Why Rowan?

People start knitting for all different reasons. I started when I was in college because I always loved sweaters, and I wanted to make my own. Sure, I loved having it as a creative outlet since I had run out of places to put my needlepoint, and yes, it was enormously helpful to knit while I put off all the papers I had to write. There’s a word for that, by the way - Procrastiknitting.

Since I came to knitting from that sweater-making route, I’ve always considered knitting a fashion-oriented hobby.  Lots of my sorority sisters were knitting cute little tops and vests and more.  So I was shocked, perhaps naively, so, when I found that knitting has a reputation as a hobby for old ladies, and that handknit garments are frumpy and unattractive. I was crushed, outraged even.  Ever since, I've been on a personal crusade to show the world how beautiful and fashionable hand knitting is. And I love it when I have partners in that effort. One of my favorite is Rowan Yarns.

I’ve been featuring quite a bit of Rowan lately. They really blew me away with their Mode line last fall, and I've been all in ever since. After our Rowan yarn tasting Saturday, Rowan Brand Manager. David McLeod, and I stayed on the line to chat a bit, and I asked him what he thought set Rowan apart.  He said that it's because Rowan has always been designer lead. What that means for to me is that instead of having a bunch of business executives come up with a yarn and choose a color palette they think will have broad appeal and sell well, Rowan starts their whole process with a team of talented designer. The designs come first.  

Designers and their stylistic vision guide the development of the yarns and the palette.  They’re not creating patterns to promote a yarn, but rather bringing the vision of a fashion collection to the table that the entire team works to realized with yarns.  The primary focus is the knitter and how she can re-create the stylish aesthetic presented in their collection and make it her own.  A I said in the tasting, the Rowan line is cohesive--their offerings make sense.  Nothing is random or out of place because they're all designed by talented and experienced professionals who share our goal of creating beautiful garments we can knit ourselves..Additionally, these designers understand that a hand knit wardrobe needs to be built on pieces that both look modern but also stand the test of time.  Pieces that last and we're proud to wear

We spend a lot of time creating our handknits garments, and  there’s no reason in the world did they shouldn’t be stylish and smart. Thank you, Rowan, for supporting fashionable knitters everywhere. 

If you would like to see the Rowan Trunk Show in person, we still have it in the shop for a few more days. If you can't make it in person, take a look at the video presentations here and hereon Facebook Live.

I look forward to seeing you soon -- you are always welcome here

~Ellen

Back to 23 June 2020 Newsletter