Vogue Knitting Live Launches Small Business Launch Pad

Knitting industry events are a great way for designers, instructors, yarn and accessory makers to meet and get to know each other in real life. They can be important for sales, name recognition, getting featured in magazines and more.

But the barriers for entry are high for many small business owners. Booth space is expensive, as is travel to events, getting goods to the venue and more.

Vogue Knitting Live recently launched a program to make it a little easier for small business owners to vend at their events, called Launch Pad.

The program will offer resources and support for new and marginalized small business owners, including webinars, weekly assignments and lectures, which will culminate in an opportunity to sell at Vogue Knitting Live in New York in January at a discounted rate.

Launch Pad is especially aimed at addressing problems of diversity in representation at such events, so BIPOC small business owners are being prioritized in selections. Applications are being accepted from business owners regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status (though there is a cost both to the program and to selling at the event).

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 15, and the program will accept 20 people. The fee for participation is $125, and booth space is $175.

This sounds like an amazing program and I can’t wait to see what comes out of it.

[Photo: Vogue Knitting.]

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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Have you read?

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