Interview with Designer Pam Powers. Win a Copy of "Dress-to-Impress Knitted Scarves."

I met Pam Powers at the Needlework Association conference (TNNA) a few years ago and quickly became smitten with her designs. They all have a bit of a surprise element such as a knitted floral embellishment or unusual construction. I recently asked Pam for an inside look into her designer life and her answers to my questions are below.

Her new book "Dress-to-Impress Knitted Scarves: 24 Extraordinary Designs for Cowls, Kerchiefs, Infinity Loops & More" has just been released and Pam has generously donated a copy to give away.  


What was your path from knitter to designer and what made you start selling your designs?

I started altering patterns to look like garments and accessories I had seen in stores.  From there, it wasn’t much of a leap to start designing from scratch.  People started asking me if I would knit and sell accessories I was wearing, but of course you really can’t charge for the amount of hours invested, so I never went down that path.  I then stumbled across Ravelry, and the rest is history.

You've said that you start with a "theme" when designing, can you give us an example?

Well it could be an outfit—like a slip dress with a cardigan, for example.  I think about what type of knitted accessory would work well with it, probably starting with a shape (maybe an ascot with flowy ends), then apply stitch pattern (probably lace) and yarn (sport or fingering weight).  

Can you share with us the day-to-day life of an independent designer? Do you set aside time each day to work on designs? What about other aspects of the business?

I run the schedule of a stay-at-home mom.  Things are a little easier now that my 17-year-old son has his own car.  But I still drive my 15-year-old daughter around—she trains in a pre-professional ballet program, so it requires a lot of time from both of us.  I can usually squeeze in 4-5 hours of work during the day which is usually business stuff—answering emails and the logistics of pattern sales.  I then design and knit at night, starting at about 10 pm until 2-3 am.  I have been trying to get more sleep lately, which makes this schedule a little more palatable.  I also work pretty extensively over the weekend.  

Where does blogging fit in? Would you advise designers to have a blog?

It doesn’t.  I have to put it in my schedule.  A blog post can take up to 8 hours to produce, and it is not necessary to run my day-to-day business, so it tends to get pushed to the bottom of my list.  

I would advise to have a blog, but you need to have some kind of hook whether it be tricks and tips, a funny outlook or compelling photos.  There’s a lot of competition out there, so it’s hard to get people on board and keep them there.

The photographs on your blog are very artistic and professional looking. How long have you been taking photos? How did you learn?

I’ve been doing photography in some respect for probably over 25 years.  I’ve taken A LOT of photography classes over the last 5 years and have picked up tricks along the way.

Where do you go for design inspiration?

The internet is a great resource.  I look at fashion—different brands and stores.  I love Anthropologie and Free People.  I try to steer clear of looking at other knitwear designers though, so I can stay original.

What is something surprising that has come from being a knitwear designer?

When people ask me to sign something—I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be giving autographs.

What's the most common misconception you run into when you tell people what you do?

When people hear “knitting”, they think it’s a hobby because they can’t wrap their head around the fact that someone could actually do what I do for a living.  

What's on the horizon for Pam Powers Knits?

I’m trying to get a pattern or two out for Spring, then I will be starting to put some patterns together for Fall.  I will have a booth at Vogue Knitting Live Pasadena in April where I will be selling patterns and kits.

Thanks for including me in your blog.  Those were great questions!

Big thanks to Pam for taking the time to share with us. If you want to enter for a copy of the book, leave a comment below before the end of the day Wednesday March 11th with your email address or Ravelry ID. 

Happy Knitting!
Tricia (@CheekyAttitude)

The Knitted Home

I love this new book that I'm going to share today. I'll not only be sharing my review, but the book will be going to one lucky reader (see how at the end of the post).



The Knitted Home: Creative and Contemporary Projects for Interiors by Ruth Cross



I want to knit practically everything in this book in the hopes that my home will look as lovely as these pictures evoke. From the pillows/cushions to that lovely blanket!



Garter stitch is such a classic to me. Who wouldn't want to snuggle in that blanket?



Throughout the book there are complete patterns for you to create these beautiful projects. But Ruth also encourages and gives advice on how to experiment for yourself to produce your own designs. For the vases shown above, she gives guidelines for ways to create your own. How fun would a bunch of different sized mason jars as vases be?



If I ever have a craft room or studio, I would love to do this for some of my swatches. I love the gray palette she uses here too.



As she goes through the book, she shows how you can adapt these patterns to different sizes, scales and shapes so that they can be widely applied around the home to create completely personal pieces.



Another one of my favorite designs....simple, yet classic, but also a bit creative. Who would have thought, but now I want a knitted fruit bowl, right?



And a bit of trivia, Ruth was responsible for designing the now iconic mittens worn by Bella in the Twilight Saga.

Here's where you can find the book...


 (US release has a slightly different title)


(UK version available in the US or here is Amazon UK link)

You can find more information, as well as quite a few other great books, at the publisher's site. I'm so glad that they shared this review copy for me as this is quite a lovely book. And now, I'm going to share it with you. One lucky reader will win a copy. Have you knit items for your home? Anything on these pages inspire you to think about it? What would you knit first? Leave me a comment and a way to contact you if you win (e.g., ravelry id, email).

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

P.S. I know I've mentioned how I love some of the Craftsy classes that I've taken. There are having a big summer sale this weekend, so I thought I'd enable you guys a bit :) Click the link below.

In the Loop

Knitting has an image problem.

Some might say, right? I know before blogging and being active in my local stitch n bitch, I certainly had my stereotypes about knitting and knitters. I remember it was my sister who told my boyfriend that I knit. I had left that out for a good month or so. I didn't know what he would think. Now I can't even imagine not proclaiming that I am a knitter. Knitting is not just a hobby for me. Hobbies come and go, but knitting, I can't imagine not doing it. It is also the community of knitters that I can't imagine my life without.

Back to that image problem. That is the title of one of the essays in Jessica Hemmings' new book, In the Loop: Knitting Now.

In the Loop: Knitting Now explores the progression of knitting, a craft which has come a long way from its fuzzy image of thick socks, long shawls and embarrassing motifs on Christmas jumpers. The book maps knitting’s journey from solitary hobby for old maids to mainstream, contemporary trend.

When I was offered a chance to receive a preview copy of the book, I jumped at it. This isn't your typical knitting book filled with patterns. The book is a collection of essays written by a variety of voices: artist, academic, historian, librarian, and more. Essays that explore topics such as rethinking knitting and its image, activist knitting, narrative knits, and how knitting has progressed.

One thing I realized last year at both sock camp and Sock Summit, it was how much I did not know about the craft of knitting. But I do have an idea of where knitting is going. This book discusses this and so much more. Although I haven't read all of the essays, the ones I have read have been interesting and thought-provoking. This collection is informative and explores the diversity of knitting's current endeavors.

The images alone make this book worthwhile. It is a beautiful book, and the knits are beautiful, inspiring, creative. I could go on. I particularly enjoyed the artwork from the social activism essay. Here are just a few examples of the artwork contained within this book.



AMY TWIGGER HOLROYD OF KEEP & SHARE. Eugenia Dress, 2006. Cotton. Photograph by Meg Hodson.
AMY TWIGGER HOLROYD OF KEEP & SHARE. Gladys Cardi, 2007. 100 percent organic colour grown cotton. Photograph by
Meg Hodson.
AMY TWIGGER HOLROYD OF KEEP & SHARE. Who made this? Cardi, 2009. Found cardigan. Photograph by Meg Hodson.

LOUISE BOURGEOIS, Red Room (Child), 1994. Mixed media. Collection Musee d'Art Contemporain de Montreal. Photograph by Marcus Schneider.

If you are interested in learning more about the craft of knitting and how it is evolving, this is the book for you. I could see this being on the recommended reading list of a fashion institute type course.

Here's the best part. The publishers of the book, Black Dog Publishing, would like to offer all of my readers a 40% discount on all orders of this book! It retails for US $39.95. If you are interested, contact Jessica at jess@blackdogonline.com and quote "We Do Not Have a Knitting Problem Offer" in the subject line and she will take care of your orders.

Something to think about....one of the essays details the Knitting Collection held by the University of Southampton Library. Immediately I thought of my sock stash. If something should ever happen, my sister knows who to contact. However, can you imagine it being a collection on display......

Happy Knitting!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits