On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about knitwear design with my guest Andrea Mowry.
Andrea was lucky enough to learn how to knit as a child from her Grandma Ginny. By her late teens, guided by the wisdom of the great Elizabeth Zimmerman and her many books, she began trying to work out her own patterns. After leaving her life as a pastry chef to start a family with her husband, her hands found the necessary freedom to begin creating with fiber instead of flour.
She focuses on designing knits to fit the modern wardrobe – fun to knit and easy to wear, with clear directions for every level of knitter. She believes in enjoying every stitch and wearing at least one hand knit every day! Andrea has a great love for indulging in new techniques and skills and then sharing them with other knitters thru her patterns and workshops. Her goal is to leave knitters feeling empowered and inspired, and wrapped up in their own beautiful knits! If she is not knitting, you can probably find her spinning, sewing, weaving, or cooking up something yummy for her family.
Podcast Planning for Andrea Mowry
This episode is sponsored by Schacht Spindle Company.
Manufacturing hand weaving looms and spinning wheels in Boulder, Colorado since 1969.
Schacht Spindle Company has been manufacturing hand weaving looms and spinning wheels in Boulder, Colorado since 1969. Schacht products are beautifully crafted tools, designed with the craftsperson in mind. Sign up for their monthly newsletter at schachtspindle.com for free patterns, product updates, and Schacht news.
Trinigan by Andrea Mowry
We begin this conversation with Andrea talking about her life growing up in Michigan and learning to knit from her grandma, Ginny, when she was 9. Andrea has been working various jobs since she was 14. After college, she moved to New Zealand with someone she was dating and it was there that she returned to knitting and began trying her hand at knitwear design.
Back in the US, Andrea worked as a baker and pastry chef. She draws some parallels between that line of work and what she is doing now regarding following technical instructions and spatial relationships. Andrea talks about the first few knitting patterns she self-published and the feeling of those early successes. She also talks about her hit pattern, Find Your Fade, and what elements made that particular pattern take off the way that it did.
Find Your Fade by Andrea Mowry
I ask Andrea to share her marketing strategy, particularly regarding email marketing. We also discuss her product photography (her husband takes her product photos and their children are frequently just outside the frame).
She says she always has one of her own designs on her needles and tries to publish one pattern a month consistently.
And, of course, I ask Andrea to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Andrea recommends:
- Spinning & weaving classes on School of Sweet Georgia
- Wraps per inch tools from Katrinkles
- Healthy in a Hurry cookbook by Danielle Walker
Keep up with Andrea on Instagram and head over to her website to check out her knitting patterns and sign up for her newsletter.