I got to interview Arella Seaton, Alleraa on Ravelry
What is your design process?
From earlier stages of my knitting life I have been like The Cat That Walked by Herself. When I first started to knit there weren’t many patterns available and even when I followed a pattern, I had to change it. My design process is different with each pattern. I get inspired by a yarn, stitch pattern, a new to me technique, art, design. I have an extensive library of knitting books and my favourites are stitch dictionaries. I love to browse through them, combining or adapting patterns. I could tell a story of each of each of my designs, how it was born, what influenced me. I get an idea, start swatching and knitting an item whilst writing down brief notes. I love to create charts in the software I use. Actual pattern writing is my least favourite bit and comes later. Sometimes I can’t decipher my own notes and must knit another sample. Working on the sample I quite often change my initial idea so I’m a process designer.
One of my very first patterns was Mosaic Slippers, released in 2012. I was a member of an Estonian handicraft forum. We were exploring new techniques there and mosaic knitting sounded intriguing for me. I started to swatch, and as it often happens to me, one thing leads to another, Mosaic Slippers were born. I had no intention to write a pattern, it just happened! At first, I had the pattern in Estonian only, but I was asked to translate it to English. I really need to update the pattern and bring it to my current standards. It is still one of my most popular patterns.
Another pattern I’m quite proud of is Tiptoe Through the Daisies socks. This pattern was influenced by socks I saw in some Facebook group. Those socks had similar toes and I just loved them. I got an idea I could work the heel in similar way and add colorwork on cuffs too. I used the petal motif on cuffs. Someone mentioned the petals look like screw drivers, which I find funny but true! It got several attempts to get increases and decreases right. I had to learn about afterthought heel and picot edge too.
The Paradise Bay Shawlette pattern came together by itself. This time there wasn’t much frogging and reknitting involved. I purchased this beautiful merino and silk blend yarn at a craft show, petted it at home and knew straight away what it wants to be. I found the right lace pattern, added slipped stitches to create weaves, calculated stitch counts for each row and charted out increases. Knitting was like a smooth sailing through the silky yarn.
The Soul of Spring Shawl pattern was one of the most complicated patterns for me to get right. It took several attempts, a lot of ripping back and reknitting. I’m so happy how I managed to create the original look of the border and long, shallow triangular shape. I was worried how the test knitters will manage but it was an easy test with no issues!
What influences your style?
I have not found my style yet probably. I love to design different items. I would like to think my designs are original but definitely I get influenced by everything out there. Growing up in Estonia, I learnt to knit in secondary school. My mom, granny, aunties, all knitted, it wasn’t a big deal. Looking back it seems we had to learn quite fast at school, made a garter stitch scarf, next a pair of socks, then mittens with a traditional colour-work pattern. Maybe that’s why I don’t feel intimidated to try something new? Estonia has a rich cultural heritage and knitting tradition which influenced my style in first place.
What about designing and producing patterns are you most adept at, what parts are you most fond of, and what parts are challenging? (Pattern Grading, the last week of editing, coming up with a name for a project, self-promotion?)
My favourite part of designing is coming up with an idea, find stitch patterns I want to use and knit a sample. I often combine different stitches adding my own twist. It might take a lot of frogging and knitting again and again, changing stitches used if they don’t work in a sample. Quite often I come up with the name for the pattern while working on the sample. Writing the pattern is quite challenging but it gets easier the more experience I have. I am lucky to have worked with wonderful technical editors. Most intimidating for me is grading a garment. I have designed garments for myself and my daughter but have not been brave enough to write a pattern of a garment yet. My goal for the new year is to learn more about grading, design a garment and write a pattern.
You as a Giftalong designer:
What have you learned from the promotion?
Giftalong is a great opportunity for designers, knitters and crocheters to get together, get to know each other, to learn about the person behind a username. We are all human not just an anonymous users.
You as someone who likes to make things questions:
What is your usual process on a fibre project, for instance, do you start with a yarn, a cute pattern, a need you’ve noticed, something exciting you saw in a movie you want to copy, or a technique you want to learn – then what do you do next and then what?
As a maker, my fibre projects are driven by need. When my daughter or sister asks a new pair of socks, I make them. Only condition is I make them my own way, choose yarns, techniques and stitch patterns. The process must be interesting for me, not mindless knitting.
Does anything intimidate you in knitting or crochet?
No, I don’t think anything intimidates me. If I like something, I can do it or learn how to do it. We are so lucky nowadays, so much information is available.
When you want to learn something, do you look it up in a book, on U-tube, or seek a real person to teach you?
Mostly I look things up on YouTube or a book.
Any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting or crochet? How do you deal with them?
I have been lucky enough not to have any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting. When I knit a large item in bulky yarn it gets heavy and hurts my hands, just need to take time, not to rush.
What makes you buy a pattern (lovely photo, the story of the project, it looks do-able, it looks slightly challenging…)
I rarely knit from patterns these days. One exception is the GAL of course. I love a bit of challenge, new to me techniques. Most likely I buy a pattern what intrigues me, what I can’t figure out how it’s done, what techniques are used? I don’t knit vanilla socks in self-striping sock yarn, it’s boring for me and I don’t need so many socks anyway. Give me something beautiful, interesting, challenging, unique!