Feature Designer: Alicia Plummer

nov 4th winners: comments 4, 9 and 7 were chosen from Random.org. Congrats Babbett, martyna and Beth. Please email me at Luckylambyarn@gmail.com with your Ravelry name and pattern choice. Thank you everyone for playing!


This feature designer profile is running a little on the late side and will, unfortunately, be the last of the year.  It has been an enlightening and enriching experience for me and I hope for you as well.  Being a professional knitwear designer is not for the faint of heart. There is a LOT of work involved and the ones I chose to interview, do it oh so well!

Today, I'm chatting with Alicia Plummer! I have so many of her patterns queued and even knit up.  I most recently finished Ease and am looking forward to starting Woodstove Season and Nested has been calling to me forever. I must say, just about everything she releases I itch to cast on.

LL: What is your first thought when you awake?

AP: Hmm. I am usually woken up by my children climbing all over me and snuggling. I think of how lucky I am to have them. Then I think about the weather--is it a good day for knitting and renovating the house? Or is it nice and should I take the kids to the beach or on an adventure of some sort?

LL: What does the perfect knitting evening look like for you? Needles, yarn, 

environment, music, tv?

AP: I love sitting on our camp porch and talking with my husband while I knit. Rainstorms on the porch are amazing, that sound! When it gets colder, my husband runs the woodstove and I love knitting by the fire with tea late at night while watching a good, brainless show. haha!

LL: What /who inspires you?

AP: So many people inspire me! I think my biggest inspirations are just life experiences-colors usually trigger feelings and memories for me, so I pour that into my work. I am so thankful that God blessed me with a passion for this!

LL: What is your favorite part of the design process?

AP: Binding off! And then seeing test knitters-seeing people finish their FO’s and feel good about themselves in their pieces. Everyone has a special beauty, and I feel like a good piece of knitting brings it out.

LL: What is the part you most dread?

AP: Hahahahaha--so easily said- the charting and the editing. Finding math errors that I didn’t know were there--some of them can be SO common sense!

LL: What was your first knitting experience and how did it influence you?

AP: My grandmother taught me the basics when I was very young. But then, my mother showed up at my house with a children’s cardigan pattern and some needles. My daughter was about 18 months and I dove right into it. I loved every second, and just looked up anything I didn’t know how to do online. I was hooked.

LL: Is there anything you’ve yet to tackle, knitting wise?

AP: YES!!! Set in sleeves. Set in sleeves. Amy Christoffers does perfect set in sleeves and they fit amazingly. I’m hoping to add that to my repertoire.

LL: What’s your favorite FO to date?

AP: Probably Ease. I’ve made a few, they’re just so simple and comfy to throw right on. They always look good in a casual way.

LL: Who is your favorite person to knit for and why?

AP: My 6 year old daughter--she gets SO excited when I make her a sweater and then wears it nonstop. I know she may not always feel this way so I will soak it up while I can!!!

LL: Favorite knitting book, magazine or festival?

AP: I think all my stitchionaries are my favorites- so much to work with!

LL: Do you have any Tips or tricks for aspiring designers?

AP: Definitely just dive right in! You’ll never grow much if you’re not willing to tackle things and have a few failures. My set in sleeves attempts SO FAR have ended up with me flinging a book across the room (ever so gently), lol. But I know one of these days the math will click. Also--get a good camera and take lots of shots!

If you'd like to read more about Alicia check out her website aliciaplum.com

Huge thanks to Alicia for taking the time to answer my questions and ALSO for offering up a gifted design of hers to 3 readers. To enter to win a pattern from Alicia, simply comment below. I'd love to know if you've made one of her designs, what awesome pattern of hers is in your queue and/or if you already have one on the needles! 

Winners will be drawn using random.org on Tues. Nov. 4th, 2014.

P.S. I have many life changes happening over the next couple months, so I won't be blogging again until after the new year. BUT, I will return with lots of great news :)

Feature Designer: Lee Meredith of Leethal Knits

7/14 Update: Random.org selected comments 8,7 and 9.
                     Winners: Faye, Anonymous and Yarnandpointysticks
Please email me at Luckylambyarn@gmail.com with your pattern choice and Ravelry name. Lee will gift them through Rav. 
Thanks for participating everyone!

Hey yarn peeps! It's time for another designer spotlight!
I've been excited about this one because Lee's designs always blow me out of the water.  Pics and links as always to my personal favorites!  They are creative to the point of no return.  She has a way of doing things that's so unique, that you can't help but be drawn to it and if you own any of her patterns, you know that she is incredibly thorough!  She is the super rad portland gal that you wish you could sit down with a beer, a good vinyl and bag full of yarn.  I didn't get to do that this time, but I did get her to take the time to answer a few of my questions and she even graciously offered a giveaway for readers.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/either-or

1. What is your first thought when you awake?  

 No, I want more sleep!  (I am a total night person, no problem staying up till 3am working, but getting up in the morning is THE WORST.)

2. What does the perfect knitting evening look like for you? Needles, yarn, environment, music, tv?  

 A new design idea that I'm super excited about, 100% wool, plied, nice and sheepy, worsted weight, in a couple of different beautiful hand-dyed colors (maybe along with 1 undyed natural sheep color), bamboo needles, on the couch for a many-hour long marathon of a good TV show, with tea during the day, and then into the night with a beer, or a hot toddy if it's cold!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/barry-2

3. What /who inspires you? 

 I don't really look to anything/one specific for inspiration; ideas for designs usually come to me randomly, or I'll start with a seed of an idea and then obsessively think about it, probably soaking in inspiration from my life… My husband is great at inspiring me by letting me bounce ideas off him, and then having new ideas, or helping the core idea evolve into something new, or kind of understanding things differently which leads me to other ideas, etc.  I browse patterns on ravelry often, so I'm sure all the great new designs being released all the time get filed into my brain for inspiration when I need it!

4. What is your favorite part of the design process?  

 The beginning, coming up with the initial idea, sketching and swatching, and knitting up the first prototype, turning my idea into a real item!

5. What is the part you most dread? 

 I don't love figuring out the best ways to explain things, making changes to the pattern based on test knitter feedback, that kind of thing.  I always want the pattern to be the BEST it can be for everyone, but everyone's brains work differently, and the best way to explain something for one person will be confusing for another person, so it's frustrating and stressful to make those choices.

6. What was your first knitting experience and how did it influence you?  

 A specific moment pops into my head, when I first became interested in knitting.  This was 2002 and not many people in my life knit (I didn't grow up with a knitting relative or anything), so I always kind of thought of knitting like, you can basically knit a scarf, or basic rectangles, unless you get really into it and practice for years and years and learn enough to make something more complex, which I wasn't interested in doing.  So, then I had an apartment-mate who I didn't know well, who would wear these hand-knit and hand-crocheted hats, and one day my other roommate was telling me that this girl was into knitting and crochet, and had taught her how to do both and they weren't hard to do, and she told me she made her hat; it clicked, like "What?! I could make a hat? And it's easy and doesn't take years to work up to? I want to do that!!"  So that's when I first decided I wanted to learn, and those roommates taught me both a knit stitch and single crochet stitch, and then I was self-taught after that.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lerro

7. Is there anything you've yet to tackle, knitting wise?  

 Oh yeah, tons of things!  I've always wanted to try out double knitting.  I've barely done intarsia and would like to master that.  I recently saw a blog post about twined knitting and would love to explore that.  There are tons of regional techniques that I'll see in a pattern and think, ooooh I want to try that out!  There is just so much to learn in knitting - I've been learning for about 12 years now and there's always so much more!!

8. What's your favorite FO to date?  

 Ooh that's always changing - it's usually the most recent thing I've completed!  So, definitely my Krewe cowl (link to the ravelry project page: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/leethal/krewe) is a favorite of the moment, and my bright green and grey Lerro shawl (link: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/leethal/lerro-2)!  If I only think about older things though, hmm, I really love my Flying V's fingerless mitts (link: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/leethal/flying-vs-mitts-4), mostly because I hardly ever do stranded colorwork, and I also hardly ever work with sock weight yarn, so they are so different from most of my hand-knits.  I also really love my blue Freewheelin' shawl (link:http://www.ravelry.com/projects/leethal/freewheelin), again probably because it's pretty different from most things I design/make - with a very simple construction and cables covering the whole thing. 

9. Who is your favorite person to knit for and why?  

 I kind of only knit for myself these days!  But mostly design samples, so I can't wear them a lot because they need to stay in good shape (but I still wear them a bit!).  But I guess it's valid to say myself as an answer, because a lot of the design samples I make are not necessarily my favorite color or style choices, but chosen for the design, so sometimes when I make design choices for a sample that are actually MY favorite choices, I love knitting those samples!  Like, for the Lerro shawls, the red+beige sock weight sample was not personally my favorite choices, though I think it's a beautiful sample, but I chose the green+grey DK weight more to fit my own taste, and I really loved knitting that one!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pigment

10. Favorite knitting book, magazine or festival?  

 The books I use most are stitch dictionaries, and this is a really boring answer, but I am a huge fan of Barbara Walker's treasuries.  Also a big Elizabeth Zimmermann fan, also boring!  Ooh my favorite knitting books for inspiration are Japanese pattern books!  I am super lucky to have a Kinokuniya bookstore here in Portland, so I've collected about a dozen over the years (they are not cheap, or I'd have many more!) and I flip through them sometimes when I'm brainstorming about a collection idea or something, just to see lots of creative designs, great styling, etc.

11. Do you have any Tips or tricks for aspiring designers?

 Don't expect a big audience right off the bat - design because you love it, for yourself, for practice, etc.  Don't try to design what you think people will want to knit; I think it's better to put out a totally weirdo design that's nothing like what's out there already, and have a niche group of people be really into it, while others hate it, rather than to jump on a trend and just blend together with a bunch of other designs that look the same… There's nothing wrong with jumping on a trend, but put a twist on it!  There aren't any tricks that I can think of - the path to success is working your ass off and not losing steam when things aren't going so well.  (I hope that's true - that's what I keep doing!)  If you love designing, do it, work your ass off, and hire out any parts you can't do yourself (like photography / graphic design / tech editing - try bartering with other newbie designers to save money if you can) - it's a shame when really creative, excellent designs have bad photos so they don't get seen.  Remember that every new pattern adds to your collection and results in the older patterns getting seen more, so just because your first (or second, third, fourth…) pattern doesn't seem to do well when it's new, that doesn't mean it won't sell more into the future, as you release more new patterns.  Take advantage of the ravelry Designers and Budding Designers groups for info and help (but always search before asking a question, as most questions have already been asked and answered) - those are such great resources!

Thank you so much Lee for talking with me and my readers! I always look forward to your design releases and I know my audience does as well! 

Lee has offered a free pattern to 3 lucky readers. Simply comment below with what your favorite Leethal Knits pattern is and why, to be selected at random. Winners will be drawn using Random.org on 7/14/14. Good luck! 

Want to learn more about Lee and her fantastic work? She blogs over at www.leethal.net and her full website is www. leethalknits.com

Feature Designer: Courtney Spainhower of Pink Brutus Knits

5/24 update: Random.org has chosen comments 1,9 and 10; Christinabpt, Babbett and Milagros please contact me at luckylambyarn@gmail.com OR comment below with your choice of pattern and your Ravelry name.
Thank you!


It's that time again! And this time I'm talking to Courtney Spainhower. She's one of my absolute favorites right now. Her designs grab me every time. I feel like they are creative, wearable and timeless. I've knitted a few of her designs and have several more queued. I just love her work! Not to mention she just seems like a very cool lady. One day I will sit and knit with her, one day!
Let's take a look at some of my favorites!

Arrow Capelet: I fell in love with this one instantly! Such eye pleasing details.

Bailiwick Pullover: The detail is so lovely on this sweater. I've made Courtney's Eyelet Yoke sweater and loved it. This one may be next! 

Seed to Sprout Shawl: Again, detail! Just wow!

Chatting with Courtney was so great. She was extremely accommodating and I just loved her answers in the interview.  

1. What is your first thought when you awake?

The first thing I think when I wake is, "Shit, what time is it?"  Then I fumble around for my phone to see I've woken up 15 minutes before the alarm is set for.  Seriously.  This happens nearly every single morning - especially the sunny ones.

2. What does the perfect knitting evening look like for you? Needles, yarn, environment, music, tv?

Oh, to knit in the evenings without children asking for things like dinner, or the dog running around with someone's shoe, or a cat eating my yarn.... !!  However, the most perfect knitting evening would look like this: Chris & Thomas, a glass of Malbec, a sample ready for blocking, and swatches piling up. (Isn't swatching most knitter's nightmare?)

3. What /who inspires you?

I find inspiration everywhere - each season begs for particular garments, fibers, and textures. I see the world in cables, lace, and very often, saddle shoulders.  My family also inspires.  In fact, my husband looses so many hats that I'm inspired to knit him a new one every fall!

4. What is your favorite part of the design process?

My favorite part of the design process would have to be the plotting of it.  I often have a vague idea and have to zone in on it by sketching it into focus, then fretting over the perfect stitches and how they'll work together.  It's all quite exciting.

5. What is the part you most dread?

I dread size grading.  It's MATH, MATH, MATH.  To be honest, I slept through high school algebra and it's a miracle I'm a functioning designer at all.

6. What was your first knitting experience and how did it influence you?

The first time I ever picked up a set of knitting needles was roughly 7 years ago when I was pregnant with my youngest.  I was at mother-in-law's house and she was telling me she had just taken a knitting class at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I forced her right then and there to show me everything she had learned.  I'll never forget it.  She said, "All I know is how to 'cast-on' and 'knit' but you'll have to look at the booklet they gave me to see how to 'purl.'"  I sat on her couch with a giant belly, the booklet next to me, and a handful of wooden needles fumbling some chunky red yarn into a wonky strip. I've always been hands-on and once I get my hooks into something I'm determined to take it to its end. However, the thing with knitting is, there is none.   

7. Is there anything you've yet to tackle, knitting wise?

I've done just about everything I can think of from felting to intarsia, from socks to shawls, but in knitting, tackling is not the same as mastering.  I even went so far as to buy a spinning wheel and dye my own fiber JUST to dig deeper into the craft.  This, as you can imagine, is positively thrilling to my husband (but i did just learn to Navajo ply and it's magical).

8. What's your favorite FO to date?

My favorite FO to date is actually a complete secret until Spring of 2014 (which is really sad because I'd love to spill all the details right here and now).
    *I interviewed Courtney quite a few months ago. The FO she is referring to is the Bailiwick Pullover. It's featured on the Interweave Spring 2014 cover.* 

9. Who is your favorite person to knit for and why?

My youngest is my favorite person in the WORLD to knit for.  She is opinionated and knows what she wants so it can be a little nerve wrecking, but the girl has impeccable taste and when she lays eyes on the finished piece she lights up like no one else.  She also wears the things she asks for (not necessarily the ones I make out of the goodness of my heart).

10. Favorite knitting book, magazine or festival?

Boy oh boy did The Knitter's Almanac by our beloved EZ change my life as a designer.

11. Do you have any Tips or tricks for aspiring designers?

For someone just getting started, I recommend the KnitEvenly App (which I still use today), some sort of chart software, and a very thick sketchbook with grid paper.  I think when you first dip your toe into pattern writing, you don't always know what type of designs you're really going to enjoy putting to paper, so leave your options open and sketch out or write down all the things you'd love to create even if you have no idea how you'd make those pieces a reality (because if you stick with it, someday you may).  

Also, it's good to keep in mind that as you move forward, patience and problem solving are the cornerstones of success in this business.  I reply to numerous emails every day from people with questions or comments about my designs and problem solving for them is one of my main tasks.  Most people look to the designer as the expert who will guide them though any problems the run into.  This is an aspect of designing I wasn't prepared for when I first started out and it was, at times, overwhelming. 

You can check out more of Courtney at www.pinkbrutus.com

Courtney would love to offer a free pattern to 3 lucky knitters! Just comment below to enter! Winner will be drawn Saturday, May 24th. 

Feature Designer: Lisa Mutch of Northbound Knitting

Hey All! It's time for another feature designer interview!!

This time I'm laying my questions on Lisa Mutch, Owner, Dyer and Designer for Northbound Knitting.  Lisa is constantly releasing new patterns and shipping out her beautiful hand dyed yarns; a serious, one woman army. I don't know how, but I got her to spare a few minutes for me! So, read about her here then check her out on Ravelry!

1. What is your first thought when you awake?
 I'm one of those annoying morning people who pretty much bounces out of bed each day and gets to work. Every day has a very detailed list, things to do, yarn to dye, emails to reply to, pdfs to edit, etc., and I don't like to waste any time. The quicker I check things off my list, the more knitting time I get later on in the day!

2. What does the perfect knitting evening look like for you? Needles, yarn, environment, music, tv? 

 The perfect knitting evening, ahhhh. I'm pretty easy to please so as long as there's knitting involved, I'm very happy. Working on something in one of my favourite bases like a merino/silk or alpaca/silk/cashmere on my addi circulars, with a fire going, a glass of red wine, an episode of Homeland, The Walking Dead or Sons of Anarchy.....yeah, that sounds about right. :)

3. What /who inspires you? 

 I can honesty say that the knitting community inspires me to create. Seeing photos posted on Ravelry and Instagram of beautifully knitted items and gorgeous handspun yarn motivates me daily. I want to create more colourways, dye more yarn, design more shawls and sweaters and cowls so I can watch what this amazingly talented and creative community creates out of them.

4. What is your favorite part of the design process?

 I love the design process, having an idea, sketching, swatching, watching it come to life is so exciting and rewarding for me. I love watching how others interpret my designs with their own yarn choices and modifications. The whole process is amazing to me.

5. What is the part you most dread? 

 When it comes time to work on the actual pattern, make edits, correct mistakes during the test knitting process, that's when I start to drag my heels a bit.

6. What's your favorite FO to date?  

 My favourite FO's are definitely my shawls. I have an extensive collection and love wearing them daily, except in July and August when it's too hot but even then, you can find me knitting shawls at the beach.

From a designer's perspective, I love how versatile they are, how they can virtually be any shape, any design, colour, size. They're like a blank slate where the possibilities are endless. From a knitter's perspective, I love the long rows, circular needles, how I can scrunch the shawl in progress up and shove it into my purse. And then binding off a shawl, wet blocking it and pinning it out to dry. Suddenly the shawl transforms from what seems like endless crowded stitches on a needle to a beautiful piece of knitted art.

7. Who is your favorite person to knit for and why?

 Well, I used to love knitting for my kids but sadly, they're getting older and prefer the cool store bought winter accessories over mom's handknit mitts and scarves. I used to knit a lot of things for members of my family too but after many handknits got felted in the washing machine, wrecked, lost or just not appreciated at all, I happily became a selfish knitter. (And am very happy with this decision, haha!)

8. Favorite knitting book, magazine or festival? 

My favourite knitting books are by far anything by Elizabeth Zimmermann and Barbara Walker. The knowledge and wisdom those two women alone have offered the knitting community is astounding and I'm so grateful for their books. I don't even know how many hours I have spent pouring over the stitch patterns in Barbara Walker's treasuries, they're my favourite!


Special thanks to Lisa for being a part of this series! She's offering up a free pattern of choice to 3 readers! All you have to do is tell us here in the comments what your favorite NBK pattern is and why to be entered. Winner will be drawn Thursday, March 27th.
Happy Knitting everyone!
Amanda

Winners have been drawn!

Charity
Babywearing/Cloth diapering Mama
Pamela Burns

Please email Lisa at lisamutch312@gmail.com for your free pattern of choice! 
Thanks for playing everyone and thank you Lisa for sharing your beautiful work!

Feature Designer: Stephanie Dosen of Tiny Owl Knits

I'm opening this series with the beautiful, and magical, Stephanie Dosen.  Her designs are intriguing and whimsical, and easily transport one to a place of instant happiness.  I dare you to search through her designs and not "oooh" and "ahhhh".  My favorites include the Moonbeam Duster and this wonderful Gypsy Petticoat.  And who isn't working up hexipuffs for this amazing blanket?!

I recently got a chance to ask Stephanie my spotlight designer questions. She was so lovely to chat with and will continue to be an inspiration to me; and probably you too!

Me: What is your first thought when you awake? 
SD: OOh definitely coffee! Then I take my kitty Ruby outside to graze in the yard. Normally I’d want to get straight to my computer to start answering emails and working on patterns, but Ruby squeak-meows at the top of her lungs until I take her out. It’s nice though because then I get to spend some time under my favorite tree.

What does the perfect knitting evening look like for you? Needles, yarn, environment, music, tv? 
It definitely involves a big puffy chair and lots of blankets and pillows. Candles and cinnamon/patchouli oil burning on tiny lamps around the room. I’d have my best friend by my side and we’d be having a Harry Potter marathon.

What /who inspires you? 
I’m very inspired by nature and animals, trees and flowers. I’m inspired by the shapes and structure in knitting more than the stitch patterns. I get inspired when I wander flea markets and see old color patterns in furniture or stained glass lamps. Then I cant wait to get home and pick up the needles.

What is your favorite part of the design process? 
I love starting, and I love finishing. It’s the part in the middle that gets us all isn’t it? But then, that’s what creating is all about. I think the major goal of creating is to be comfortable with the entire process. The ideal scenario would be to enjoy every single stitch and every single mistake along the way, which for me are many!

What is the part you most dread? 
Having the guts to start over when it doesn’t work out perfectly the first time. That moment when I look at it and realize that it would have been so much better if I had done “this or that”. Then ripping (or throwing it out if its felted) and starting from scratch. That’s the part that can really break your heart if you don’t just kind of shrug your shoulders and say “oh well, no biggie!”

What was your first knitting experience and how did it influence you? 
I got hired at a yarn store as a crochet teacher, but I didn’t know how to knit. Some of the ladies showed me and I went home and made this weird looking random poncho in the round. When I brought it to the store everyone loved it for some reason and they helped me write up the pattern. It was so surprising and strange to me that people wanted that pattern. I think that really got me started on my way. I just couldn’t stop making things up and bringing them in the shop for everyone to join in!

Is there anything you’ve yet to tackle, knitting wise? 
I know there are always lots more things to learn. I tend to take a crack at whatever looks like it might stump me. Maybe that’s my personal form of self torture. “That looks really hard, hmmm… let’s try it!”

What’s your favorite FO to date? 
It’s either the meow mittens or the faerie wings.

Who is your favorite person to knit for and why? 
Oops. It’s me. That’s so terrible isn’t it!!?? I always mess up or knit the wrong things for other people. It never fits them or it’s not quite what they were imagining. They never wear the things I make. It’s always more frustrating than fun for that reason. Except I knitted my Grandmother a pair of socks once and she loved them.

Favorite knitting book, magazine or festival? 
When I was working at the shop we would get so excited when a new shipment would come in with magazines, or the new Rowan books. We would squeal and rip open the boxes and all sit around and pour over them. I worked with some of my best friends and I honestly think looking through a new Rowan mag is maybe the most fun thing ever. Wait, do I need to get out more? :)

Do you have any Tips or tricks for aspiring designers? 
Don’t worry or take any of it too seriously. Only make things that you love and you want to wear. If you really really want to design, then just do it and never give up even when you hit brick walls and feel like you are failing. It’s natural! Keep going and good luck!

Want more Stephanie? You can find her (and all her helpful videos) at www.tinyowlknits.com You will probably spend hours there!

Big thanks to Stephanie for being a part of this series! 

XA!