Not Your Grandmother's Knitting!

 Designer, Joan McGowan-Michael

I love the family stories by top designers in,

My Grandmother's Knitting.  

I bought the book last year as soon as it hit the shelves.  

My favorite design in the book is the 

Angelina Shrug.

This pretty vintage-inspired knit 

just happens to be designed by,

(a favorite local Designer)

Joan McGowan-Michael. 

I often travel miles to meet my favorite designers.  

Yesterday I didn't have to... 

because my favorite LYS,  Knitique

hosted a book signing and fitting clinic with Joan.  

 Angelina Shrug

I loved reading Joan's story in the book 

and how she named her Angelina Shrug

 after her Mother.

The shrug is a tribute to Joan's Mother's fabulous 1940's style 

and is modeled after the bed jackets of that era. 

Joan says in the book:

"My Mother was a 1940's fashionista."

Well, Joan is quite the fashionista  herself!

Throughout the afternoon,
I had a chance to chat with Joan.

 I found out that it was her mother who taught her to knit.  

 Her mother taught her the garter stitch and Joan was hooked.  

As a young girl, Joan went on learning more about knitting 

with the help of Girl Scout books at her local library.  

At the age of 20,

 Joan became a professional fashion designer
after finishing design school. 

She landed her first job with Frederick's of Hollywood. Wow!  

That job obviously had a big influence on Joan because her first book (2007) is titled,  Knitting Lingerie Style!

White Lies Designs Trunk Show

In 2001, Joan founded her company White Lies Designs. 

She is well loved for her romantic designs 

that will "fit and flatter" ladies of all sizes.  

Joan credits working as a 

Custom Bridal Wear Designer (later in her career)

 to really helping her understand fitting different body types,

 including plus sizes.  

Joan took her knowledge from the fashion world 

and transferred it to her knitting designs and patterns.

During a brief talk at Knitique,

 Joan mentioned tips about "tweaking patterns" for knitting. 

She shared tips about:  

raising or lowering waists, nipping a waist and widening straps.  

All helpful tips depending on your body type.  

Knitique is also hosting a Trunk Show with 

Joan's White Lies Designs garments.  

The most talked about patterns yesterday at Knitique,

were Joan's Angelina Shrug, Krista Tee 

and her Angelina Vintage Jacket .

I want to knit them all!

Danielle & Joan 

Thank you to Danielle, the owner of Knitique

(and my knitting teacher)

 for such a fun event yesterday with Joan. 

Thank you to Joan,

for being so fabulous and 

for sharing your fashion tips with all of us yesterday!

PS:  I can't wait to knit my own Angelina Shrug...

it just has to wait awhile due to my upcoming hand surgery.