Designer Interview ~ Cowtownknits

05 Dec Designer Interview ~ Cowtownknits

Kate Bostwick is our second Ravelry Indie Design Gift A-long designer to be interviewed for my designer interview series. On Ravelry we know her as Cowtownknits, where she has been very active in the GAL.

Let’s meet Kate……..

Tell us a bit about yourself –   I’m a stay at home mom of two preschool aged kids, a boy and a girl. In previous lives I was a geologist in the oil industry and then returned to school to become a winemaker.

How did you get started with selling your designs?  I was looking for a pattern for a simple hoodie for my little girl and couldn’t find anything I really liked. I decided to design the pattern myself and just went for it. Ever since then I haven’t been able to stop.

What do you see as your design style?  I tend to design things that are relatively simple with clean lines. I try to design pieces that I would like to wear, and since I like basic shapes with lots of colour, that’s what I go for.

What influences your designs?  I’m often influenced by textiles and prints. Like with my paisley mittens, I kept seeing paisley prints everywhere and wanted to find a way to incorporate that into a design. I’m also always keeping an eye on fashion and pick up on lots of different shapes and silhouettes.

What do you enjoy most about designing?  I love that I get to use spreadsheets! Having left my careers in science behind, it feels really good to be crunching numbers and figuring out how to make an idea work. It’s also so satisfying to see others produce something from my patterns, whether it’s knit exactly to the instructions or with lots of modifications.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can share or give us a sneak peek of?  Sure! I am very close to releasing two patterns actually. You can see my Chum’s Pullover (which will be out within the next month or so) on my Ravelry project page. And my Hearts and Butterflies Hat will be out within the next week or two. It can also be seen on my project page.

Do you get to do much knitting for yourself?  Almost never. I have decided to “take a break” until after the holidays and to work on some others’ patterns during the GAL. So far I’ve completed Bonnie Sennott’s Shallows and Laura Aylor’s Devonshire Cream. I’m also planning on knitting Larissa Brown’s Shift.

What prompted you to participate in the Indie Design GAL?  I thought it would be a great opportunity to get involved in a fun promotion. I jumped in right away and was amazed as it grew into this huge event. It’s been so exciting to be part of it!

Has the GAL met your expectations?  It has far exceeded my expectations. I hoped that I would get an uptick in sales and exposure and maybe have some fun along the way. What happened was a doubling in sales over the previous year as well as a huge increase in activity with my patterns. More than that though, I’ve met so many great people and gotten much more involved on Ravelry. The planning and behind-the-scenes aspect of the GAL has allowed me to get to know fellow designers much better and to start feeling like part of the designing community. Helping to moderate one of the GAL boards has been great for getting to know some of my customers and Ravelers in general.

Would you like to see the GAL become an annual event?  Absolutely!

Where can folks see and/or buy your patterns?  Folks can see my work in my Ravelry store, some of my patterns are available through Knit Picks, and all my patterns are available on my blog – Cowtownknits.

One of my favorite patterns that Kate has done is her Pencil Skirt. Very chic. 

Thank you Kate for being a good sport and allowing us to visit with you!

Happy Knitting ~ Jean

image of Kate by Ryan Barr