Merry Christmas everyone! Santa brought me another designer interview to share with you 🙂
Triona Murphy’s Ravelry store offers everything your heart might desire, be it for adults or children!
How did you come to knitting?
Unlike many people who have a parent or friend who taught them to knit, I grew up without any knitters around me. When I was nineteen, I found a “Learn to Knit” kit that someone had left at my parents’ house and decided to give it a try. I wrestled with the horrible blunt needles and acrylic yarn for a few hours and was totally hooked! I learned everything else I needed to know from the internet.
How did you come to designing?
I bought a sweater that I wore a lot, but there were all these things I didn’t like about it. It was boxy with no waist shaping, had an unflattering neckline, and the cables were all out of proportion. So I decided to design my own roughly-inspired version. When I posted it to my Ravelry project page, I was very surprised when a whole bunch of people said they would purchase a pattern for that sweater. I studied every pattern I could get my hands on and then gave it a shot. That sweater (Chandail) is still my most popular pattern to date!
What inspires your designs?
I’m always on the lookout for design inspiration. I take tons of pictures with my phone of buildings, textile patterns, nature, and just about anything else that catches my eye.
What is your design process?
For a self-published design, I usually start with a brief sketch of the item and a whole bunch of swatches to find a stitch pattern/yarn combo that I like. Then I do some preliminary math and start the sample. I’m trying to get better about doing the math for all the sizes before I start knitting, but I’m usually too impatient!
Do you have a favourite fiber?
Definitely wool! I adore the bounciness and resilience of it. I like superwash and non-superwash equally (which isn’t that common, I think). They’re both perfect for certain things.
If you could only knit/crochet one type of item, what would it be?
Probably hats! I think they’re perfect for trying out colorwork, intricate cables, and other stitch patterns. They’re so small that you’re done before you have a chance to get bored. And I wear a lot of hats, so they get a lot of use, too!
Which of your patterns make for really great gift knitting?
I’m really fond of one of my newer patterns, the Land Under Wave hat. I think it looks very impressive for non-knitters, but it’s fairly easy and interesting for the knitter to work, which is always a bonus.
Do you have any new patterns coming out during the GAL that you want to talk about?
I just released a new baby/child pullover pattern, Hoist the Sails. My son did the modeling for me—he’s so patient with me! I really like the simplicity of this pattern. I ended up knitting two samples and didn’t mind at all. It makes for great TV knitting.
