Knitch Magazine

Laura and her husband, Matt Bryant, who is President of TNNAPrism Yarns is a small, successful yarn company created by a hard-working fiber artist who is also a designer, pattern developer, teacher and author. She is a visionary who is known for introducing new ideas and new lines, most notably her "Stuff" yarns that are a sensory delight to anyone who has seen or touched them. Laura Bryant has an eye for fashion, a keen sense of the future, and a driving passion that has made her one of the most admired and respected forces in the yarn industry. Learn how this captain of her own ship transformed her passion into a successful lifelong career.

Knitch: When did your obsession with yarn begin?

Laura: Mom was our Brownie Troop leader when I was eight, and she taught the whole troop. I’m pretty sure I was the only one who became obsessed!

Knitch: But it was your obsession with sailing that led you to where you are now. Isn't that right?

Laura: My husband Matt and I met as competitors at a North American sailing championship in 1978. Fresh out of art school, I moved to Buffalo, NY to be with Matt, who eventually became my husband and partner. As a starving artist, I worked part time at a local yarn store, and while there I discovered that there existed a sales representative system; people who visited yarn stores on behalf of companies to show product.

It was the early 80’s and a very difficult economic time; one of the reps who visited our store regularly was an under-employed engineer. When he finally got a position in his field, he offered the inside track to his lines, which included Tahki and Berroco. I talked my way into the job, and went on the road. My territory was pretty lean: upstate New York, excluding Long Island, Westchester County and Manhattan, but the job got me into the industry, allowing me to attend TNNA shows. I had an “aha!” moment when I walked the show floor and saw hand dyed yarns.

Knitch: How did you get started?

Laura: My concentration in art school was textiles and color, so I had all of the technology already. I approached Diane Friedman of Tahki Yarns about hand dyeing a line of their English homespun tweeds, and Prism was born. We did a number of different yarns for Tahki, then they moved on to other things and I decided to concentrate on my own line. I began Prism in 1984, but went solo in 1986.

Knitch: Your “Stuff” yarns are wildly successful. Tell us about them and what inspired you to create them.

Laura: Like many hand dyers, we had boxes and boxes of odds and ends. My Mom was repping for me in Florida, and she told me about a pattern that used five to eight different yarns. I bundled up some gauge and color compatible yarns and shipped them off to a test knitter, simply telling her to make random stripes of different widths. The sweater was really cute.

Mom was there when it came in, and being the wildly creative but highly impractical person that she is, she said, “Wouldn’t it be great if you could unravel the sweater, measure every length of yarn and then sell the yarn already tied together."

I replied that that was a crazy idea, because every knitter is different and the knots would wind up in different places and…. Oh! maybe it doesn’t matter. Thus was born "Stuff."

We worked on development for about six months, carrying it around and referring to it as “that wild stuff." Eventually the name stuck.

I took it to a trade show in January of 1992 and sold more skeins than I had ever dreamed of. When I got back to the studio we realized there weren’t enough odds and ends to make the skeins on order! So, we increased the price immediately, and began to figure out how to produce it on a grand scale.

Stuff yarns are famous for their creative color and fiber combinationsI’m a bit of an odd artist, as I can be very practical and efficient as well as creative, so with the help of Matt, who ran a manufacturing business and is both innovative and efficient, we figured out how to make it. Now we have four different types of Stuff: Wild, the original and craziest, with about 30% kid mohair and fine wool; Cool, same gauge and yardage as Wild with no animal fibers; Neat, same gauge, composition and yardage as Wild but no glitz or real crazy novelties; Light, same content as Cool but lighter gauge and more yardage.

Denali is one of the newer color combinations from PrismWe also have Impressions, which is my personal favorite if you want a really lush yarn: double the thickness of Wild Stuff with half the yardage, it knits up quickly and has neat details like strips of hand dyed silk fabric tied in.

All of the yarns are made here in the US, by workers who are paid a decent living wage. I’m really proud of that fact, because the pressure to go overseas to cut costs has been great, and the competition for the same type of products has gotten keener.

Mallard is another gorgeous new color from PrismKnitch: One of your popular books, Knitting with Novelty Yarns, did a lot to sell these trendy fibers to knitters. Do you think the comments that, “Novelty yarns are no longer popular,” are incorrect? Have the novelty yarns changed recently?

Laura: These days we refer to them as fashion yarns. Unfortunately the term “novelty yarn” got a bad rap because the market was flooded with inexpensive, poorly behaving crazy yarns that were really no good for anything but scarves. The original novelty yarns were developed by highly skilled technicians -- mostly in Italy -- with good quality fibers and consideration for the eventual use of the yarn. Once the yarns were popular, the machinery was quickly established in countries that didn’t care as much about the quality.

The market was flooded with some pretty bad yarn and we witnessed a return to the classics. But the demand for high quality, interesting fashion yarns has never really died and we are seeing a definite return of interest as we speak. I hear from stores daily that knitters want something new and different. I’m sure the whole cycle will begin anew.

Knitch: We're seeing a resurgence right now, so you're once again ahead of the curve. It's amazing that you even have time for monitoring the market, considering everything you're doing right now.

Laura: Ouch. I am definitely one of those over-committed people! I became most of the things you mention above -- designer, pattern developer, teacher, author-- because while people loved my yarn and the colors, they invariably asked, “What can I do with it”?

Luckily for me, I have always loved clothing, and also studied 3-dimensional design while in school, although not specifically clothing design. I made a lot of my own clothes, both sewn and knitted, as a teen and young adult, so transitioning into a knitwear designer wasn’t too difficult—but learning to write good patterns was! There really wasn’t any avenue for learning except trial and error; we didn’t have the big network of teachers and designers, nor the great magazines, that we have today.

We run a pretty lean operation at Prism; there isn’t money for graphic artists, layout people, web designers or photographers, so I learned Photoshop, InDesign and Dream Weaver to do all of those things myself. I do think that once you have a trained eye, the rest is simply skills, so I set out to obtain those skills.

I also still dye most of the yarn myself, working with a studio assistant. He does the heavy lifting and prep work, but I mix all of the recipes and we place yarn into dye baths together, so it's very hands on for me.

Knitch: So tell us about a typical day.

Laura: A typical day starts with getting the pots fired up, mixing the first color, then attending to the computer without which I could not do what I do. Between dye pots I swatch, write patterns for the test knitters, finish garments -- I like to do all of my own finishing -- prepare ads, and of course, talk with customers.

Seasonally, or when deadlines approach, I can be found sizing patterns, designing new colorways, writing and editing articles, preparing for a trade show, getting class materials ready to teach. Sometimes I even get to knit!

In between that, I try to give back by volunteering for industry and art related organizations, many of which have been very supportive of my efforts through the years. As time has gone by, I find that there is less and less time for me to give, so I have passed that hat to my husband Matt, who is the current TNNA president.

Knitch: That's really impressive! With your energy and drive, it's little wonder you've become such a force in the yarn industry. Was there any particular time when you realized that you were a success?

Laura: I guess when I started to be copied!

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and many of the looks that I pioneered have been widely appropriated, such as circular knitting with hand dyed yarn for patterning and tying various yarns together ala Wild Stuff. It is tough to stay ahead of it!

Because we purchase only undyed goods, we have been able to spin on a dime when we saw something new. I was the first to show eyelash yarns at market because it hit the US two weeks before a TNNA show; in that two weeks I got a sample quantity, made a garment and took orders. Obviously I was run over soon after by much larger companies!

Knitch: That’s one of the unhappier aspects of being a visionary, isn’t it? On the plus side, you’ve brought to the industry a welcome collaborative spirit. Tell us about your relationship with Barry Klein.

Laura: I know that my friendship with Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns has been a catalyst to make the entire industry more cooperative. We do promotional things together, served on the TNNA board together, teach classes together, and even write books jointly.

The Merino Mia Lace Wrap appeared in Vogue MagazineKnitch: How did that collaboration begin?

Laura: Barry had been my friend for about a decade, helping me in sourcing product, and we’ve always asked that our booths at TNNA be near one another. Martingale, Inc, long a publisher of quilt books, dove into the knitting market and their acquisitions editor approached us individually, asking each if we would be interested in writing a book and if there was someone we might be able to work jointly with. It was a no-brainer for both of us. We went on to write three books together, and then Barry and I each wrote a book ourselves. One of our early books, A Knitter’s Template, was refreshed and revised and published just this summer as A New Knitter’s Template. It is already in its second printing, so we seem to have another success on our hands.

We both design extensively with fashion yarns. Barry has a wealth of knowledge about fibers and yarn construction, and how they behave. I, not surprisingly, am stronger in color. We have both learned a lot from each other through the years. Barry is a more poetic writer than I; he adds great flavor to my dry prose. I am more technical—I let him go nuts, and then whip it into proper shape. It has been a great collaboration; we disagree about very little, and when we do we always seem to reach a consensus that leaves us both happy.

That level of mutual support rather than suspicious rivalry has fundamentally changed how the yarn industry now operates. It may eventually have happened on its own, but I like to think that we were a force in changing the old ways.

Knitch: You mentioned A Knitter’s Template. Can you tell us more about it?

Laura: Barry and I are fanatics about fit. We have seen far too much knitting frustration from all of the work that goes into a sweater that then does not fit. We wanted a book that would take knitters step by step through analyzing their own body, and then through the sizing needed to get a sweater right. From that grew an idea about giving knitters the tools to knit anything they want, without having to do the math. So, the book includes 30 sizes across nine different gauges, with lots of style options for sleeves, length, necklines, et cetera. We wanted to overcome the resistance to any particular yarn if someone doesn’t like the patterns available.

Knitch: Is this particular book your personal favorite?

Laura: A Knitter’s Template and A New Knitter’s Template get the awards for best selling book, especially combined. We find that there is enough new material in the revised edition -- plus a nifty new format that makes it easier to use -- that people who own the first are also buying the second. I guess it really is my favorite, because I think it makes such a unique contribution to the knitting world.

Prism's Saki Beaded Circle ShawlKnitch: And which is your favorite yarn?

Laura: I love all of my yarns, but Wild Stuff has a special place in my heart because it is so unique. Our Stuff yarns remain the best sellers.

Knitch: Is there any particular design you love most?

Laura: Tough question. Lately -- because of the return to a more classic look --I have been designing extensively for Merino Mia and Symphony, emphasizing interesting architectural details: shape, necklines, collars, and rich color work. Those patterns have been really well received, as have the last sets of Prism booklets, from 50 onward. I guess I am getting better at knowing what people want to knit, although my approach has really been to design what I want to knit and wear. That seems to have been pretty successful. They are all my children, and I love them all! Can’t even begin to tell which one of anything is my favorite, because it is a moving target.

Knitch: You offer classes that many knitters rave about. Can you tell us about them?

Laura: My classes center on the things that I do best: explore creative ways to use knitting, color and yarn to create beauty. While a good knitter myself, I am not the best technical teacher as I knit in an unorthodox way. My strong suit is color; having trained in color and then taught at University level to art students, and having thought about it non-stop for the last 35 years, I am uniquely suited to guide knitters to ways of using color they haven’t even dreamed about! It’s really about eye training, and then being able to translate the ways colors behave to knitting and yarn.

I also teach extensively about hand dyed yarns: both how to intentionally make them pattern, and how to avoid patterning. In between I throw in interesting design ideas: Fibonacci numbers and how to use them in design; short rows for both shaping and graphic effects; advanced construction techniques that are often drawn from my dressmaking skills; and occasionally wild things like free-form knitting. I love to teach fit classes; so many garments I see are ill-fitting and it breaks my heart. If it is outside the traditional knitting box, I can probably be found teaching it!

Knitch: You are highly regarded for your color classes. What quick tips would you give knitters?

Laura: I studied color the way that Josef Albers, artist and author of The Interaction of Color, developed. It has much more to do with eye training and actually seeing color than wheel based schemes. The result is eyes that learn to make their own judgments, grounded in knowledge of how our perception of color works and how easily altered that perception is. Albers’ method is a bit quirky and asks a lot from the student -- rather than giving rules to be used -- but results in truly original work.

I didn’t become really proficient in color until I started teaching college art students. That experience forced me to become more articulate while analyzing their work, and many years of teaching knitters has led me to methods that are specific to yarn and knitting. Sad to say there are no quick tips, however I'm taping a DVD for Interweave Press called A Knitter’s Guide to Color with Laura Bryant. It should be out in mid-February if everything goes according to schedule. People have long begged me to write a book on color, and frankly I have never been able to figure out exactly how to make that work, but I think the DVD will be perfect as I have presented color ideas much like I do class.

Knitch: If you could give one piece of advice to knitters -- beyond, “Swatch!” --what would that be?

Laura: Ouch, you stole my first (and really only) rule! Beyond that, my axiom is, “You don’t get WOW! by doing the expected." In all of my classes, designs and colorways I try to always live by that, and I encourage knitters everywhere to hone their skills so that they have the confidence to do the unexpected.

Knitch: Have you witnessed any profound changes in the knitting industry since you first started?

Laura: All markets are changing. I guess that’s the nature of progress. I don’t think people will stop knitting; it is far too satisfying an activity. Most of us no longer knit out of necessity, so I don’t think that will change. I think technology will continue to develop interesting fibers and blends, and also interesting yarn constructions. Colors will always evolve, and come back around to a palette from years past.

The biggest change I think will be in delivery. Local yarn stores will thrive in more densely populated areas, and those knitters living outside of major metro areas will turn more and more to the Internet for the same kind of selection those big city knitters can get. There is room in the market for everyone, I think, although not everyone will survive.

Knitch: Do you think the changes brought about by the Internet are the biggest changes in the past 20 years?

Laura: It would be easy to say the Internet, but in actuality I think it’s in education. Several generations missed any formal instruction on knitting, which used to be taught in schools. I was lucky my Mom knit and taught me, but many in her generation couldn’t wait to be liberated from the necessity of knitting and dropped it.

We almost lost a fine tradition that brings a great deal of pleasure to many. The amount of information that is being disseminated on knitting is amazing: from magazines to retreats and consumer conferences such as Stitches and Vogue Live!, to the internet and of course Ravelry. This sense of community coupled with increased skills is at the core of knitting’s value.

Laura has authored many pattern booksKnitch: Before we close, I’d like to go a little off topic. Who is your hero outside of the yarn industry?

Laura: My husband Matt, who has the patience of a saint, a great sense of humor with a level disposition to match, and the ability to figure out, fix and build anything. He really is remarkable, has been my biggest cheerleader and has enabled me to succeed on many different levels. Can he count as outside the yarn industry, even though he works in the business with me now?

Knitch: Sure he can! Do you knit and sail together?

Laura:Absolutely! Matt and I moved to Florida in 1992 so that we could enjoy our boating passion more. As luck would have it, we are too busy to sail much but we do have a trawler-style cruiser that we make weekend get-aways with. There is nothing more pleasant than surveying the surrounding waters from the top of the fly bridge, needles and yarn in hand!

Many thanks to Laura Bryant for spending time with us. We wish her every success in the future.