterns go out there - if a pattern doesn't work, knitter are more likely to assume it's their mistake or issue, and we're risking them giving up knitting entirely. I have spent two hours (paid) with a student recently who needed help deciphering a pattern published on the Craft Yarn Council of America site that's very poor. Take a look: http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/oct_knitproj.html See how it states cast on 51 sts right near the top? So that's what my poor knitter did. Except that you need to cast on 99 sts, and it says that further down.

(This sort of thing makes me very cranky.)

It's a very interesting discussion - I can't say I've seen a lot of knitters being totally helpless or being unwilling to look stuff up. The internet has made this so much easier, so they don't have to buy books or do any "difficult" research, so it's all a bit more accessible. I do see knitters needing help with techniques, absolutely, and I really don't think we can explain absolutely everything in a pattern - but for the most part, I think the industry errs on the side of not explaining enough.

My livelihood depends on people enjoying this hobby, and if the patterns are poorly written or difficult to follow, they won't enjoy it, and I'm out of a job. I'm happy to provide extra info to keep 'em knitting. Will I explain how to knit and purl? No. But will I explain how to do a Russian Lace bind off, or which increase I mean when I say "M1". I also teach a Pattern Reading class, in an attempt to help knitters feel more confident about tackling a pattern.

Again, though - I haven't had the same experience as these other designers. Maybe I've not had enough years of the same repetitive silly questions, and maybe because I started in this industry as a teacher, I'm more forgiving... ?

OK, enough ranting."

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

I have a group of three or four knitters I call on to help me out, but for the most part I do the work myself - knitting the item is the way that I work it out.

Did you do a formal business plan?

Formal? Not business school formal, but I do have a plan. Like so many others, knitting started as a sideline for me. When I realized that I couldn't manage my two lives, I built a plan for what work I'd need to do to bring in regular income and grow my business. Am I keeping to it? Mostly! Some stuff is going faster, some slower, but at least I have goals.

Do you have a mentor?

Not in the knitting world specifically; the man I consider my mentor comes from my old like, back in the technology industry. I do make a point of exchanging ideas with a few of my favourite LYS owners - I have learnt a lot from them, and value greatly their openness.

What impact has the Internet had on your business?

A lot of business is still local - I do a lot of teaching at stores in and around the Toronto area - and so that's not specifically Internet-dependent. That having been said, as a teacher, I love the power of the Internet as a communication and teaching tool - I definitely use my blog as a teaching support, and love the other references out there like knittinghelp.com that I can refer my students to. And as a designer, I love that I can publicize and sell my designs all over the world. And I love that I can stay in touch with other designers and shops and publications and friends.

Do you use a Tech Editor?

God yes! I sometimes even deliberately use a non-technical editor - that is, I have someone who isn't a knitter, or isn't a strong knitter, to review my patterns to see if they make sense. My hubby has proofread a lot of my patterns, and he couldn't knit to save his life.

How do you maintain your life/work balance?

I do a terrible job at this! But given that a large part of my work - specifically, the actual knitting - can be carried around with me, and done while in the car, or when out with friends and family in bars and restaurants, or when visiting, or at the game, or the movies, it's ok that I'm working all the time. My family and friends are very tolerant!

How do you deal with criticism?

I can learn from all feedback, positive and negative. Feedback about problems with a design, or a disappointing class, or a poorly written pattern is critical to help me improve what I do. There are times when someone may simply not agree with me. We all have a right to have an opinion, and I welcome any and all reasonably stated opinions - and I will likely have an opinion right back!

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?

I am fortunate that my partner has a steady job with benefits, so I can handle the vagaries and inconsistent flow of income that comes with being freelance in a creative field.

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

The same advice I would give to anyone in any field: know your strengths and weaknesses. Use your strengths to help others, and get someone to help you with your areas of weaknesses. Me, I know that I'm great with the numbers so one of the things I do is technical editing; and I'm terrible at layout and photography, so I use others to help me with that.