16 Things You MUST Know if You Want to Knit or Crochet for the Film Industry (Part 3 of 3)
Crocheted shawl for TAG the movie.
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In this third and final piece of the three-part series, I wrap up my answer to the question, “How can I get work knitting or crocheting for the movies?” Continue to hone your craft and gather as many skills as you can so that you are ready if/when that call comes in!
february 23, 2021 (Updated April 23, 2021)
If you haven’t read the previous two articles, head over here for the first part and here for the second part to catch up on the first 10 tips. All 16 of these tips are important and I don’t want you to miss out on anything!
As this three-part blog post wraps up, I have 6 more tips to help guide anyone who is wanting to knit or crochet for the film industry. I’m going to give you a little hint and give away the biggest piece of advice right here . . . never stop learning! Don’t think you know every stitch and every technique available. Seek out new things to learn and expand your fiber abilities beyond just knitting and crochet. Learn to cross stitch, embroider, felt, and everything in between. You can never know it all, so just keep learning!
Enjoy these last 6 tips that will benefit anyone who is contemplating knitting for the silver screen. It’s a lot to take in, but this job is not for anyone who isn’t willing to dedicate 200% of themselves to the job they are hired for. Sometimes you have to give up sleep, eating, and your sanity . . . but luckily it is only for a short period of time!
And if you love The Mindy Project as much as I do, be sure and pick up the complete series here:
Mindy Kaling rocking a knit vest and skirt combo on Hulu’s The Mindy Project.
11. Don’t oversell your abilities.
You have one chance to get it right and if you can’t deliver what they need, they will lose your number. It’s absolutely okay to tell them that something can’t be done in the timeline they need if you know you can’t do it. If you have kids or a job or school—anything that can’t be put 100% on the back burner for the duration of the project—then they need to know immediately. Costume designers have a job to do and worrying about if you can get the piece done in time should not be on their plate.
And don’t accept a job before you head out on vacation, thinking you will work on it on the plane and in the evenings. It’s wonderful to think that is what you are going to do, but your mind is in vacation mode (as it should be) and no matter how much you tell yourself you will get work done, the reality is that it won’t.
If you can’t deliver for any reason, don’t accept the job. I’ll say it again: if you can’t deliver for any reason, don’t accept the job.
Two sweaters in two days for an Eckrich commercial.
12. Know how long it is really going to take.
This is a tough one to get a grasp of. Yes, I know about how long a medium-sized sweater with worsted weight yarn in seed stitch will take me. I’ve only knit a million sweaters by now. But do you know how long a sock-weight sweater with intricate cables on the sleeves, intarsia on the front, lacework on the back, and a funnel neck will take you? Oh, and then account for the change to the neckline (now they want a V-neck) and they want buttons on one side. Yeah, this Frankenstein sweater doesn’t exist (at least I kinda hope it doesn’t!), but be honest with me—how long will that project take you?
And don’t forget to factor in the yarn shopping, swatching, back and forth of pictures and sometimes waiting for FedEx expedited overnight delivery to arrive.
And wait . . . now the director wants that same Frankenstein sweater to be red, not blue. But which shade of red?!!!
It always takes longer than you think it will, so pad your estimated time to account for changes, life to happen, and all the things that need to be done before you even cast on for the actual piece. And here is a huge tip: make sure you are very clear with the costume designer that any changes would take more time (which means more money) and if you are too deep into the project those changes could push you over your deadline. Don’t be afraid to speak up and let them know! Sometimes their “drop dead date” can be pushed back by a day or two (“Okay, we don’t need it by Friday, but we do by Monday.”) or they will nix the piece altogether (yes, this can happen, unfortunately).
But if they call when you are halfway done and say, “Hey there! We want egg white instead of off white,” and you say, “Okay,” you are telling them that it can be done and you are not necessarily telling them that this change is going to cost them more money. Remember we talked about communication? This is another place to be absolutely clear with them. If they know a change is going to cost them hundreds of more dollars and they are on a tight budget, they just might be okay with egg white instead of off white!
My husband is such a great model! Here he is showing off a crocheted shawl for TAG the movie.
13. Know that it is often feast or famine.
This is not a steady job with a steady income and a reliable paycheck. It’s the exact opposite of that, in fact. I will go months without any phone calls and then get three calls in a week. Last year I worked on two commercials back to back with about a half of day of rest in between. And then I heard nothing for two months.
There is no way to predict when your next job will come, so keep honing your skills, experimenting with new yarns and fibers, and have your phone handy for when that next call does come in.
Mindy Kaling in the grey version of the Heart on Her Sleeve Blouse. The pattern is available here.
14. Design with the possibility of alterations in mind.
When you are creating the design construction, think about how the piece needs to be put together just in case you have to take it apart. I know that’s weird (and super scary!) to think about, but it has saved me countless hours in alterations.
Here’s an example; I had to make a sweater for a movie that had a motif across the front. I decided I wanted to knit the sweater first and duplicate stitch the motif instead of working fair aisle. This uncalculated decision ended up being a huge win because the original motif didn’t pass legal. I had to redesign the motif so it wouldn’t break any copyright laws. If I hadn’t duplicate stitched that motif on, I would have had to rip out the neck, take off both sleeves, rip the front down to the armhole, reknit it with the new motif (which I still wasn’t 100% sure would pass legal), seam the shoulders back up, re-attach the set in sleeves, redo the neck, and then block it again. Phew! That was hours and hours of work. But because I duplicate stitched that motif, the entire sweater stayed intact and I just picked out the stitches carefully and re-duplicate stitched it. Seriously, I had never been so happy for an alteration before!
As you design and knit, anticipate what might need to be changed in the event that something doesn’t fit how they want it to. Not all alterations are easy and some might even require an entire reknit (*gulp*). So do your darnedest to get it as close to right the first time while keeping in mind what might need to be adjusted!
And FYI: if you made the first piece exactly to the measurements given to you and they come back and say, “The actress lost 30 pounds and so we are having to resize everything,” then you need to be sure they know they will be charged for a second sweater. If you complete the piece and YOU failed to match the measurements given, I don’t recommend you charge them for the alterations. It’s your job to get it right the first time and not their financial burden if you mess it up. Little things like this truly make a difference in whether or not they will use you again for another project.
Redoing the duplicate stitching on a sweater for Annabelle Comes Home.
15. Charge what your skills are worth.
I don’t think I have to say too much about how people in our field often undercharge (sometimes drastically!) for our craft. It’s really heartbreaking to see how little people are charging for hand-knit pieces on places like Etsy. If you aren’t making money (and I don’t mean covering your expenses and giving you a little extra money to buy more yarn), then you have a hobby, not a job.
I have my rates, which is usually an hourly rate plus cost of materials and shipping (both of the yarn and any swatches or finished pieces being sent back and forth). I also have a rush rate if the project is going to bring on extra stress and time constraints.
Charge what the job is worth. After knowing exactly what is involved in the project, I guesstimate the amount of time it will take. I usually say, “This is my hourly rate for that timeline and it’s going to take me between 50 and 60 hours plus materials and shipping.” And I stick to that quote (as long as they don’t make changes after I’ve started). If that project takes me 75 hours, I only charge for the 60 that I quoted. If it takes 45, I charge for the 45. So you better be darn sure to know how long projects will take you so that you don’t short yourself any money.
And keep in mind the time cost of the designing process. You have to shop for yarn (which takes time!). You have to swatch (which takes time!). You have to research stitches (which takes time!). You have to scour the internet for yarn colors or sample pictures to send the costume designer (which takes time!). You have to write up the pattern (which takes time!). You have to drive to the post office to mail things off (which takes time!). Do you see how fast those minutes and hours can add up? Yes, a sweater might take you 40 hours, but you will spend close to 10 hours just prepping to cast on, so be sure and factor that into your quote.
Mindy Kaling looking stunning in the two colored cabled vest (with matching skirt) on Hulu’s The Mindy Project.
16. Know how to give an accurate quote.
My favorite question to be asked is, “How much do you charge for a sweater?” Oh boy, that opens a floodgate of questions.
How much time do I have? (Like real time. You aren’t filming for a month, but I might not get the green light until a week before it is due. So giving a quote when you have a month to work doesn’t mean you will actually have a month!)
What fiber does the sweater need to be? (They rarely know the answer to this, but as you know, it drastically changes the cost of a larger piece.)
What size is the actor? (A petite female sweater is not going to take quite as long to make as a sweater for John Cena. No, I haven’t knit a sweater for him, but he is welcome to email me if he wants one!)
What is the weight of the yarn? (This question references the communication notes above. The term “weight” in yarn doesn’t mean much to most people outside the fiber world. But it is another important question because a sock weight sweater is going to take a few more minutes than a chunky weight sweater! So use pictures of finished pieces to show what a bulky weight sweater is or a DK weight sweater, etc. so they can see what the difference in weight is.)
How complicated is the desired pattern? (Crazy complicated cables are going to be a lot more work to not only knit, but to design versus a stockinette stitch sweater with a small heart stitched on the front.)
And as I stated above, factor in all those other parts of the job that take up your valuable time.
I have never had a contract with a costume designer (Other than an NDA—non disclosure agreement—which states I have to keep my mouth shut until they okay me to talk and post about the project.) because as long as you communicate clearly and be sure everyone is on the same page, you will be fine. I recommend keeping communication to text messages or emails as much as you can so that you can refer to the conversations quickly and not have to re-ask questions (Did they say they did want me to purchase the buttons, or were they going to do it?).
And on that topic: I was working with a fashion designer (totally different experience than working with costume designers!) who wanted some white hats with a black graphic. I made the four that were ordered, showed up to drop them off and was told, “I wanted them to be black with a white graphic!” After I recovered from the momentary shock, I pulled up the text conversations and showed the words that they wrote saying “white with black graphic.”
Red cabled vest and skirt for Mindy Kaling on Hulu’s The Mindy Project.
I know I’ve written a lot. And I say all of the above not because I want to scare anyone off from a super rewarding and exciting job, but because it is my reality. Not all jobs are crazy balls of stress. Not all jobs have last-minute color changes or alterations. Not all jobs give you a fraction of the time that you truly need. But all of the jobs I have done up to today have had some part of these 16 tips in each project.
To reiterate, I absolutely love what I do. I am not perfect and there are things I wish I could have done differently on some jobs, but every costume designer I work with teaches me something new about what they do and what even I am capable of myself. I learn from my mistakes and I think very hard about what I can do to make the job of the costume designer easier.
So after ALLLLL this, what is my answer to “How can I get work knitting for the movies?” Practice, practice, practice. Learn everything you possibly can about yarn, fiber, fabric, colors, and different stitches. Try every kind of cast on and bind off that exists. Try different stitches in different fibers. Learn how fibers drape differently in different patterns and what characteristics different fibers have. Learn how long a piece takes you and know the location of every yarn shop in a fifty-mile radius. Learn what online yarn stores can ship overnight and what their mailing cut off time is. Learn every freaking thing you can about your craft.
Go to the thrift store and find the most complicated and intricate sweater you possibly can and then replicate it (and be sure and match that color, fiber, and drape!). And then replicate it again for your friend that is 6 inches taller and 80 pounds heavier (or lighter!) than you so that it fits them perfectly. And then call up an aunt that lives on the other side of the country you’ve only met once. Have her send you a swatch of her favorite colored fabric along with her measurements. Make her a sweater in her favorite color and be sure it fits to perfection. And heck, then make one for your cat in the color of their favorite toy.
Seriously, if you really want to knit for the film industry, go beyond knitting other people’s amazing patterns (and I am well aware that there are MANY awesome ones out there!) and designing pieces for yourself and your loved ones (who are around to try things on and tell you how amazing you are even if it is a little snugger than they would prefer).
I couldn’t do all this in the beginning, but over the years I have been practicing and honing my skills. I’m getting better and better at each of these steps so that I can not only provide costume designers with what they need, but take some stress off their plate. I want them to know that they are getting exactly what they thought they were and be assured I have communicated everything as clearly as I possibly can.
In no way am I the world’s best knitter and in no way do I know EVERYTHING there is to know about fiber, color, knitting, crochet, and everything in between. But I absolutely know what my skills are and what my weaknesses are. I still take classes and sometimes I work up other people’s patterns just to learn how to do new techniques. Shaping in brioche was something I didn’t know how to do, so I have been working on a brioche design to learn how to do that technique, just in case a project comes my way where I need to know how to do that.
Phew! So to wrap this all up, yes, I love what I do and I love the people I get to work with. This job is not for everybody and so if you just like to knit and think it would be cool to do it for the movies, be very prepared for what the job requires. I didn’t know any of the above when I first started, so you are already ahead of the game!
If you’ve gotten this far and you are honest with yourself about being ready for this job, I can only say that I was in the right place at the right time. Living in Los Angeles allowed me access to people that stitchers outside of Hollywood don’t usually encounter. I know of several costume designers that shop for pieces on Etsy. Follow costume designers you love on Instagram and be sure and have a feed that shows off your talents and original pieces of work. Be professional and courteous of their time. It isn’t easy to get started, but if that time comes, make sure you are ready!
If you found this article helpful, please feel free to pass it along. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and leave a comment below with any questions you might have.
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This quick and easy unisex knitted hat pattern is perfect for anyone that wants a quick knit that can thrown in your bag or glovebox and available whenever you might need it!