Behind the Scenes on The Shape of Knitting Photo Shoot (plus Interview with photographer Thayer Gowdy

Thayer (right) and stylist Karen Schaupeter on the photo set for The Shape of Knitting

Thayer Gowdy is a superstar at STC Craft. She’s an incredibly talented photographer who has shot a whopping 11 of our books, including Knitting Nature, The Repurposed Library, Printing By Hand, Reversible Knitting, and many more. I recently got to interview Thayer after she sent us some fabulous behind-the-scenes shots from Lynne Barr’s upcoming book, The Shape of Knitting (to be published on our Spring 2013 list). Read on for Thayer’s take on working on craft books, spontaneity on set, and incorporating confetti (lots of it!) into your life.

What was the theme of The Shape of Knitting shoot and how did you decide on it? Did the fact that you shot Lynne Barr's previous book--Reversible Knitting--affect any of your choices?

The theme was fun and chic and colorful, but also very clean. I’ve also been addicted to confetti lately, so that was a huge part of it! We had so much confetti; it was crazy. Reversible Knitting was a bit quiet and we shot it in a studio so it was very clean. I wanted to keep that thread for The Shape of Knitting, so we shot it in a studio again for a sophisticated look, but I also wanted to make it more colorful and playful.

You've shot quite a number of craft books for STC Craft/Abrams. What do you like best about these projects? What are some of your favorite memories from these shoots?

I love the creativity involved. Melanie gives us a lot of freedom and says “go for it.” I also love working as a team with stylist Karen Schaupeter. We come up with a vision, do research, and work together on the imagery. It’s all about creativity.

One of my favorite memories is when we shot the book The Repurposed Library. We shot the book in real homes that belonged to people I found online. One snowy day we ended up in the home of a retired writer and his wife, a children’s book illustrator. They made us a huge feast for lunch, including homemade soup. It was so welcoming. Most of my favorite memories come from people we meet along the way like that.

You seem to capture so many spontaneous moments. How do you encourage that spontaneity on set?

You have to leave room for things to happen. I like to keep the energy fun and playful, so people feel they can be spontaneous. It’s important to leave room for curiosity rather than trying to control things too much.

You shoot all over the world. What are some of your favorite places? 

Bali is my favorite place to shoot. It’s a melding of cultures, and it’s so visual. But it’s all the smells, the scents, the sights. Everything combines to create a beautiful sensory experience.

What do you like to do when you're not shooting?

I love to surf, and I’m about to plant a vegetable garden, which is really exciting. I love to travel; I can’t get enough of seeing new places. My boyfriend and I just got back from Mexico, and we’re excited to try making piñatas.

Which means you can use more confetti!

Exactly! I won’t be done with confetti any time soon.

Moving Past "Not Your Grandmother's Knitting"

Author Joan McGowan-Michael's mother, who taught her how to knit (photo from the book My Grandmother's Knitting)

After I posted It’s Not Your Grandmother’s Crafting (or Is It?), I was prepared to get impassioned responses. But I wasn’t as prepared for the sheer knowledge of history, marketing trends, and feminism that was brought to the table. Yet again, I am amazed at the intellect and insight of crafters—into all aspects of life. My post barely scratched the surface of it all! So, to recap, I thought I’d break down some of the most-discussed issues.

Age and Gender

On the surface, the most offensive thing about “Not Your Grandmother’s Knitting” is its implied ageism and sexism. We often see an “insinuated sneer” towards women’s skills, so denigrating our grandmothers’ knitting is a touchy subject. Couple that with the fact that our culture has a huge obsession with youth, proverbially tossing older women to the side, and this kind of phrase does more harm than good in its intended audience.

Lazy Marketing

Hey, I learned something!  Oldsmobile gets the credit for coining the “Not Your” turn of phrase in the 1980s with “Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile.” Since then, it’s become part of our lexicon. And, let’s face it, Don Draper would call this very lazy copywriting. (Remember his reaction to “The cure for the common breakfast cereal”?) For marketers, it’s the easiest way to say “Hey, this this is super hip and cool!” which, when you put it that way, doesn’t sound hip and cool. Some astute readers pointed out that this is basically your father’s marketing campaign, which is as ironic as it gets.

Consumerism

Well, this goes hand in hand with marketing. The whole idea is to sell something as novel, and therefore necessary. An “out with the old, in with the new’’ mentality. But as a culture obsessed with material goods, this mentality just feeds thoughtless consumerism.

Youth Culture

Once again, we return to Mad Men. At this point in the show, the old guard is starting to look a little, well, old. The “Youthquake” of the 60s has corporations turning its eye to what the kids what, i.e, whatever is hip and new. Advertising has never really let go of this youth obsession, hence the perennial popularity of “Not Your Grandma’s . . . .”

Sex

Several commenters pointed out that a label of “not your grandma’s knitting” connoted for them risqué, NSFW patterns. Which is again ironic, seeing as many current grandmothers came of age in the “post-pill/pre-AIDS” era (this is my new favorite phrase). Basically, some grandmothers could tell us things that would put our knitted g-strings to shame.

Trends

Some readers felt that there was a point in the mid 20^th century when knitting did indeed turn ugly. Acrylic tissue box cozies, that sort of thing. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, perhaps this is your impression of knitting, because that’s the type of knitting your grandmother might have done. In defense of “Not Your Grandmother’s Knitting,” maybe the phrase gave knitting the fresh face it needed to interest a new generation. Of course, this is all trend-based: our granddaughters could think the Stitch 'N' Bitch generation of knitting is ugly themselves. And so trends go!

Family Bonds

The overwhelming theme in the responses was personal family history. I loved reading the warm memories of everyone’s Nanas. Yet another reader pointed out that most young knitters she knows learned how to knit from the internet, not from family members. For what it’s worth—I learned to knit from a lady in a yarn shop, and then supplemented my knowledge with the Stitch ‘N’ Bitch books. However, it’s worth noting that the medium for learning (whether in person or through the internet or a book) doesn’t change the skills at hand. Knitting is knitting. The woman at the yarn shop probably learned from her grandmother or mother, and Debbie Stoller (author of Stitch ‘N’ Bitch) writes often of the knitting tradition in her family. So the common bond remains.

The Next Generation of Crafters

To wrap all of this up, I wonder how we should present knitting (and crafting in general) to the next generation. It’s clear that the phrase “Not Your Grandmother’s Knitting” needs to go. But what should replace it? What do you think is the best way to appeal to the next generation?

P.S. While we're here and talking about grandmothers and mothers, go check out our Mother's Day book giveaway (see below)!

Mother's Day Books & Giveaway!

 Photo by Ericka McConnell from Weekend Knitting

If you ask most moms what they want for Mother's Day, they will most likely request a day of ultimate relaxation. But if you ask moms who are crafters what they want for Mother's Day, chances are they will want something that involves both relaxation and crafting--a concept that we fully endorse!

Most of us at STC Craft come from a crafty lineage, and I'd say a healthy percentage of our authors first learned their amazing skills from their mothers. So when we started thinking about gifts to give our moms for Mother's Day, we got to wondering--if we had to pick one STC Craft book to give to our moms, which one would it be? We posed this question to several of our STC Craft authors and staff, and we loved hearing the stories about why each person thinks their mom would enjoy a particular book. But we don't want to stop there--we want to hear from you, too! Leave a comment telling us which STC Craft book you would pick for your mom and why, and if your name is picked, we'll send your mom a copy of the book you've chosen. To enter the giveaway, leave your comment before Friday, May 11 at noon EST.

Click here for full official rules.

	Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow, authors of Tiny World Terrariums, say: The BUST DIY Guide to Life! As regular sellers at the BUST Craftacular gift fairs in NYC, we're very familiar with their magazine and mission. We fully approve! And Katy's mom, being a very crafty lady with a love of DIY, would totally enjoy a book full of inspiring ideas for a day of handmade, homespun fun.
	Gretchen Hirsch, author of the forthcoming Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing, says: I would definitely give my mom Denyse Schmidt's new book, Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration. My mother is an avid (and award-winning!) quilter, and I know she would love the gorgeous inspirational photographs and designs.
	Liesl Gibson, author of Oliver + S, says: My mom is a fantastic seamstress (both machine and hand stitching), and she’s sewn for me and my four sisters all our lives. Now that she’s retired and has a little more time to sew for herself (and for fun), I think she’ll enjoy Alabama Studio Sewing + Design and all of Natalie’s wonderful projects and techniques. I hope she’ll make something for herself and will find lots of inspiration from the book. Plus, my mom and Natalie share a similar quiet, thoughtful approach to life. I think they would get along really well if they met!
	Melanie Falick says: My first thought was to choose Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin for my mom because she's already made several pieces of clothing from Natalie's other books and I think this one would inspire her to try more techniques. But this is a selfish choice since she makes these clothes for me (making me feel incredibly lucky). So, on second thought, I'm going to choose Stitch Magic by Alison Reid. Maybe Mom will be inspired to use some of the beautiful fabric manipulation techniques in that book to sew pillows or curtains or a new bedspread for her house. I think she might like the cushion covers in the Pleating chapter for her living room or the bed throw in the Folded Shapes for her bedroom. When we're both making projects, we always have something interesting to talk about.
	STC Craft marketing manager Ellie Levine and STC Craft senior editor Liana Allday both picked Weekend Handmade. Ellie says: The first weekend that feels like spring, you'll find my mom out in the garden, weeding, planting, and plotting new ways to make the backyard beautiful. When I visit my parents, the first thing I do is take a tour of her latest updates to the landscape, and I can always count on a beautiful flower arrangement on her kitchen table. My mom would adore Kelly Wilkinson's Weekend Handmade: the chapter called "Grow" presents projects inspired by gardens, fields and farmers' markets—three of my mom's favorite things. The Pressed Flower Luminaria, Botanical Note Cards, and irresistible Handmade Labels would all be perfect DIYs for us to create together on a sunny afternoon. Liana says: My mom is a lifelong crafter, and she is constantly wandering between decoupage, embroidery, gardening, watercolor, and anything else that catches her fancy. For those reasons, I pick Weekend Handmade. Not only is Kelly Wilkinson's California aesthetic a perfect match for my mom's sunny Californian style, but just like my mom, the book wanders around from craft to craft in the most delightful way.

Gertie at STC Craft: It's Not Your Grandma's Crafting (Or Is it?)

Hi everyone, I'm back! I got a little bogged down in other work for awhile (including finishing my book!) but I'm back to posting here on a regular basis (I don't want to make any promises that I can't keep so I'll keep it a little vague). I thought I'd jump back in with a discussion of the generational aspects of crafting. I know there are strong opinions on this matter, so I hope we can have a spirited conversation here!

It’s not news that there’s been a resurgence of young women getting involved in crafting for the last decade or so. (I just turned 33 so I feel like I'm smack dab in the middle of the whole thing) Hip knitting books, tattoo-style embroidery kits, and sewing patterns by Project Runway stars all speak to a new generation of DIYer. My personal blog has resonated with lots of twenty-something women, and if I can get them to start sewing, then I’m happy. But one thing bothers me about the young crafting movement: namely, the “it’s not your grandma’s sewing/knitting/embroidering!” mentality and marketing strategy. Because, well, it is your grandmother’s sewing, knitting, or embroidering. (And because I work with vintage sewing patterns and books, this is quite literal to me.)

Whether you’re knitting tea cozies or a skull motif sweater, you’re using the skills that have been passed down among generations of women. Crafting may have gotten a hip makeover, but there’s nothing new when it comes to hand crafting technique—and we have our grandmothers to thank for sharing these skills. Also, we have a responsibility to pass them on to the next generation ourselves. (I’m sure our granddaughters will think skull sweaters are so 30 years ago!)

But perhaps this distancing of the older generation is what it takes to get the young folk interested in crafting. I’ll readily admit to sometimes being drawn to hipster embroidery transfers and other products marketed to the under-35 demographic. But there must be a way to draw in that demographic without alienating our grandmother’s generation.  My Grandmother’s Knitting by Larissa Brown is a great example of this concept at work: it’s a collection of stories about the tradition of knitting in families, paired with patterns that appeal to the modern knitter.

Since we’re coming up to Mother’s Day, now seems like an appropriate time for this discussion. What do you think of this issue? Do slogans like “it’s not your grandmother’s knitting!” bother you? Or do you think it’s a necessary step forward for the craft movement? Please share!

Pottery for Beginners: Liana is at the Wheel!

A few years ago, one of our freelance graphic designers asked me if I had ever heard of the potter Simon Leach. Being a devoted fiber arts nerd, I had never wetted my hands with clay—not even in high school or college art classes—and so naturally I had never heard of Simon. But after she showed me a few of his YouTube videos, I quickly saw why thousands of potters were viewing his basic pottery lessons over and over: Simon Leach is a fantastic pottery teacher.

After roughly a year’s worth of conversations, Simon committed to making a pottery book with us, and we're thrilled that his book is on our Spring 2013 list. Pottery is a brand new category for STC Craft. As many of you know, we started out in 2003 primarily publishing knitting books, and then moved into sewing and quilting. Since then, we’ve branched out into printing, paper crafts, and even terrariums, but a large, comprehensive pottery book is new and exciting territory for us. And because it’s nearly impossible to edit a craft book without first understanding the craft, we decided that I really ought to get my hands dirty and take some pottery lessons

 In most pottery books instructions for throwing pots are broken down into a series of subtle hand movements—the left hand centers the clay on the wheel, the right hand lifts the clay into a cone, the middle and ring finger drill a hole into the center of the cone, and then the fingers pull outward to create walls and open the vessel. For each of these steps, there are accompanying how-to photos, and so—as an editor who had never touched clay before—I felt oddly smug reading through the instructions, thinking well this all makes perfect sense, or well that doesn’t seem so hard. But it wasn’t until I sat down at the wheel that I really understood what it takes to put the practice into action.

My first class was three weeks ago, and I must confess, I am not yet an expert potter. Shocking, I know! Oh, it’s true, I walked into that first class harboring some elaborate dreams that I would be a natural, cranking out perfect, delicate teacups every 15 minutes. But those subtle hand movements were a little trickier to put into practice than they seemed. Despite the initial challenges of my first class, I think you can tell from the photo above that I was having an awfully good time.

Truth be told, as a crafty girl through and through, I love the moment when you really gain respect for a craft. Not to say I didn’t respect pottery before I sat down at the wheel, but I do not think that I appreciated the subtle skill involved, nor did I understand how crucial the role of teacher is in this craft. Without the teacher—whether it’s an in-person instructor, a YouTube video, or a how-to book—we would all be lost!

Each of our classes begins with a demonstration from our instructor, Aimee. Watching an experienced ceramicist throw a pot on the wheel is an absolutely mesmerizing sight. (For that reason alone, you should really go check out Simon Leach’s YouTube videos.) When Aimee does her demo, as shown above, all of the students huddle around her as she expertly guides the clay into the most pleasing shapes, and then uses her throwing stick to trim away the excess clay at the bottom, making a perfectly curved shape. While Aimee's pleasing vessels are the ultimate goal for us aspiring potters, my funky little cylinders and bowls are getting better and better each week. But best of all, my understanding of how to edit the forthcoming Simon Leach’s Pottery Handbook are infinitely improved. As I work my way through this 8-week course, I'll be sure to keep you all up-to-date on my latest creations--be they wonky, cute, or laughable! Ta-Da--one of my first creations!