|
|
| |
|
|
|
» knitorious » knitter à la carte
» shop hop » in stitches » knit this |
How many designs a year (month?) do you create?
It depends. The year I worked on my book I must have done 40 to 50 designs. That was way over the top and I couldn’t design anything for several months afterward. It was almost an abuse of my creativity to ride it that hard and put it away wet. Normally I average about 15-18 new designs a year.
What's the best part of owning a design company?
Lots of things. I can sit and knit in my big old comfy chair with a cat in my lap and say “Don’t bother me, I’m working” and people leave me alone. ;)
Seriously though, it is beyond cool to make a real living with an entity that my husband and I have created from the ground up all by ourselves. We pretty much do it all and even our autistic son works in the family business. He winds yarn, stuffs patterns and helps with mailing, among other things. Sometimes we have huge amounts of that kind of work for him to do, but he is really proud that he has a job that matters and does it well.
Do you ever get designer block? If so, how do you get re-inspired?
I do sometimes get blocked, and I just have to step away from the needles. Maybe I’ll take some time and immerse myself in another craft for a short while. I’ll sew myself a seriously tailored jacket and that might inspire some construction technique that I can apply to a knitting design. Or I’ll do some beading on a T-shirt that I can totally transfer over into another knitwear piece.
Do you wear your creations?
Yes, I do. Though I don’t have a lot of time to knit for myself, I do have a few of my own things that I’ve made just for me.
Where did you learn your trademark plus-size shaping for your patterns?
It’s the kind of thing one learns in design school and I did my time there in the early ‘80s. I was a bit amazed that at the time, knitwear had NO shaping whatsoever. It was the era of dropped shoulders and rectangular bodies. Those shapes didn’t inspire me at all, especially since they looked really dumpy on a lot of women.
What's the most common comment you hear about your designs/patterns?
That they are so feminine and people really seem to love that. I think my designs address the part of a woman that doesn’t get its due so much anymore, but that we are still hungry for. There was a time when femininity was worn as a statement, and people reacted positively to it, especially men. I, and I think a lot of people including men, want that time to come around again where women can celebrate the things that are unique about being a women and understand the power that femininity carries.
If you could have one wish regarding knitting and this industry, what would it be?
That knitwear designers can get to a point where they enjoy the same remuneration as design professionals in other areas of the fashion industry. That is where I came from, and I know from my own history that this industry is light years apart from that one in terms of pay scale.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
My husband is quite the talented gourmet chef and loves to entertain and make people happy with his wonderful food. We would like to organize knitting retreats where he cooks up wonderful meals for our guests. I and other teachers would give workshops, and we’d even have a small retail facility right there on the premises for a little shopping experience. What could be a nicer getaway?
|
'Rubbing two sticks together' to create
her own Lingerie Style
Name: Joan McGowan-Michael
Age: In my 40s
Location: Sacramento, CA
Real Job: Knitwear Designer, Business Owner, Creative Director, Teacher, Author, Supervisor of Marketing; have I missed anything?
Website Address: www.whiteliesdesigns.com
How long knitting: Over 35 years
How did you get started in the knitting world?
As a small child, I recall pretending to knit with a commercially made sock and two bobby pins. I must have been about three or four. I’d seen someone on TV doing it, and thought it was fascinating that this person was making fabric appear out of rubbing two sticks together. Some time later, I found my mother’s knitting bag in a closet and though I‘d never seen her knit, asked her to teach me. I must have been eight. She taught me the bare bones basics; just enough to frustrate me that I didn’t know more, like how to cast on but not bind off. I soon found that the library had a couple of how-to knitting books and taught myself the rest of what I needed to know to start knitting doll clothes and later my own sweaters. I had an enviable wardrobe by the time high school came around!
You are now an author with Knitting Lingerie Style (STC Craft 2007). Why did you feel a need to write this book?
I self publish my own designs and market them through my website, but there is something very alluring about doing that in the biggest way possible. A large publisher such as the one I worked with has so much more marketing power behind them than I do and could provide the very best in the way of editors, photographers, graphic artists, etc. The finished product is amazingly lovely, and I am so proud of it.
How satisfying (or not) was the whole process of book writing?
It was actually quite grueling. I was not only designing for the book, but for my White Lies Designs line and also for magazines and contributing to other books at the same time. I’m pretty particular about my models, so I do much of my knitting myself. You can see where I was skirting right along the edge of burnout during that time. Would I do it again? Absolutely. I might choose to pace myself in a different way, but I do have another book or two in me.
What I did enjoy was being able to use so many yarns from different companies. My favorite was the Pure Cashmere from Knit One, Crochet Too, which I used in my Basic Stockings (shown above right) that were anything but basic in that fiber! I also liked their Italian Ice, which has a heavier hand but a shiny pretty sheen blended in with it.
Do you work full time at this?
More than full time. Forty-hour weeks are only a dream.
How did White Lies Designs get started?
In the mid ‘90s I had a custom bridal business by the name of White Lies. My boyfriend (now my husband ) thought it would be fun to buy me the domain name WhiteLiesDesigns.com as a Christmas gift. I was a bit bewildered as I didn’t have a clue as to what to do with it. We started to use it as something of a portfolio for my other designs and when I began to create knitting patterns, the website was already there to start using as an online store. Quite serendipitous!
How did your style of design develop?
I worked in the garment industry for many years as a professional designer and pattern maker. Before that I made most of my own clothes. I’ve always loved vintage garments and would recreate those looks for myself. It was only natural that when I turned to knitwear design, that same point of view would creep into my knitting esthetic.
|
|
|
|
©2008, All Rights Reserved
|
|
