Indie Designer Gift-along 2016: Nancy Whitman Interview

NANCY WHITMAN

Welcome to this year's set of interviews for the Indie Designer Giftalong over on Ravelry. I will be interviewing designers in the giftalong, as I have done in previous years, so you can get to know some more designers. I really enjoy doing interviews, and this year is no exception.


Hey there! How would you describe yourself, and your designs to someone who might know who you are?
Overall I would describe my designs as having a strong graphic element, be it with color or stitch patterns. I tend to favor geometric patterns, but am inspired by pattern period.

How did you start knitting?
When I was 7 or 8 years old, I described a scarf that I wanted to my paternal grandmother. She knew that it could be done via crochet. While she made the scarf for me, I sat with her and she taught me to knit and crochet. That was the start of it.

Rushmore Hat

What made you want to be a designer?
I have always been a designer, but never actually thought of wanting to be one. I would knit or crochet clothes for my friend’s dolls or stuffed animals. I just never thought of it as designing. Perhaps it was because my grandmother made clothing and other necessities, plus a meager living, knitting, crocheting, and sewing. Growing up, I knew people who were very talented in these areas, but none thought of themselves as designers. Starting in my 20s, I rarely followed a commercial pattern, and when I did, I always changed it. Still, I didn’t think of myself as a designer. This was a time when knitting and crochet magazines were known by name, but not the designers. It wasn’t until quite recently that I had the idea to publish my own designs. There was no conscious idea to become a designer, it just evolved.

Piet on Point

Your shawls are very unusual constructions, how do you come up with a design in your mind that is that complex?
It’s funny, but the modular garter stitch shawls come fairly easily to me. It’s the other ones that are more of a challenge. Eden Prairie, Piet on Point, A New Slant, and High Street Shawl were pretty straight forward. I can see them in my mind and then dive right into the knitting or pattern writing. Garter stitch’s 2:1 ratio of rows to stitches certainly helps with the designing. Sometimes, these patterns can pose more of a challenge when set on a diagonal or if there is short row shaping. Mind Over Miter was one that was not fully conceived in my mind. I found an online image for a stripe pattern that appealed to me. I copied it into an image manipulation program and started to play around. In a program like that, you can create multiple layers of the same design. After rotating some 45 degrees, I was moving one layer over another when the U-shaped mitered stripes jumped out at me. At that point, I had the overall shawl design.

Mind Over Miter

Do you have a favorite design you have designed?
Yes, Mind Over Miter. It was a challenge to come up with the best construction order and to get the pattern on paper in a coherent way. Completing it was an accomplishment.
 
Who is your favorite knitting role model?
It would have to be my grandmother. I’ve told this story before, but it couldn’t be more true. My grandmother was an immigrant and barely spoke English. We didn’t spend a lot of time together and when we did, it was difficult to communicate. She passed away when I was in my early 20s. At the time she taught me to knit and crochet, I lacked the perspective to know the potential impact of what she was giving me. More than 50 years later, I have lived a life of knitting. It’s the one creative endeavor that I always come back to, it has brought me close to people I would otherwise not know - closer in fact than I was to my grandmother, it has allowed me to spread joy knitting for others, and to now represent myself as a designer. Knitting has allowed me to have a mail order yarn business before the internet ( yes, I am that old), and now to have an online yarn shop, Whitknits.com. It has been such a defining and treasured gift, one that I was fortunate to receive and for which I am eternally grateful.
 
If you had one yarn to knit with for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?
It’s tough to pick just one! At this moment in time, it would have to be madelinetosh tosh merino light. I have used it quite a lot and love the yarn. I always prefer a soft wool yarn, but if you gave me a second choice, perhaps a blend of wool with a bit of cashmere, yummy!

Gardener's Shawl

 What is an essential knitting tool you constantly use, and can’t imagine your knitting without?
Nowadays it’s my computer. I can knit all I want without one, but not if my knitting needs to be reproduced by other knitters. I had to become disciplined and knit at the computer and record my progress. I can’t write patterns any other way.

Bocce

 What advice would you give to newer designers or people who are considering designing?
I have three pieces of advice that I learned the hard way:

1. There is no accounting for taste. There are knitters who appreciate all kinds of designs so don’t get discouraged if you don’t love everything you design. My most beloved designs are by far not my most popular, and some that I thought were just okay, have done better than I could imagine. Part of designing is a numbers game and developing a following. So hang in there and keep designing!
2.  Use test knitters, tech editors, photographers, sample knitters, and anything else available to you to publish quality patterns. It costs money to put out a good product. Don’t be reluctant to spend it. Even if you do all that, you will have to make corrections and send out revisions, but they will be few and far between. You don’t want to get a reputation for a shoddy pattern. Just imagine a knitter’s frustration with your mistakes. Also, investing in your patterns will help you with the next piece of advice. 
3.  Don’t undervalue your work. I see designers who charge $1 - $2 for patterns. I would think twice before buying a pattern from a designer who either didn’t have the confidence in his or her work product to regularly ask for a fair price, or who didn’t do what is required to make sure the pattern is clear, concise, error free and professional looking. Most folks don’t mind paying $6 or more for a quality product.

Tappan Zee

What do you have upcoming as far as designing?
Later this month, I will be releasing a pattern for a one week mystery knit for a 3-hour cowl. Actually, the testers knit it in 2 hours and 45 minutes. It will be a quick project for any last minute gifts. Also, I am working on a design for Brooklyn Tweed that will come out in 2017. I can’t say more about it than that right now, but I’m really excited about it. Once that is done, I will be doing more with cables and stitch patterns. I have some ideas that have been rattling around in my head and now it’s time to let them out!

Thank you so much for letting me interview you! How can people follow you and your designs?
I should be thanking you for this interview. I was thrilled when you asked. For those who want to follow me, I am including some links below. Happy Knitting and Happy GAL, Nancy
Ravelry patterns: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/nancy-whitman
Ravelry Goup: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/whitknits-what-knots
Whitknits.com: http://www.whitknits.com/index.php?main_page=
Newsletter: http://whitknits.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2783ffe3...

For a chance to win your choice of a pattern from Nancy Whitman, please leave a comment on this post, telling me what design by Nancy is your favorite, and you will be entered to win. The drawing will take place on December 13th, so make sure you get your entry in!