Dress-to-Impress Author Pam Powers

Dress-to-Impress Author, Pam Powers called into the YarnThing podcast with Marly Bird from California and we appreciate the earlier day for her. With a name like Powers, perhaps she has extra energy earlier in the day? No, that’s too punny.

Pam said she began knitting when taught as a child by her grandmother, but didn’t really delve into it until much later when looking for something to do. At that point she felt she had to learn to knit again, but she took to it quickly. It wasn’t long before she was adapting patterns, which she felt was easy for her.

Someone asked her about a shawl she was wearing, if the pattern was for sale, and all about Ravelry. Pam went and immediately wrote the shawl’s pattern and posted it for sale. It being her first pattern, she feels now that it was pretty poorly written. She took classes at Stitches West, with teachers like Edie Eckman, Barry Klien and Lily Chin who taught classes on pattern writing and designing. She also found a tech editor that she still uses and feels that in her business that made the biggest assist.

Marly asked the impossible question that we all wonder about where Pam finds her creativity. Pam’s response was that it comes to her in a natural way, (as the way Elizabeth Gilbert, author of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ explains it) inspired from things she sees around her. When she was approached at TNNA about writing a book, she hadn’t thought to put together a book proposal yet, her editor proposed a collection of scarves. Dress-to-Impress: Knitted Scarves (This is the Ravelry link so you can peek at the designs!) includes many different kinds of knitting projects from lace and cable-work, slipped stitches and colorwork, all beautifully photographed. When she began to put the collection together, she started with shapes, so this is not a collection of rectangles, but includes kerchiefs, cowls, ascots… so the pieces in your wardrobe are more like jewelry-type accents and less like utility.

The book is available through Amazon, here is the link!

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Pam Powers get started with designing patterns?

So here’s the thing… Pam learned to knit as a kid but really got into it later. She started by adapting patterns she found, and then someone asked about a shawl she was wearing… she wrote the pattern and posted it for sale! It was her first, and she admits it wasn’t her best work, but she took classes to learn pattern writing and designing.

Where does Pam find her inspiration for her designs?

Honestly… Pam says her creativity comes to her in a natural way, inspired by things she sees around her. It’s kind of like how Elizabeth Gilbert talks about genius – it just flows from what’s in the world!

What’s “Dress-to-Impress” all about?

Yes! This book is a collection of knitted scarves, but it’s not just rectangles. Pam focused on shapes, so you’ll find kerchiefs, cowls, and ascots… things that are like jewelry for your wardrobe!

Does Pam like making ruffled scarves?

Well, some people in the comments *really* love ruffles, while others aren’t as keen! Pam’s book has designs with all sorts of details, including ruffles, so there’s something for everyone.

Is Pam’s book easy to follow for beginners?

The page mentions that Pam has a “clear pattern writing style” and that some commenters are excited to learn new techniques like knitting ruffles from her book. It seems like her patterns are generally well-regarded for clarity!