I have to admit, I have been in love with this Autumn Spice Pumpkin for some time, so it was wonderful to learn more about the designer behind this particular pattern.
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| photo Knit Equals Joy Designs |
1. What inspires you to design?
In truth, I am always looking for design
inspiration! I love to see color,
texture, and pattern everywhere. In
particular, though, several times a year I spend time alone at the Oregon
Coast. The beach and the ocean provide
so many interesting, unusual, or beautiful textures and colors. A seashell may supply the inspiration for a
knit stitch. The time alone also allows
design ideas that have been percolating in my subconscious to surface and
become more concrete designs.
2. If you could knit/ crochet one thing - anything in the world what would that be?
I absolutely love Kaffe Fassett’s designs. I swoon over his use of color, pattern, and
design in his Foolish Virgins Scarf, and that would be the one thing I would
love to knit.
3. Describe your ideal day as a designer, what would you do and what would you prefer not to do?
This ideal day is built in a theoretical life
in which I would be a full-time designer…
I would start the day with a cup of coffee and
browsing through IG and Facebook, looking at what folks are currently liking in
the knit world. As thoughts occurred
related to my own design aesthetic and process, I would make notes and sketches
for future designs.
I would next spend time knitting prototypes for
designs currently in process and swatches for ideas next in line.
Next would be writing time. I envision a couple of hours set aside for
sitting down to write pattern text, working on garment grading, and creating
charts and schematics. This time would
also be spent submitting designs to various publications.
Finally, with the afternoon cup of coffee, I
would update social media and interact with knitting friends. This would be the time to answer any
questions by test knitters or customers, as well.
I love working out the math and engineering
aspects of design. I’ve also always
loved writing. There’s nothing I would
prefer not to do – but I do wish I were a faster knitter!
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| photo Knit Equals Joy Designs |
4. How do you start a project, with
yarn, pattern, idea or what?
Well, this is a tough one! But I would say that most often, it’s the
yarn itself that tells me what it wants to be.
My first design, the Hood River Cowl, came directly from some beautiful
local natural wool/silk yarn I found at the Hood River Fiber Festival in
2013. This year, the Bridgetown Cowl was
designed directly in response to some gorgeous Zen Yarn Garden Artwalk Series
yarn. I wanted to use a stitch that
would show off that beautiful variegated yarn to best advantage.
5. What inspires you to pick up needles and start on the project?
Often it’s a deadline that inspires me to get
started on the project; for instance, I had a Christmas design idea and
Christmas was just six weeks away (i.e., Whimsy Tree).
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| photo by Knit Equals Joy Designs |
6. What do you enjoy the most about the designing and what you dislike the most?
I really love almost everything about
designing. Not only do I love the design
process, I love the people that I have met through design. I have met amazingly creative knitters,
designers, and even other media designers, whom I now consider friends. I love seeing how knitters interpret my
designs and make them their own. At this
time in my life, I dislike that I don’t have enough time to really implement
all the ideas…but someday I will retire, and then there will be time!
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| photo Knit Equals Joy Designs |
7. Are there any particular
techniques you find challenging or impossible to work with?
I have found that I don’t like to design
anything that is not fun to knit. This
means I may have an idea that I think is great, but then I start swatching it
and find I don’t enjoy knitting it, so that’s the end of that idea. I really don’t like short rows, so that’s the
only technique I can think of that I’ve consciously avoided.
8. What is on your needles now?
I’m currently working on a GAL project, the
Adult Modular Cardigan by Loraine Birchall.
I also have an upcoming cabled poncho design for which I’m finishing up
the pattern sample.
9. Do you work on multiple projects at the same time or single projects?
I have
multiple projects on the needles right now (three hats, the poncho, and the GAL
sweater), but that’s because sometimes a current design in process gets
interrupted by something that takes on more urgency and needs to be finished
sooner. The danger is that when I get
back to the older projects (those three hats), I’ll forget exactly what I
wanted to do next!
Where to find Knit Equals Joy Design:
Knit Equals Joy Designs on Ravelry
Knit Equals Joy Designs Ravelry Group
Knit Equals Joy Designs on Facebook
Knit Equals Joy Design on Instagram
Knit Equals Joy Designs on Pinterest
Knit Equals Joy Designs Blog
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