Showing posts with label Donner Pass Cowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donner Pass Cowl. Show all posts

Journey of a Knitwear Designer

by : MarinadeDesigns

The Sierra Sunset Cowl
I was recently talking with Laura (Jimmy) about some of the things I’ve learned in the last six months as the official in-house designer for Jimmy Beans Wool and she suggested I write about those things here. I’ve learned a lot, had some hits and misses, and continue to come up with new ideas and find inspiration every day. This is my journey…

Basic Neckie Design
Some of you may know that I designed a few knitted items before I started designing for Jimmy Beans Wool. My first design, the Basic Neckie (which eventually became a free pattern on the Jimmy Beans Wool site) was designed for a friend who came to me with an idea for a short buttoned neck scarf and asked if I knew how to make something like that. I said sure, I could figure it out. I did, then I taught her how to make it, then I made and sold them on Etsy. It was fun for a while, but got pretty burned out after a while.

Sharon and her Donner Pass Cowl
Flash forward eight years. By last fall I’d self-published a few more patterns under the name “Marinade Designs,” including the Hipster Hat, Donner Pass Cowl, and Winter Wheat Hat that a bunch of the gals here at the shop have knit. (Sharon, Shevawn, and Sandy are usually the first to knit my designs, thanks for the support ladies!) Then, in September of last year I was offered the HUGE opportunity to design something for the Knit Red book. I was SO thrilled and nervous too. Being published meant that I actually had to start trying harder to make something of this little passion of mine. Now was the perfect time, the momentum was starting. It’s funny, once I started putting that energy out into the universe, it was easier to make things happen. 

So, I started submitting designs to magazines early this year. There was one hit and a lot of misses, but that’s ok, I knew it would be a challenge. While at Stitches West this year, I mentioned to Laura that I was starting to submit designs to magazines and that I really wanted to give this designing thing a shot. Being the amazing boss that she is, she listened thoughtfully as I told her my goals. I had no idea that a month later, she’d find a way to make my dream a reality! (I really do work for the most amazing people. Seriously.)

Laura and Huck in my hats.
So here I am, six months and nine designs later (mostly knit, one crochet and two sewing patterns), the official in-house designer for Jimmy Beans Wool. I create at least one new free pattern each month for our Newsletter and Free Pattern page of the website. Knitting patterns are definitely my specialty right now as that is where most of my experience lies, but as I continue to develop my skill range in crochet and sewing I am planning to offer more of those patterns as well. In fact, last month’s pattern was actually two-in-one. “Hats for the Whole Family” featured both knit and crochet versions of a simple hat pattern that covers all sizes from Infant to XL adult. The best thing is that these patterns are free to all of you on the Jimmy Beans Wool website. Hopefully you are finding some of them useful!

Green Market Tote
The market bag pattern I designed for Knit Red turned out to be my first official published design. When it hit in June, it felt so surreal that I had a published design. In an actual book. Right in between patterns from Jared Flood (aka. Brooklyn Tweed) and Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton. JARED FLOOD AND CORNELIA TUTTLE HAMILTON!!!! Wow! So amazing and such an honor to share a space with these two greats, along with so many other brilliant designers that I've idolized for years.

At the Knit Red book signing.
My next published design (aside from the Jimmy Beans Free Pattern each month) is due out in the Winter 2012 issue of Knitscene Magazine. I am SO excited! I think I have every issue of Knitscene ever published. I am so honored to have been given these opportunities. I hope that you’ll join me as I learn and grow here at Jimmy Beans Wool.

I’ll be blogging about these designs and my process here regularly and would love if you would join me here when you can. Feel free to send me your comments and feedback. I would love to hear from you and welcome any advice you might want to share. I know that we all have a design aesthetic that we lean towards and you may have noticed by now that I love garter stitch, short rows, and simple design. Someday, I would love to design beautiful sweaters and larger garments as my knowledge base grows. I am learning day by day and cannot wait to see how my style evolves over time. I welcome you to my journey and hope that you’ll pull up a chair, sit, and knit a while with me.

Happy knitting and crocheting,
Kristen     

PS. Did you know we have a Jimmy Beans Wool Group on Ravelry? Come on over and join the conversation! Not on Ravelry? We are also on Facebook and Twitter!

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The Journey of a New Knitwear Designer

by : MarinadeDesigns
The original "Neckie"
One of the benefits of blogging for Jimmy Beans Wool, is that I am occasionally allowed to “toot my own horn” so to speak. I am so lucky to work for a company that is so supportive of its employee’s diverse interests. Whether it’s related to knitting and crocheting, or something totally outside the realm of fiber arts like equine therapy or organic gardening, everyone here at JBW can feel loved and supported in those endeavors. It’s such a great environment to work and spend my days in!
When I designed the Basic Neckie back in 2004, I was working as a customer service representative at Patagonia (the outdoor clothing retailer). I was fresh out of college and just knitting simple hats and scarves for my friends for fun. I’d been knitting for years and knew the basics, but I hadn’t really gotten serious about it yet. A friend of mine at the time who was a brand new knitter came to me and said, “Kristen, I want to knit a neck-warmer with a button so that I don’t have to deal with a long bulky scarf, how would I do that?” I told her to give me a few days and I’d come up with something for her.  
Kudo Slouchy Tam
Thus the Neckie was born! I made one for myself first and wrote down the basic pattern for my friend, who then made one of her own. Soon after, I was approached by many of my co-workers who wanted Neckies to wear for their outdoor pursuits. It turns out skiers and climbers like the idea of a simple neck-warmer that is practical on the mountain yet stylish enough to wear out to the bar afterwards. Before I knew it, I had a side job! I was making and selling Neckies to all of my co-workers in multiple quantities! People wanted them in different colors for different outfits and to give as gifts! I was both flattered and thrilled that so many people liked my design.
Donner Pass Cowl
Soon after leaving Patagonia to serve as an AmeriCorps Volunteer, I started an Etsy shop and began selling my Neckies online. I also sold them in my friend Jena’s online consignment shop (her shop is no longer active, but she is still known as Miss. Modish at her style blog). I gave her six or seven Neckies one day and they sold in her shop within a few hours! 

When I started working at Jimmy Beans Wool in 2008, I was starting to get a little burned out on making Neckies. I was also worried that I had become a “one knit wonder.” I’d been contemplating the idea of transitioning from “knitwear maker” to “knitwear designer” so I dug up my old Neckie patterns notes and wrote them down in pattern format and asked Laura, one of the owners of JBW if she would consider posting my pattern on the JBW “Free Patterns” page. She obliged, and my first knitting pattern was published!   

Hipster Hat
Flash forward 2 years. I’ve now started to design with more frequency and fervor under the name of “Marinade Designs.” My first 5 or 6 designs are perfect for the beginner knitter. The Basic Neckie and Kudo Slouchy Tam, both free on the Jimmy Beans Wool website. Last weekend I released 2 more patterns on my personal knitting blog Marinade including the Hipster Slouchy Hat and the Donner Pass Cowl. Both are simple but fun knits that can be done in a short period of time and make great gifts!

Coming soon are two more patterns: a chunkier ribbed version of the classic Neckie as well as a very basic hand-warmer pattern that I wrote for my knitting students at the JBW retail shop here in Reno. I’ll be posting these 2 patterns over the next couple of weeks as I finish editing and photographing the final products. All of these designs are super simple and are great for the beginner knitter looking to enhance their skills with each new project.


Chunky Neckie
These 6 designs are all being offered as free patterns. Why free you might ask? Well it’s simple. These are patterns that I have written and designed at the beginning of this creative process. They are not perfect. They are my own unique take on familiar knitted items and they are a young knitwear designer’s first efforts. I share them with you all in hopes that as part of the greater community of knitters, you’ll share with me your experiences and give your feedback. I am currently working on a myriad of other designs, some of which I hope to publish or have published in the near future. I welcome your feedback on the technical aspects of these designs so that I may write the best patterns possible, and learn from the wealth of knowledge that exists in this wonderful community.


I’ve had so much fun creating and writing these patterns down for you all and I look forward to hearing the wonderfully constructive things you have to say about them! You can reach me via my personal blog: www.marinade.wordpress.com or by e-mail at: marinadedesigns@gmail.com.  
Thanks so much to JBW for allowing me to share my little story in this space here, as well as to my JBW family for all their love and support as I work to find my niche in this amazingly creative community. It’s wonderful to go to work everyday with people who understand and share my passion for all things yarny and fiberiffic (that one’s for you Leanne!)  

I hope you all have a fun weekend filled with lots of wonderfully fiber-filled moments. I’ll see you all back here next week for the return of FO Friday and WIP weekend!
Happy knitting everyone!
Kristen


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