Well it’s been awhile since you’ve had a blog post from NFC, but we’re back with a bang! We are part of the official Holla Knits Accessories 2014 blog tour. On Monday, I was interviewed by my close friend, Ann Weaver. For this stop on the tour, I’m interviewing her! Her AMAZING design for Holla Knits is a cabled colorwork cowl in three colors of Studio Worsted. It’s gorgeous and weird and complicated, just like Ann. If you haven’t met her, now is your chance to get to know her and her design process.
1. Tell me about your background. How did you get started as a knitwear designer?
My background is in studio art, academia, office administration, and the food-service industry. Designing knitwear started the same way everything in my life starts–I just started doing it. Pretty soon I was getting more offers to do it, and making money, too. I’ve made stuff all my life–from dried bean collages to welded sculptures–no matter what else I’ve been doing, so it grew out of that. I’m a self-taught knitter, so it was natural to start making things up rather than just following patterns.
2. In addition to oddly painted barber shop poles, what inspires your designs?
Oh, man. All manner of stuff that interests me. Whatever generally interests me influences my designs. I’ve done two books of patterns based on the imagery in Moby-Dick(White Whale Vol. I and White Whale Vol. II), I’ve designed based on artists and artwork I admire (like the Albers Cowl and the Bauhaus Cardigan. Container ships and shipbreaking. Graffiti. Punk style. Uniforms.
Currently, I’m focusing on designs inspired by my neighborhood (of which this is one; Traction Street and Woodbrook are two others, both of which use your yarn), rust belt cities (it will be a few months before any of those are released), and the work of Mark Rothko.
That said, sometimes I make things just because they’re what I want to make or wear or because they show off a yarn I like (recent examples are Knockout Round and Iodine). They’re not conceptual pieces; they’re just what I like and want and think others will like, too.
3. You’re known for picking some exciting and unexpected color combinations. Describe your approach to color.
This is a topic on which I teach workshops at local yarn shops around the country. I can and do talk about it for hours. A few of my favorite color approaches are using complimentary colors (colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel) and using a bright, light color like yellow or pale orange to get light-dark contrast instead of using natural white or pale gray. Thinking about using tan or pale gray? Use yellow!
Sometimes, when choosing colors for a design, I start with the color I think is the most difficult sell and combine it with more accessible colors (you know this about me, ha ha). I think this makes knitters see bold colors in a new way and encourages them to go for that orange, yellow, bright teal, pink, whatever.
4. What’s next for Weaverknits? What exciting projects are you currently working on?
A new, FREE Moby-Dick pattern is coming out this winter! I’ll also be working on a few Baltimore-based projects with your yarn and releasing some patterns for which rights have reverted to me. Some Rothko stuff, a HUGE cardigan (seriously, a cardigan whose defining feature is being very large–the Richard Serra project of cardigans–ha! I might call it that!), and a few simple patterns in awesome yarns. And more!
