An Interview with...Rhichard Devrieze

Once a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry.  I’ve noticed that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the Knitting world.

You can find Rhichard here.

Where do you find inspiration for your colourways?

Most of the colour ways come out of my head.  Maybe they are there in the subconsious, but most of them are me playing with colours.  Mood has a lot to do with it and the music that I listen to while in the dye studio.  I must admit that there are certain things that inspire me.  For instance my partners Blue Crowned Mot-Mot that resides in the dye studio during the winter.  His colours are both bright and subdued.  It's an interesting combination with some jewel tones.  I am an avid gardener so this does have an influence on my colour ways too.

What is your favourite dyeing technique?

I'll have to be cryptic and say it's that thing I do.

How do you choose the fibers that you work with?

We kind of choose each other.  It's almost like establishing an interpersonal relationship.  I'm intrigued by something new and then, when I get a positive response, I want to work at the relationship, adding complexity by learning, experimenting, engaging.  And just like long-term relationships, I definitely have fibre favourites too.

How did you determine what weights of yarn you stock?

What's important to me is what's important to the people who work with the colourways that I produce, what excites them, what stimulates them to create what they do.  For me, it's always about maximizing depth of colour, reflections, refractions, emotional impact.  Some yarns 'express' better than others.

How do you come up with names for your yarn?

I'm either thinking of something even before the dyeing process begins, or something comes to mind during the process, but, often, an intended name gets 'bumped' because what the colourway looks like as a hank is quite different from what it looks like in a skein, and then again knitted.  But, most important, I really love what I do, and naming each colourway, and giving it a lyrical description is just my way of endeavouring to engage with the people who will use it.  

A coat woven, in white and black yarn which was then dyed by Rhichard.

Could you give us an idea of how long the process is to dye a batch of yarn and prepare it for sale?

An easy answer, and not an easy answer.  Without going into the specifics and the variables, usually about a week from start to enroute.  Sometimes just a few days.  Particularly if we're sold out and a particular colourway is needed to complete an order.  But, again, because I love experimenting, I prefer not to rush things.  

Do you look at other dyers' work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their yarns?

Are you kidding?  I love looking at other dyers' products, and love seeing what knitters do!  That's the great thing about people sharing.  But I don't think I'm influenced by other dyer's any more than I would think other dyers are influenced by what I do.  We're each pursuing our separate creative urges.  And perhaps, for me, that's just natural, since I've been rather independent my whole life.

Are you a knitter as well?

I'm what you would have to call a novice among the novices.  My forte is weaving.  And I like stitching.  My problem is that each day only has 24 hours, and I have a family and four French Bulldogs. 

Did you do a formal business plan?

Of course!  And I'm really keen to see it unfold. 

Do you have a mentor?

I do and he unfortunatly died when I was twelve years old.  It was and is my maternal Grandfather.  He was a wonderful dyer who had a blanket weaving business in The Netherlands.  It was very sad to learn from my Mother that he lost the business during the depression.  This is when he took up dyeing in Helmond, Noord-Brabant.  He did what is called Java Batiks.  This is quite an interesting process and we are lucky enough to have a number of them in my Mother's home.  I am lucky enough to have one of his books in my possesion. 

Do you have a business model that you have emulated?

Yes, and no.  My partner and I are big fans of a marketing expert who has had a programme on CBC-Radio One, in Canada, for a number of years (and my partner and I are big CBC fans).  So there are some key words in our business model.  Affability.  Availability.  Accountability.  Strategic Engagement.  Exceeding Client Expectations.

What impact has the Internet had on your business?

We are a focused-internet-based business.  We have a website that is linked to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Ravelry.  So new colourways that get posted on our website automatically get identified.  We're very aware of internet marketing strategies, but we don't pursue those in an aggressive way.  We just really want to be friends with our wholesale accounts and with their customers.  Working hard is great, as long as it's fun.  

How do you maintain your life/work balance?

I guess that's where the phrase 'strategic engagement' also applies, even though it's not always that simple.  Having a very patient and supportive life-partner certainly is important, which means that I can attend a respectable number of dog shows each year, and yarn trade shows, knowing that things will be okay if I'm away. 

How do you deal with criticism?

If the criticism is constructive and well-intentioned, I welcome it, of course.  If it's mean-spirited, well, it is what it is, and then it's not really relevant.  And wouldn't it be great if 'critique' was offered, instead of criticism?

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?

One can support oneself on very little, if one's aspirations are . . . limited.  Mine aren't.  I don't have aspirations for 'big' but I do for excellence.  But then I think that that's what would be expected, and should be expected.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in hand dying yarns?

Be passionate.  Appreciate.  Welcome.  Care.  Never stop learning.  Laugh.

Why Designers Don't Knit for Themselves

Have you ever scanned down a list of knitting event teachers bio photos and noticed that many of them are not wearing hand knit garments? Did you notice next, that the ones who are sporting something hand knit are often showing an accessory? 

Why do you think that happens?

I suspect the main reason is that the samples of the garments they design don't fit. Samples are knit in small sizes to fit tall models. Some publications request the samples to be produced with longer measurements than the pattern is written with. Most of us don't make much money so we move on to the next design before we can knit something for ourselves.

Very few women fit into those small sizes and often for the designer to have a garment to wear in public and properly showcase the design, further pattern customizations are required. In my case, I need more room on the front of a garment, shorter than average sleeves, a narrower shoulder and a shorter armhole depth which then requires sleeve cap changes.

I really enjoyed reading Amy Herzog's post here.

Amy says "Unfortunately, designers don’t actually get much time to knit sweaters for themselves… …and even less time to knit already-released sweaters for themselves." Further down in the post she shares the modifications to the pattern which make the garment flatter her specific shape. 

If I was a fairy godmother I would wave my magic wand and make every knitter understand that modifications are normal and are required. Everyone would pick their patterns and have the necessary knowledge to make the garment fit them. 

How to Generate Ideas for Post Topics

An Interview with...Anna Dalvi

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nacken

Once a week I post interviews with interesting designers about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed that every designer makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the Knitting world.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/eyjafjallajokull-shawl

You can find Anna here and here on Ravelry.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find my inspiration a little here and there.  A lot of the motifs come from nature, and me just mulling over what the colours of the yarn remind me of.  But I also like to design things with roots in folk lore and fairy tales.  I love mythology and have designed numerous items inspired by various stories.

My second book - Ancient Egypt in Lace and Color - is a perfect example of how I like to tie stories to designs. In ancient Egypt, colour had symbolic meaning in art. For example, red was associated with anger, green with death and blue with fertility.  The book contains two shawls in each of the six main colours used in ancient Egyptian art, and each design in the book is accompanied by a story from Egyptian mythology.

What is your favourite knitting technique?

I like any kind of knitting where things are happening - lace, cables, colour work…..  I really want the knitting to keep my interest, and the way to do that is to have patterns that keep me on my toes.

Could you tell us a little about your book, Shaping Shawls?

When I started designing lace shawls, each design was an exploration of shapes.  My first lace shawl, Mystic Waters, was a triangular shawl.  When I designed it, I sat down and tried to figure out how to knit a triangle.  I figured that if I started at the bottom point and knit upwards, if I made each row a little longer than the previous row, I would get a triangle.  Once I had designed that, I tried to construct a neck-to-edge triangle (top-down) with a spine - that is a triangular shawl constructed by two triangles. That became Mystic Light.  And so on.  For a couple of years, I kept exploring different shapes. In the end, I decided to write it all down as a book, so that other designers would have a sort of blueprint for how the geometry of lace shawls works. That way, it would be a great reference, and people wouldn't have to do the same exploring that I did.

Do you look at other designers' work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?

Given that I spend a fair amount of time networking on Ravelry, etc, of course I look at other work occasionally. Most of what draws my interest are interesting construction and I sometimes look at knit items and try to figure out how they were constructed.  But on the whole, there are endless combinations of knits, purls, increases and decreases, and I think that as designers we should listen to our inner voices and find inspiration there, rather than trying to create something for someone else.

How do you feel about the so called controversy of "dumbing down" patterns for knitters?

I think there's room for both simple and complex patterns. And simplifying instructions is really not at all the same as "dumbing down" patterns.  I tend to think of it as optimizing patterns - rather you would optimize code as a software designer.

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?

I have used some sample knitters in the past, but since I often modify the design as I knit it, I tend to work better if I knit the piece myself.  Plus I also really enjoy the knitting - after all, it's what drew me to this business in the first place - so I would be hesitant to give that up.

I also have several test knitters who knit for me on an ad hoc basis.

Did you do a formal business plan?

No.

Do you have a mentor?

I've been lucky enough to have several friends in the industry.  Overall, it's a friendly place and most everyone is happy to talk about what they do, what works for them and what might not.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hrungnirs-heart

What impact has the Internet had on your business? My business would not be possible without the internet. I sell most of my patterns online, to customers all over the world. And I run knitalongs, hosted online.  The knitalongs also draw participants from all over the world and the internet allows us all to share in the progress, share pictures and talk about the design, knitting or just anything at all.

Do you use a tech editor?

Yes, of course.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/ancient-egypt-in-lace-and-color

How do you maintain your life/work balance? I think this line of work is very good for me at this point in time. The schedule is super flexible, which means that my schedule can work around the kids' schedules, what with school and hockey and everything else.  I can knit anywhere - at home, at the cottage, in the car (if I'm not driving, of course), at their hockey practices, and so on. The actual design work and charting tends to be done in spurts and during more quiet times, so it all works well.

How do you deal with criticism?

I try to learn from it.
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/havsfrun

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself? How much you "need" in order to support yourself is so relative that it's almost impossible to answer.  It certainly helps to have income from a number of different sources (e.g. self publishing, books, knitalongs, teaching, submitting to other publications, etc). But even so, it's hard to get all of that to add up to enough to support a family of five.  

That said, there's great flexibility with this job - it can be done from almost anywhere at almost any time, and is ideal (for me) to combine with a young family.  And a supportive spouse.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?

It's a great business to get into in terms of starting small. There is no need for large capital investments, etc. Especially not initially - really, what you need is some yarn and needles. And if you're considering it, you probably already own both. But it's not a very lucrative business for both, so be prepared to do a little of everything.  

I originally started in order to finance my hobby.  I thought it was a great way to make some extra money so that I could splurge on special yarn and fancy needles.  Then it grew into something bigger, because I really enjoy what I do. But it's a long, bumpy road, with unstable and variable income.  

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/shaping-shawls

Are Men Sweater Worthy?

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/family-of-cabled-sweatersaption

In an earlier post I did on the sweater curse I went looking for a pattern for a man's sweater that I could use for the top of the post. I was a little surprised to discover how very few there are.

Check out these searches on Ravelry.

Knit sweaters for adult women:  
  
19,584 matches 

Knit sweaters for adult men:

2,039 matches


I'm not sure why I was so surprised. I've only knit a few myself through my long knitting career. My husband rarely wears sweaters and I guess I thought he was unusual. I have in the past knit them for both my father and father-in-law. I did one for a boyfriend years ago but never did a second as we broke up before I started it. One of my friends just finished a gorgeous sweater for her son.

I think the questions are: are we not knitting for men because they don't wear hand knits, are we not knitting them because there are so few patterns, are we too busy knitting for ourselves and kids, or perhaps we just don't think men are sweater worthy?

What do you think?







 

I may be going over the edge....

I re-watched Chariots of Fire recently and was quite enjoying all the hand knits and sweaters that the costumers included in the film. There were crowd scenes that included some lovely Fair Isle tams. Hand knit vests were peeking out from under men's jackets. Cable knits were everywhere. They were of the type called Cricket sweaters in the UK but known as Tennis sweaters in the US. If you would like to see some vintage patterns of this type you can look here. If you scan down the page you will see examples from 1930 to 1960.

Unfortunately as I watched, the perfectionist knitter in me got out and completely distracted me from the plot. Good grief! Look at that sloppy neckband in the photo I've included above. That wasn't the only one, I just couldn't find a photo of the next crime against knitting example. Then I was very disturbed by the seed stitch band that was cast off in knit when it would have looked so much better cast off in pattern.

I can't help myself. I may be obsessed with knitting!

An Interview with...Joy Gerhardt

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dogwood-shawlette

Once a week I post interviews with interesting designers about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed that every designer makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the Knitting world.

You can find Joy here and here on Ravelry.

Where do you find inspiration?

My designs are born out of all sorts of things - architecture and landscape, stitch patterns, art... But most of the time, they come from my desire to try a new method of construction or an interesting technique. For instance, one of my first designs was the Interwoven hat, where I wanted to explore the idea of cables that start horizontally and continue seamlessly up the fabric, even when the direction of knitting has changed. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/interwoven

What is your favourite knitting technique?

I'm a big fan of Cat Bordhi - and I think her centre-out moebius is one of the most ingenious and fun types of knitting there is. I love watching the fabric grow from the centre of the scarf, cowl, or wrap, and the finished moebius is like an Escher print come to life! In my Garden Path Moebius, I combined a moebius with one of my other favourite design features - ruffles. Ruffles aren't for everybody, and all that increasing can sometimes be a pain to knit, but I find them really charming when used in moderation.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garden-path-moebius

How did you determine your size range?

I'm a larger girl myself, so for garments I find it important to offer a wide range of sizes (my first two garment designs are presently in the works). With the help of Excel and a good set of standard measurements, it's not that much extra effort to grade a design into many sizes both big and small, and I think it adds a lot of value.

Do you look at other designers' work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?

I'm not afraid to admit I'm a bit of a Ravelry addict - and I think it's important to watch the trends, both in the knitting world and in fashion overall. I don't worry about being influenced - after all, artists piggybacking off each others' work is how art movements and trends are born. On the one hand they say there's nothing new under the sun, and on the other hand I think people can always add a new spin on an old idea, and that can be a really good thing.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elven-slippers

How do you feel about the so called controversy of "dumbing down" patterns for knitters?

Many of my designs skew intermediate/advanced because those are the things I like to knit. There's a place in the market for patterns of all levels, from the most basic items for beginners to the most intricate lace or colorwork.
That having been said, one thing I've had to learn is to not try to fit too much into a design. Elegant simplicity is superior to overcomplication. A design with too many elements will feel crowded and no one element will be able to stand out. Similarly, a pattern with too much extra information sometimes just isn't necessary. Sometimes adding extra tutorials and explanatory notes will strengthen a pattern and make it clearer - but sometimes it will just further confuse things, which is something I have struggled with. 

Do you use a tech editor?
Yes - for me, the hardest part of designing and pattern-writing is making sure my instructions are clear. I can come up with an idea, but that doesn't mean I can explain it well! For that reason, I find a tech editor to be invaluable.

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?

I don't use sample knitters but I do try to get my patterns tested if time allows. I feel that tech editing and test knitting complement each other well - the tech editor will check all the numbers and make sure things are consistent and clear, and the testers can uncover other issues through the process of knitting. The way I see it, the more eyes looking over my pattern, the better the final result is going to be.

What impact has the Internet had on your business?

If it weren't for the Internet, I wouldn't be designing - heck, if it weren't for the Internet, I might not even be a knitter in the first place! The wealth of resources and community on the web are what fueled my fibre passion, right from the start. The web has also spawned a lot of great online magazines with high production standards and designer-friendly policies. There's a lot of competition these days but I'd say it's a good time to be a knitwear designer.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garden-path-moebius

How do you maintain your life/work balance?

I have a day job, so it's more like a work/work balance. ;) I don't have as much time to spend on designing as I would like, now that I'm working full-time. I was fortunate enough to have a short period where I was able to work nearly full-time on my designing, which allowed me to build up my portfolio. Now I'm focusing on self-published work, which has the benefit of being much more flexible.

How do you deal with criticism?

I try to take everything as coming from a good place. Feedback from knitters is really important to me, because even after tech editing and test knitting, sometimes errors will slip through. Criticism comes in two forms: Something I can learn from, and something I can't. If I can learn from it, I will - I'll fix the error, or make the instructions clearer, or I'll know something for next time. If I can't learn from it, then it's best not to pay attention to it.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?

Do things right from the start, to the best of your ability. There is such a wealth of information available now - on Ravelry, on blogs like this one, in classes and books - that a budding designer can read up on everything and really get off to a professional start. I did some things as a newbie designer that in hindsight I wouldn't have done.
We live and learn, and I've learned a lot and I'm sure I still have much more to learn. But I think with the increased competition it is more important than ever to produce a quality product in order to stand out from the crowd. If you can develop your photography and writing skills, get things properly tech edited, and promote yourself effectively right from the start, you're already ahead of a lot of other people.                 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/unbraiding-cables-hat