Faye heads up the Giftalong Advertisement campaign, and made our beautiful advertisements.
What is your design process?
An idea pops into my head and I just can’t
seem to shake it. From there, I’m just tempted to make it, so I hop
right to the needles, cast on and go. I try really hard to write down
what I’m doing as I do it and I thread the live stitches on a long
circular and try it on a lot through the process. Or in many cases, such
as for my Sasquatch! and Brains, make my husband try it on. I’m trying
really hard to be more disciplined about planning the details in
advance.
What influences your style?
Initially my designs were sponsored by a
local knitting shop where I taught crafting classes, so the designs
featured a theme local to Vancouver Island’s westcoast, like I Heart
Whales; or a particular skill, like the colourwork in Bret’s Westcoast
Stocking. Since the shopped closed (so sad – please support your LYS if you have
one), I’ve been relying on ravelry to connect me to other crafters, so
the online world has become a larger influence.
I recently made Alex Tinsley’s Zam Hat as part of the Indie Designer’s
Gift-a-long and was inspired to again focus on colourwork. Some
fluorescent Manos del Uruguay Maxima that has been languishing in my
stash is finally being put to good use.
Volt Mitts and Volt Toque are
the first patterns that I’ve published out of a planned series.
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?)
Well, inspiration is the easy part. The ideas come so
quickly. And who doesn’t love fondling yarn and choosing colours? I
think the hardest part has been cultivating a style, since my
inspirations go in different directions. I have some pretty, simple
things, like Nautica, and some creepy ugly things like Sasquatch!
You as a Giftalong designer:
Were you surprised at how big the giftalong became?
Not really. There were so many wonderful and respected
designers involved with the set up, I was pretty sure we had a winning
concept in hand.
Where you skeptical of the “abundance” ideas, or did they seem just
right?
Not skeptical at all. In my previous life as a Human Resources
Manager, I worked with a lot of “can-do” teams. While a group can be a
sloppier than a solo decision maker, I think so much more momentum,
energy and dreams can be realized by a team.
What have you learned from the promotion?
There are lots of independent
designers in my shoes, or the ones I was wearing last year, and the ones
I hope to have next year. They’re actually quite an approachable lot, so
even though I’m in a physically isolated location, I’m not in it alone.
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?
Often I learn a new technique and then imagine a way I want to apply it. “Starting with the
yarn” usually grows my stash, but not my list of designs.
Does anything intimidate you in knitting or crochet?
Garter stitch, actually! It makes my wrists really sore.
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?
You Tube is my friend, because like so many, I want it now.
Any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting or crochet? How do you
deal with them?
Tendontitis and carpal tunnel have been longstanding
issues for me now. This is a primary limitation on my design output.
Do you frequent a particular yarn store?
As mentioned above, my LYS
closed recently, so unless I’m up for a 5-6 hour round trip, I order
online.
Do you usually finish things? If not, does it bother you?
Usually, but not always. Life’s too short to finish everything. I do have a lot of
solo mittens and socks that are kind of lame, but I don’t let them haunt
me.
Do you get to do any “selfish knitting?”
I’d say it’s almost all selfish knitting since I really enjoy the process.
Is knitting a seasonal activity for you?
Not totally, but somewhat. My day job is seasonal, so even though I knit all year, projects slow down
when more time is consumed with my other work.
What makes you buy a pattern (lovely photo, the story of the project, it
looks do-able, it looks slightly challenging…)
Primarily I like to learn something new, but sometimes I just want to make something pretty and
not have to think the design out for myself. Beautiful pictures are
tough to resist.
What gives you the feeling that you got your money’s worth out of a
pattern?
If I learn something or I’m pleased with the FO, my money’s
been well spent.
What do you most enjoy about knitting or crochet?
I love seeing the FO come to life. Sometimes it’s a strange pleasure just to deplete the
skein.