REAL WOMEN CAN WEAR KNITS

“I can’t wear that!” leaps from the mouths of many women when paging through fashion magazines, but it’s not true, says Vickie Howell, author and host of DIY’s wildly popular “Knitty Gritty” series. Howell will prove her point during her noon appearance on Friday, February 22, 2008 at STITCHES West in Santa Clara, Calif.

Known as “the rock star of knitting” for her funky designs and youthful following, Vickie Howell will join forces with Earth-friendly yarn pioneer South West Trading Company, Inc. (SWTC) to show attendees that everyone can wear fun, fashionable knit designs and look great. “It’s all in how you wear them,” says Howell.

Howell and SWTC stylist Lena Walker Smith, a former model and trained fashion advisor, will present five popular knitwear designs: a tunic, a long jacket, a v-neck vest, a cropped kimono and an ascot. Each garment will be modeled by different body types and accessorized to create two very different looks. Howell and Walker Smith will discuss each ensemble in detail, explaining why and how each piece was chosen to complement the model’s shape and produce the desired style.

“With the right accessories and color choices, a fifty-year-old can look fabulous in the shrug she knit for her 15-year-old daughter,” says Howell. “Knitwear is very versatile. The same garment can play a starring role in a wide range of outfits.”

SWTC’s Walker Smith will share fashion tips for playing up your best features, while de-emphasizing problem areas through garment choice, color and strategically placed accessories.

“No matter what your body shape—apple, pear, petite or top heavy—you can look great in hand-knit fashions,” says Walker Smith. “So, before you spend all that time making it, I’ll show you how to select a design that will flatter you.”

The special “Meet Vickie Howell” event will take place on Friday, February 22, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. during the STITCHES West knitting show at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online or by phone at 800.237.7099.

About Vickie Howell:

A self-proclaimed “crafty gRRRL,” Vickie Howell has been involved in the creative arts for as long as she can remember. Her mother taught her to knit when she was eight years old, but it wasn’t until years later that she became obsessed with this branch of the fiber arts. Now she rarely puts her needles down. Host of the popular DIY shows “Knitty Gritty” and “Stylelicious,” Vickie is the author of New Knits on the Block, Not Another Teen Knitting Book and Knitty Gritty Knits. She also produces and hosts a podcast, CRL (CraftRockLove), that hit #1 in the hobbies category on iTunes in its second week. Vickie recently collaborated with South West Trading Company to launch The Vickie Howell Collection, a line of four Earth-friendly yarns now available at stores nationwide.