From the collections of Marc Jacobs to our own Church & State, knitwear has been sprouting…and in echo of the Contemporary Craft show New Embroidery: Not Your Grandma’s Doily, the knits of this season are clever and edgy. And with the cold weather on its way, what better time to introduce designer Laura Irwin? ultra met up with Irwin to ask her about her knitting and what we can expect from her this season.
Like many of the established designers in Portland, Irwin got her start by experimenting. Laughing, she told us that she taught herself how to knit from a how-to book and would, “jam the knit piece under the sewing machine and cut off the excess fabric,” to make hats. The first thing she sold was a pair of fingerless mittens at Seaplane four years ago. Since then, she’s refined her skills, collaborated with designers, been featured in magazines, and has sold out her collections each season. A few noteworthy tidbits: Irwin had a piece in The Little White Dress Show which was also featured in Venus Magazine’s fall fashion editorial (along with several scarves and a hat); she has several patterns in Interweave Knits Magazine; and she is currently an apprentice to Dayna Pinkham at Pinkham Millinery.
Along with all the pieces that she’s crafting for fall/winter, she’s currently working on combining her new millinery techniques with knitting�and we can�t wait to see what comes out of this fusion! Until then, check out her pieces at Seaplane, Relish, Pinkham Millinery and Impulse (Seattle). Find her patterns at Lint, Article Pract (Oakland), Interweave Knits Magazine and Knitscene Magazine
To see more or get in touch with Laura, check out her weblog at www.preciousknit.blogspot.com
–Patricia No
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