Marina’s Knittery

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Marina Bekkerman, Ditmas Park resident and owner of Marina’s Knittery on Etsy, knitted her way around the world.

Photo by Jonathan Barkey.

It All Began…
Marina was born and learned to knit in Odessa, Ukraine. Marina’s downstairs neighbor, Ludmila, spent afternoons teaching Marina to knit, create paper dolls, and design clothes for the dolls. Ludmila taught Marina how to put together colors and textures and encouraged her to experiment. Marina’s pursuits in paper, color, and textures came with her to the New World.

Marina knitted scarves and hats for friends through high school and college. She applied paper doll clothing design techniques she learned in Odessa and created her own knitted designs. Her convertible neck warmer can be worn four different ways, and has proven popular on Etsy.

Making the Leap
One day, when she still lived in Park Slope, Marina’s neighbor passed on a collection of buttons that the neighbor’s mother left behind. Marina sorted through the buttons the old woman had spent decades collecting—the colors! the sizes! the sets!—and was moved to knit more, design more, and begin selling. She opened the Etsy store and now sells cowls, neck warmers, and gloves in original designs and colors. Does knitting pay the mortgage? Actually, freelance graphic design does. But the graphic design and knitting inform each other.

Marina’s hobbies also influence her knitting and designs. Marina is an avid cyclist. Her frequent long-distance bike tours include a ride from San Francisco up the Pacific Coast and another from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida. Marina’s two interests overlap with the Bicycle Ankle Strap—a feminine yet functional way to keep your pants from bike-chain grease.

Choosing Yarn
Colors and textures inspire Marina’s knitting. “Right now I’m working with a lot of greens and oranges. Earth colors,” she explained. Looking through her Etsy store the warm earth tones are inviting, perfect for a fall afternoon. Marina bought this yarn on a road trip to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck. She selected hand-dyed, bright earth colors. A rich orange and green cowl will be up in her store soon.

But how do the neck warmers feel? Marina takes care in hand picking the softest wools, mohair, alpaca, and angora. She also knits with bamboo yarn, which feels like silk. I got to try on a number of Marina’s products. I didn’t want to take off the burnt orange neck warmer with the cream trim, four buttons up the seam. My son, who commented on every hat, scarf and cowl I tried on, even confirmed the neck warmer looked good. (I may have to send for it.) I absolutely fell in love with, and bought, blue-green fingerless gloves with peek-a-boo orange scallop trim. They keep my wrists warm yet allow me to text. At a glance the trim seems lace-like; it feels feminine but not dainty.

Supporting a Local Knitter

The holidays are rapidly approaching, and a Marina’s Knittery original hat may be the perfect gift for your mother, daughter, wife or lady friend. You can buy her original designs on Etsy, but she also sells locally at craft shoes. An exclusive Art & Craft Holiday Open House will happen on Sunday, December 11 from 11am to 5pm in Park Slope. The great thing about the Open House is that you’ll be able to try on the cozy products yourself.

If you know of a local artist or entrepreneur, please contact us and perhaps we can post a neighborhood profile on them. Shop local!

Tags: knitting, Marina Bekkerman, Marina’s Knittery
See All: Art & Music, Local Business, Neighbor Profiles