I got to interview with Ranée Mueller, Arabianknits on Ravelry, also arabianknits on Instagram
You as a designer questions:
What is your design process?
I tend to be inspired by an idea or something I’ve seen in
architecture or mosaic or nature. From that, I either try to
reproduce it in color (which is rare), or communicate the idea of it
through cables or lace or texture. Sometimes I see a stitch pattern
that inspires me and I hold on to that idea until it seems to fit an
accessory or garment. Most often, I scribble and sketch a loose idea,
and do the basic math for what the stitch count(s) need to be and
start to knit from there. If the yarn and needles don’t work, or if I
see something on the needles that makes me want to change my mind, I
work from there, taking notes in my design book and working out the
details both on paper and in my knitting.
What influences your style?
My designs are themed, in large part, on Western garments and
accessories as they might be interpreted by Middle Eastern
sensibility. As someone who grew up in the US, of Arab parents and
family, my life has always been about making my culture match up with
the world around me. It seems appropriate that my designs do this, as
well.
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?)
Honestly, solving the problems that come up in creating a shape or a
feature is one of my favorite things about design. The challenge of
describing the process in a way that is easy to repeat and comprehend
is one I enjoy, as well. Grading is always a little more difficult
for me, and the actual writing of the pattern from my notes can be.
Usually, I have a name for my project before I start or soon into the
process, and the last minute edits when a pattern has returned from
the technical editor are not that hard. Getting good photography and
promoting myself without feeling like I am bragging or pushy have been
some of the bigger hurdles for me.
What do you find most important in photography?
Clear images, detail shots, at least some shots that show the whole
piece, significant shaping visible. Of course, pretty pictures also
matter, and the evocation of a feeling or idea can be powerful.
You as a Giftalong designer:
What have you learned from the promotion?
I learned a lot about the features on Ravelry that help me communicate
with my customers and see what they are doing with my patterns. One
of the most valuable things I have gained in the four years I have
participated as a designer is the camaraderie both with other
designers and with the crafters. It has given what can often be a
quiet and lonely process a community of colleagues and that has made
designing much more rewarding to me.
You as someone who likes to make things questions:
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?
Oh, this is a hard question to answer! It really depends. Sometimes,
like with a sample I am working on right now, it is the yarn. The
yarn for this one made me exclaim that it was a cloud, and even the
yarn name was cloud in Quechua. My goal was to give the impression of
clouds with the yarn, cables and the stitch patterns. Sometimes I see
a pattern I love and search my stash for the right yarn that will make
the project shine. Sometimes I experiment with whatever leftover yarn
I have on a technique or stitch pattern and save that idea for later.
When I buy yarn, I do tend to have a type of item in mind, so I will
sometimes check my patterns for a suitable match. There is a shawl
that I saw in a documentary that I am still trying to figure out how
to reproduce.
Does anything intimidate you in knitting or crochet?
Steeking. I feel a little nervous just thinking about it. Also,
though I am sure I could do it, I have never done intarsia. One day I
will tackle both of those.
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?
A little of all three. I do have good technique books to look through
at home, and seek out good ones periodically, but if I need to see
something in person, I like to have a friend or teacher who can show
me. Failing that, I will look for videos, because I can play them
back over and over.
Any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting or crochet? How do you
deal with them?
Only rarely have I had a cramp or any other discomfort because of
knitting. When that happens, I take a break. If I had to take an
extended break, I’m not sure what I would do, so I try to stretch and
keep myself strong and limber, and take lots of vitamins A, D, and E,
plus some magnesium.
What makes you buy a pattern (lovely photo, the story of the project,
it looks do-able, it looks slightly challenging…)
I have to like the item. However, sometimes I like a particular
detail, and I will buy a pattern for that alone. Many times, I buy a
pattern just to see how a designer worked out a challenge that I am
dealing with, or shaped something I have been trying on my own. If
the pattern is absolutely intended for me to make, and not just to
study, it has to be something that I would both enjoy making and
wearing (or that someone else in my family would enjoy using/wearing).
Much like with my own designs, I am drawn to interesting texture and
construction. I love cables, so am immediately attracted to those,
but intriguing texture or lace are also interesting to me. While I
find colorwork beautiful, I am more likely to make something with
texture and one or two colors.