I got to interview with Cynthia Levy, redtiger on Ravelry.
What is your usual process on a fiber 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?
For designing, I usually start with yarn from my embarrassingly large stash. For other knitting, I tend to start with a pattern and then order yarn online if necessary. I live very far from any yarn shops, so stash maintenance and online shopping are crucial.
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?)
I enjoy the design, test knitting, layout and writing steps of pattern production but struggle with photography and self-promotion. I’m the model for most of my sock and mitt patterns and it’s virtually impossible to take decent foot or hand selfies. My husband serves as a very reluctant photographer… I must time photo shoot requests for his moments of weakness, squeeze the shoot itself into his very short attention span, and hope everything is perfect on the first try because retakes just won’t happen! Self-promotion is not in my personality so it will always be a challenge for me.
What have you learned from the Giftalong promotion?
The Giftalong is my favorite time of every knitting year. I’m amazed by the talents and generosity of the participating designers. Everyone is so very friendly, helpful and encouraging. I’ve learned all kinds of useful skills as the result of the Giftalong, such as graphic design and various social media platforms.
Does anything intimidate you in knitting or crochet?
I’m always keen to try new techniques and plan to improve my crochet skills someday. As for an intimidating technique, I’d have to vote for steeking. Cutting up a project just seems inherently risky. Why is it always the time-consuming fair isle sweaters that want to be sliced up? I recently faced my fear with a colorwork sweater and have to admit that it wasn’t as traumatic as I expected.
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?
Research and investigation are among my top skills! I’ll seek out any source to find information. I have a huge library of knitting books and magazines and refer to them regularly. The internet and Youtube are always helpful resources. I’m essentially self-taught but I tend to be the real person who helps others with their knitting.
Any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting or crochet? How do you deal with them?
I’m rather susceptible to repetitive motion disorders, but I blame them on sports and genetics rather than knitting. I’m starting to find that knitting early in the day triggers a tingly sensation in my fingers, so I do most of my knitting in the evenings.
What makes you buy a pattern (lovely photo, the story of the project, it looks do-able, it looks slightly challenging…)
All of the above! I’m not an impulse shopper, so the pattern needs to capture my attention and be memorable. Complex designs are my favorite. For garments, I’m trying to think carefully about fit and style that suits the recipient, rather than falling for the pretty photo on a model with a different body shape.
