Checking In With ... Lauren Horwitz:

Lauren Horwitz spent most of her career modeling for household-name designers in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. In fact, she continues to model, but one thing many models can’t do is fittings.

Horwitz’s body and measurements help designer Tadashi Shoji make women feel good and comfortable. Horwitz has done it for other designers too, including Ralph Lauren. Horwitz loves to fit into Tadashi’s clothes and report back to him on how she feels about them.

But there’s something else some models can’t do: knitting.

Knitting is something Horwitz loves and has done since she was 14. And it is something she recently decided to share with other women.

Four months ago, Horwitz opened Knit SchTICK in Costa Mesa where she and her Store Manager Sue Duckor teach women how to knit and how to make a garment from scratch.

Her classes are $10 per two hours of knitting.

For those who already know how to do it, Knit SchTICK is a place to listen to music while knitting in a group gathering.

The fashion insider uses her knowledge to help women make the latest in the trends.

Why is it called Knit SchTICK?

Schtick is a comedian’s act. It’s hard to translate, and so knitting is my schtick. It’s my schtick not in a stereotypical way.

What do you mean not in a stereotypical way?

Most people think people who knit are retired, and it’s a homemade thing. But it’s not like that anymore. I think of knitting the garments you see on models. I like to think it’s what you see on the runways.

How does Knit SchTICK provide this modern form of knitting?

It’s really important to me that the garments I wear fit well, so I can wear them proudly. I wanted to provide a knitting story where women can come in and try on more than 100 samples, copy what they see in the magazines and knit clothes that look like they bought it from Neiman, not from a yarn shop.

This is a hobby for many women, just like it’s a hobby for men to play golf or fish, but at the end you have a product.

What are the samples?

Garments that I made over the years. My store manager and I discuss the season’s latest fashion pieces and how we can interpret them for our customers.

What is the latest fashion piece?

The latest fashion accessory is the cowl, or a ruffled scarf that you could knit in a sophisticated color for over a suit or in bright colors for fun.

Tell me a little bit about the classes you provide.

The classes are Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. And you can be at any level. We also have workshops, and we have social gatherings where we have breakfast with the Beatles every Saturday morning and all day Friday with Frank Sinatra.

How do you use Knit SchTICK to make a difference in the world?

We are a drop-off site for Knots of Love (the organization brightens the lives of people who are suffering from cancer by encouraging others to knit and donate caps).