Many people are asking me what do I do. My friends, designers, would understand me when I am at loss how to answer that question.
I learned to analyze the person who is asking me and answer accordingly to their knowledge of knitting, publishing work, and a small business. The truth is that I really do not have one full answer that suits all. I imagine that I look ridiculous when I stumble answering it. Some people might think I do not want to tell all my secrets 🙂
It is not the case at all. Here is the attempt to answer this question.
The work I do is highly multifaceted and it is a huge part why I love it. I do not get bored because there are so many possibilities and components in the work of a knitwear designer.
A design could be published in a book, magazine, my own line of patterns, a booklet for the yarn company, or as a part of an online or live class. It could be done exclusively for each listed outlets, or it can be a cross-section of two or more. Even each of the magazines has a different way of doing things. This includes the style of writing a pattern, feel of the publication, which design fits into this feel, photography, promotion work, etc.
Writing my own book is totally different experience and regiment. Since I choose to work with a large publishing house, I do not have to do any work that takes first draft and turns it into a beautiful book. People who choose self-publishing have to do much more.
Teaching includes everything you see a teacher does in school or college minus correcting homework and tests. Thank G-d for that!! I have done a lot of correcting papers in my life. Many hours of preparation, writing, charting, swatching (sometimes step-outs), planning for time and skill levels all done behind the scene.
I use many wonderful software programs:
Adobe products: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign.
Microsoft products: Excel, Word, Power point.
Charting software: Intwined Pattern Studio and PatternGenius.
I even have to sketch my designs and I am not an artist by any means. I am getting better, though.
And there is a social media work and my website. Many hours are spent at the computer in order to let people know about my work and what new is coming.
Traveling to trade shows and teaching events, photography, and styling all are included in designer’s work.
What about knitting a sample itself? Most of the time I knit my designs myself spending 10-12 hour days for a deadline project. Sometimes I work on multiple designs and I hire skillful sample knitters who are very patient with me while I am working through my designs. That puts me in managerial mode of things.
Well, listing all of this is exhausting and I think still does not give a person a complete understanding of my work.
In summary, although it feels like I am joggling different jobs, somehow it all comes together and yields into one exciting and very fulfilling job that I love.
If you are planning on coming to NY for Vogue Knitting Live, I would love for you to come up and say hi.
Now, if you can come up with a short way to tell people what I do, I would love to hear from you.
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