Meet Margaret Holzmann | Knit Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Margaret Holzmann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Margaret, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg said: “(s)o often in life things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great good fortune.” I find that this applies to my knit design efforts. In the beginning, I submitted designs to print magazines. My acceptance rate declined over time in part because many magazines lost their readership due to the rise of digital distribution. At the time I saw this as a major hurdle because I wanted my designs to appear first in print. The solution I turned to was to write a book. Not only did this give me a print outlet for my knit designs, but it also provided me with something else I value: complete artistic control.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been working full-time as a knit designer. I develop new designs and write patterns for hand knitting. I have been published in numerous magazines, and book pattern collections, and have published two books of knitting patterns for blankets. I am known for a technique I refer to as “geometric knitting” which is a way to introduce colorful graphic designs into knitting without resorting to advanced techniques that require management of multiple strands of yarn. My designs are accessible to all levels of skill from beginners to advanced.

My patterns are full of construction illustrations to guide knitters through the project. This is different from most English language patterns that provide only written instructions. My designs are often confused with crochet because they have free form shapes typical of that craft.

I love to design blankets because they are like a canvas and do not require consideration of fit or whether they flatter various body shapes.

Among things I’m proud of, that one of my knitted designs, called “Something Fishy” won “Best of Division” recently at the LA County Fair. These means it was judged to have the best workmanship of all the knitted things that were submitted to the competition.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love Farmer’s Market, the Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. I also love all the beach communities both local to Los Angeles and a short drive away, such as Oxnard and Ventura. My favorite LA food options are the mom-and-pop Mexican restaurants, the Asian and Fusion eateries in the San Gabriel Valley, and the eclectic mix of restaurants and breweries in Monrovia and Pasadena. I love to visit my local museums and parks such as Huntington Gardens, the Norton Simon, and the LA Arboretum.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family and makers who purchase my knitting patterns.

Website: http://www.theknitwit.org

Instagram: @the.knitwit

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-holzmann-nee-smith-27a3905/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margaret.the.knitwit/

Image Credits
Gerard Holzmann