Friday, May 3, 1985
15
a enyas-naurman
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Mavis Klein shows a visitor some examples of her designs.
they become. And, in turn, they be-
come better knitters and want to knit
more.
"I tell them everything. I don't
keep anything hidden."
She graciously interrupts the
conversation in her brogue-accented
English to help a customer who is hav-
ing a problem. But not all of her cus-
tomers are knitters. Others commis-
sion her to create and make a sweater
for them. She usually has One or two
on the needles constantly."
Her expertise is known beyond
the bounds of metropolitan Detroit.
Vogue Knitting International maga-
zine published one of her designs on
the back cover of its fall/winter edi-
tion.
Klein said the yarn company she
deals with, Melrose, buys the
copyright on the design and places the
advertisement showing her sweater
made with the company's product.
Non-customers call her for advice,
too. Some, she said, come in with big
mistakes in their projects. "I don't
have the heart to turn them away."
Her thoughtfulness and gentle
manner are praised by many. Em-
ployee Joan Jacobs has only the high-
est regard for Klein.
"We have a very lovely relation-
ship," she said. "I feel that I'm working
with her, not for her. We're good
friends."
Klein returns the favor. "We have
a very comfortable situation. We
really complement each other. There
are never any strained feelings be-
tween us."
Eleanor Fiekowsky of Southfield,
a student of Klein's who is involved in
the fashion industry, called Klein "a
real sweetheart." She came to Klein
two years ago as a novice knitter, and
with Klein's instruction today can de-
sign and graph her own patterns.
She gave a clue to Klein's popular-
ity among local knitters. "I wish her
shop was bigger. Sometimes it gets so
congested."
Somehow, in the midst of all the
commotion, Klein finds time to make
things for herself. At the time of the
interview, she was knitting a coat.
As happy as she is with her
enterprise, Klein finds it has its draw-
backs.
"Since I've opened my store, it's
very difficult being a full-time mother
and a full-time store owner. It seems to
be all-consuming. When I'm not work-
ing in my store, I'm with the children
and trying to run the house and keep
things up the way I like them. And I
find that I really have two full-time
jobs. It's difficult to get too involved in
other things."
She likes to knit with yarns that
have a lot of texture, but finds
Cravenella, a 70 percent wool and 30
percent rayon blend, an easy yarn to
work with. "It's basic and has a lot of
body. And it doesn't itch. You can do so
many things with it."
•
Looking at her samples on the
store walls, one is awed by her talent.
She has hooded sweaters, jackets,
vests and formal and casual sweaters.
Many use a variety of yarns, the com-
binations making for some striking
designs.
What sweaters are hot this year?
According to Klein, ribbon sweaters
are coming back, and the yarn man-
ufacturers are making narrower rib-
bon — quarter-inch wide — replacing
the popular half-inch of recent years.
In addition, the new ribbon "yarn" will
be machine washable.
Hot colors are royal blue and
black. Iridescent and textured yarns
are always popular, Klein says.
Her fingers fly as she demon-
strates how she knits, holding one
needle like a pencil. Her hands seem to
blur as another creation comes into be-
ing.
"Educate the
customer as much as
possible, because the
more they know the
less frustrated they
become. And, in
turn, they become
better knitters."