Stepan 31 years old. More than half of your life - 24 years - he knits. Spokes, hooks ... no difference. He knits so quickly that if he was watching him, her eyes began to hurt. The first knitting needles took into his hands at a seven age and since then they did not part with them. Now he dreams of creating his collection and establish production. Stepan is one of the few people who manage to earn their hobby. He loves breaking stereotypes. Like women only? Stereotype! Moreover, it was originally knitting was far from female needlework.
"" This dress I knit for two months, "says Stepan," his graduate ordered. She really wants to distinguish between the graduation party. And I do everything to like it, because my client's mood is my mood. Each dresses fragment knitted separately. Painstaking work. Labor that brings pleasure.
In general, Stepan says, customers are different:
- Some so "lungs" people that work will be fed from the first loop, and some are very difficult comrades, and their orders can sometimes lie down. Such is my creativity, depends on each little thing and the details.
The first of his thing Stepan sold at 20 years old. Until that time, he had a needleless for himself. It was more that his youth came on the dashing 90s, when, in general, there was no business to the beauty and "manual" art. Everyone thought how to make money on bread. Stepan was no exception. Then he was lucky. His thing was noticed in one of the expensive boutiques and bought. Since then, he earns his hobby.
Stepan never knitted and did not sell socks in the bazaar. Yes, it was a difficult time. Yes, we needed money. But the socks or scarves still did not knit and did not sell. Too very simple and boring this occupation. Stepan like the items are original. Yes, and he himself is a bright guy. True, there is a minus - can not present himself and their work. Whether modesty, whether the inability to pianify.
Stepan sells not only knitted things, but also yarn. His department is called "Yarn at Stepan".
"I love bright and positive people," Stepan admits, "the character of a person can guess the selected color. There are people who love rainbow colors, and when they buy a bright yarn, I already know that these people adventurers and leaders. But these can be counted on the fingers. Basically, I ordered a weathered color things. Because our women are not yet ready for them to fall back. Not ready to change the style of clothing, not ready to change ourselves. But it is so important in the wardrobe to have bright beautiful knitted things.
In the wardrobe of each lady must necessarily have a bright beret. This will testify about the playfulness and coquetry of a woman. By the way, the beretics are inexpensive. However, there is no demand for them.
According to Stepa, Karagandanka do not understand and do not appreciate knitted things. Many people think that manual work is something from the discharge of the wretched, although handmade speaks of exclusivity and originality. But, alas, any knitted things in the absolute majority are associated with knitted napkins. And no more.
- I am asked why I will not give my collection. All trite simply. I take four things to order. For a month I must have time to tie them. Celebrated money go for rent a boutique and me to accommodate. To say that I live Poz Watch, I can not, but not a love. Friends call to move to Germany. They say there my products will enjoy great demand. Everything is possible. Maybe I will move, and then ... And then my name and my work will go to the masses.
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Remember grandma Warm woolen socks that she knitted for his beloved grandchildren? Moneymines sweaters that warmed us in cold classes? Now imagine how a young guy takes the knitting needles, a tangle of silk threads and creates a light evening dress with her own hands ....
Alexey Nikonov is only 25 years old. "Knit I learned at 7 years old. The first teacher was my grandmother. She had no toys at home, but I needed to do something. I found a tangle of threads and needles and asked her to knit me. She showed the easiest drawing ... "
- Then I have already studied on journals, tutorials. So the hobby gradually turned into a profession. After grade 11, I already knew that I would go on a clothes designer. At the university I was taught to sew and design clothes. Now I can combine knitted clothes with sewn. I knit fast enough. For example, in the winter for ten days I tied a collection of five dresses.
- I began to teach at 19 years old when I brought my ability to perfection. Knitting rate lasts a month or one and a half, depending on the ability of the student.
"I go to knitting courses for a month already," says Natalia. - About Alexey learned through acquaintances and read articles about him in the newspaper. As a teacher, he is very patient. After all, the disciples are different, someone is nervous, and Alexey everything calmly explains. If something is incomprehensible, repeats anew.
"... If we are stacked on loops and not much a big report, you can make a small extension on the sides of the part of the front loops ..." - leads his lesson Alexey.
- When the whole world captured the wave of Irish lace, I, naturally, immediately studied this technique. My customers were delighted with such lace. This dress exhibition and is not for sale. Its approximate cost is more than one thousand dollars.
When creating Irish lace, one of the most complex techniques in knitting is used. Each detail (leaf, flower) knits separately. Initially, the pattern is made, and after the whole dress is connected.
"Alekseevsky Lace" is more creative workshop, which includes many different masters. Each of them knits in different technology: someone is engaged in headborne, someone knits children's clothing, evening dresses and shawl, and someone works with natural down. Every year the workshop participates in the international exhibition "Fashion and Beauty Industry".
- In high school, classmates, it happened, they did not speak badly about me and my hobby. I have worried a teenager about this. Only at the university I was able to feel free from prejudice and someone else's opinion, and my skill became pride than the disadvantage.
"I remember an interesting case," says Mom Tatiana Nikolaevna, "in the first grade, the teacher gave all the task of a free topic and was very surprised when a little boy took the needles from his portfolio, a tangle of threads and began to knit sock. He sold his first job for 10 years ...
Alexey: "Create a store was a common family idea. In the near future, after the university, I plan to promote the brand" Alekseevsky Lace "and further look for access to the international market. And in creative plan, I want to create a line of fashionable men's clothing"
Ivano Vitali is an Italian sculptor, an ecologist and the performance of Performance, just what is also interested in giant knitting, he still knits exclusively from old newspapers - twists the newspaper pages, connects them together without glue and water, wipes them into gigantic clubs and knit with knitting, crochet and Web out of paper yarn not only canvas and abstract objects, but even dresses, costumes, hats, scarves, socks and mittens.
Mark Fast (Mark Fast). A man who knits.
Born in Winnipeg (Canada), graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.
The main direction: manually knitted dresses. With humor, it is talking about herself that he can fall asleep on a knitting machine.
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