Today I present to you another designer interwiew, this time with Lindsay Lewchuk.
- How did you come to knitting / crocheting?
My very first experience was as a young girl learning to knit from my Baba (dad’s dad) and Nanny (Great grandmother on my mom’s side). I’m slightly ashamed to say, I hated it and ended up breaking one of my needles because my tension was so very tight! Later in life while I was in the hospital, I sought an enjoyable distraction from the drudgery of all the medical tests. So once again I turned to knitting. This time I was a teenager and I had a ball of organic cotton yarn, bamboo knitting needles, the fuzzy memories of what to do, and plenty of time to experiment. At that time, I tried crochet as well, but found I enjoyed knitting immensely! One day a neurologist saw me knitting and mentioned that knitting was one of the best things I could do to help heal and strengthen my brain. From then on, it was therapy as well as joy!
- How did you come to designing?
Since I wasn’t permitted books due to the fact my allergies to whatnot in the books interfered with some of the testing that was being done, I fell into designing at the same time as rediscovering knitting. Since I had that one skein of yarn I’d knit it up into something, see how it looked, frogged, and started all over again. Eventually my stash grew and I started to skip the frogging and instead wore the items I was making. After I was out of the clinic I looked online for resources and started reading patterns. I found it all fascinating! As I put terminology to the stitches I’d discovered by experimentation, I learned more and more about the relationship between different stitches and how that affected the outcome of the finished piece.
- What is your design process?
It varies by design, but I guess my SOP is start with yarn, pick a needle size and dream. Once God inspires a new design, I write and grade the pattern and knit it (or sometimes knit while writing the pattern) frogging and editing until it looks like what I have in my mind’s eye. After the design is complete, I send the pattern for tech editing and test knitting, take the photos, do the pattern layout, write the romance, and finally publish and send that little spark out into the world with the desire that each person who knits it enjoys the process as well as the finished object as much as I did throughout its creation!
- Do you have a favourite fiber?
Currently organic cotton and bamboo! Seriously if I were stranded on a deserted island with Puddles and had a care package arrive with only one fiber for the rest of my life; it’d currently be organic cotton and bamboo. I absolutely love organic cotton, but when you incorporate the sheen of bamboo, the marriage is absolutely incredible as it dangles through your fingers while knitting and as it covers you while wearing.
- If you could only knit/crochet one type of item, what would it be?
That which brings the greatest delight to its future wearer!
- Which of your patterns make for really great gift knitting?
Hehe, anything in the Knit Eco Chic Gift-a-long 2015 bundle ;-). It depends upon the recipient and your gift knit time. Ruffle Bumpkin for cutie patooties or comfy cowls for snowy dates. Generally speaking though, I think the accessories make great gift knits. A lot of the cowls in my shop are 1-2 skeins and offer a variety of techniques to suit your preference and the style preferences of your recipient.
- Do you have any new patterns coming out during the GAL that you want to talk about?
I do! Color Flow Sweater will be coming out during the GAL. It is knit in a hand dyed organic cotton and bamboo worsted weight yarn (shock of all shocks) and is a fitted yoke style, top down sweater with set in sleeves. The weather has cooperated beautifully lately providing prime opportunity for field testing the fiber and design. The yarn holds up beautifully to washing, too.
(c) Lindsay Lewchuk
Thanks so much for the interview! Ear scratches to Lena and Tigi.
Thank you and the same to Puddles! 🙂