Meet Sarina Burhans, Professional Knitter
Sarina Burhans is wearing Edie by Isabell Kramer, made with Shibui Twig, at the PEI Fibre Festival (Prince Edward Island), 2024.
Tell us what a professional knitter does. What do you do as a professional knitter?
A Professional Knitter gets paid for the time and expertise to knit an item. This is also described as a Sample Knitter. The materials are usually provided, and the item is returned to the customer. As a Professional Knitter, I have knit for individuals, independent knitwear designers, small business owners, and yarn companies. People often confuse professional knitting with test knitting. A Test Knitter provides their own yarn and volunteers their time in exchange for a free pattern.
What drew you to working professionally in the knitting universe, as opposed to keeping it as a hobby?
I am passionate about knitting and do it every day! I not only want to knit, but hope to learn all the things (mittens, tops, cardigans, shawls) and all the techniques (lace, colorwork). I aspire to have a bit of income from a hobby that I love, and to share that knowledge with others. It’s important to have an In-depth, comprehensive education for professional work, and the courses from TKGA (The Knitting Guild Association) offer this. I found it intimidating because it can take 2 or 3 years to complete a course of instruction for the Professional Knitting Certificate or the Master Hand Knitting Certificate. I chose to begin with the Professional Knitting Certificate. It did take a strong level of commitment, but it was well worth the effort. I have also taken some short courses at TKGA.
What did you like best about your certification process with The Knitting Guild Association?
I enjoyed the discipline of completing the work required within a timeline. The wealth of information in one course is amazing! It reinforced some things I had learned, but pleasantly surprised me with new methods and techniques.
I have heard many people tell me that making a job out of a hobby will take the joy out of the hobby. What has your experience been?
I feel this is a personal preference. I become more and more satisfied with each personal project I finish, as skills are honed through professional work. Some tasks are becoming second nature, such as swatching, planning, finishing, and blocking. It has become a pleasure to do ALL the tasks connected with knitting.
How do you connect with other knitters?
Social media, in-person knitting groups, virtual knitting groups, and knitting events.
Have you noticed positive changes in the knitting community in the past couple of years?
I think knitters are accessing more knowledge about the craft, and this is great!
What are you up to this summer? Teaching, publishing, other knitting work, or fun projects…
This summer, I have been able to focus on personal knitting (tops, cardigans), but I am also exploring new techniques that were taught at the annual Next Level Conference by TKGA. The multitude of courses is available for 6 months, so I try to complete each one of them! I just completed Level 1 of the Master Hand Knitting course, which teaches a whole new aspect of knitting, research, and writing.
You can find Sarina on Instagram. Sarina has business partnerships with Olive & Two Ewe, Sweet Meadow Knits, and Berroco. She is also a member of The Knitting Guild Association or TKGA and the Bay Area Knitting Guild (Tampa Bay).