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.]

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Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.

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