Today’s Gift-A-Long interview is with Lee Meredith of Leethal Knits. Lee is known for her interesting construction techniques and the sense of fun she brings to her designs. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Lee Meredith, Leethal Knits, modeling Tionne

How did you get started designing?
I learned to knit in college, taught a basic knit stitch by a roommate, and then self-taught from there on, improvising everything I made for a few years. When I discovered Knitty, and Ravelry launched, in 2007, I started playing around with writing things down, and the first pattern I ever wrote was published in Knitty in Fall 2007 – I was hooked on designing from that point on!

What inspires your designs?
Everything – I get seeds of ideas from things I see in everyday life, or ideas pop into my head out of nowhere (or out of something I saw that was in my subconscious maybe), and I build up the ideas into designs.

Meridian Hat

Which comes first – the yarn or the inspiration?
The design idea almost always comes first, then I try to figure out what kind of yarn would be the best fit. Or I can picture it looking really different in different kinds of yarns, so I make multiple samples to show it different ways.

What characteristics do you try to incorporate in your designs?
I always try to make them fun to knit! That’s kind of most important to me – if I don’t want to knit it myself, then I don’t want to put out a pattern and expect other people to knit it. Most of my designs are very customizable, and/or can be made a lot of different ways (any gauge, or other options to choose from), so you can use the same pattern many times to get different finished items.

Adventure Knitting: The Mysterious Trunk crescent shawl

What is your favourite type of item to design?
I don’t really have a favorite item; my favorite is variety in my knitting, so I like to knit (and design) lots of different things!

Your desert island yarn? (if you could only knit with one yarn from now on which would it be?)
Maybe Hikoo Kenzie – that’s my most recent yarn love discovery, and there are so many great colors, so I could have lots of variety with my palette. I love Imperial Yarn Columbia, and pretty much all other wooly squishy yarns like that!

Wobble Bass

What’s your “comfort knitting?”
I try to have a simple project on the needles at all times – right now I have a sweater and a cotton tee, both of which are very long-term projects that I pick up once in awhile and then let sit for months at a time while I focus on designs. I am usually somewhat comforted by whatever design I’m knitting on, even if it’s stressing me out for other reasons, the act of knitting itself is comforting!

Which is your most under-appreciated design?
I really love my Wobble Bass hat, but it’s a very low seller. I also really love the hat I designed for Twist Collective – Meridian – which has only ever been made by a couple knitters. My cabled shawl, Freewheelin’, is one of my favorite designs, but I think it scares most knitters because it’s been liked a lot of times but not very many have made it.

Freewheelin’

Which three GAL designs are top of your list to cast on?
Unfortunately I have no free time to actually cast any on right now, but several designs from GAL designers have been in my queue for awhile – three are: Mt. Hood Snow Cap by Star Athena, Waneka by Annie Watts, and Gaugeless Sweater by Elizabeth Felgate.

Continental or English?
I learned with English, tried Continental a few times, but it wouldn’t stick. So I’m a thrower.

What’s the best thing about knitting?
Hah, everything! Making something awesome by simply pulling loops of yarn through loops of yarn!

Jonathan

What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with other knitters?
Don’t stress out about it, it’s only knitting, it should be fun!

Any knitting/designing New Year’s resolutions?
To stick to my goal design schedule as much as possible. This year I released a lot fewer patterns than I’d hoped to, because I let a few things get kind of out of control and take way too long, so next year I will try much harder to keep designs under control, simpler in a lot of cases, and stay on track!

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View all of Lee’s patterns here. All photos are copyright Lee Meredith, Leethal Knits. All images used by permission.

What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!

Today’s Gift-A-Long interview is with Selina S of Knotty Turtles. Selina is a the first of my local designer friends that I’m interviewing for the GAL (more than half the Ontario, Canada designers live in our area, something must be in the water!). Her design esthetic is quite unique – and nothing can quite compare to seeing a large gathering of her slugs (what is the collective noun for slugs?)

Selina Siu

How did you get started designing?
I don’t remember when or why I started doing my own thing, but I wrote down my first pattern when a local dyer in my knit group ask for patterns to go with her yarns. I had just knit a hat to a friend’s specifications and thought the design would look good in a variegated yarn.

What inspires your designs?
Sometimes it is because someone ask me for something, like when my partner wanted a brain slug. Sometimes its because there’s a problem to solve. For example, I was wondering if it was possible to knit fingerless gloves with only 2 ends and ended up with my Platypus gloves.

Platypus Gloves

Which comes first – the yarn or the inspiration?
Definitely the inspiration!

What characteristics do you try to incorporate in your designs?
As few ends and seams as possible! Maybe a bit of silliness now and then? I do try and make sure a few of the final photos have some ferrets in it. Does that count?

rand()

What is your favourite type of item to design?
I haven’t really designed enough to have a favourite. Toys are instant gratification, I don’t have enough sweaters, and my hands are always cold. Those are probably my priority right now.

Your desert island yarn? (if you could only knit with one yarn from now on which would it be?)
May I take my spinning wheel and a supply of qiviut? Handmaiden 4 ply cashmere if I can’t.

My Little Slug

What’s your “comfort knitting?”
It might be hard to believe, but slugs and blowfishes. I know the patterns well enough to knit them during staff meetings. I have 2 nieces that I’m not allowed to buy things for, so they get a few octoslugs and blowfishes in different colours every year. They are good presents for kids and the slugs are taking over my dryer. If I don’t have anything to knit, I pull out some yarn scraps and knit slugs.

Which is your most under-appreciated design?
Tiriaq fingerlings. It may just remain lost in a sea of cable glove patterns! I made a number of these before someone asked me to write it down. The ribbing makes it a really flexible fit, and lots of sizing options on top of that.

Tiriaq Fingerlings

Which three GAL designs are top of your list to cast on?
1. The Minimissimi Sweater Coat. I’ve wanted to knit that forever. I was planning to start it but discovered none of my stash yarn will work.
2. Saltire kept catching my eye. I haven’t done any 2 colour crochet shawls, so it is very intriguing.
3. Mostly likely what I’ll end up doing is a splat cat, because it is hard to argue against instant gratification. Plus they crack me up.

Continental or English?
I knit English when I don’t want to look, but I learned continental so I could do ribbing faster. All continental if I’m doing double knitting or stranded.

My Little Blowfish

What’s the best thing about knitting?
Something soft, squishy, and unique made with sweat and tears!

What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with other knitters?
Try new techniques on toys knitted with wool. Go ahead and make a tons of mistake and watch them all disappear when you felt them in the washer!

Any knitting/designing New Year’s resolutions?
Spin more. Knit more handspun. Write down some patterns. Document my yarn and fibre stash on Rav.

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View all of Selina’s patterns here. Photography by Kristina Sinzig. All images used by permission.

What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!

Today’s Gift-A-Long interview is with Rachel Evans of Flame Lily Designs. Rachel lives in Auckland, New Zealand and designs for children.

Rachel Evans, Flame Lily Designs

How did you get started designing?
I knit a wee top for my daughter and people encouraged me to write it up into a pattern. Initially it was free on my blog and only covered a few sizes. Later I plucked up the courage to extend the sizing and to make it a paid pattern.

What inspires your designs?
It varies. Often it’s my children and knowing what they like to wear. Sometimes it’s the yarn. I had a lot of gorgeous variegated yarn and I wanted to design patterns that showed them off. Also sometimes it’s just because my kids need a particular item of clothing and I can’t find exactly the right pattern. My Kowhai skirt pattern is inspired by the kowhai flower. Also sometimes one design inspires the next.

Pirouette Twirls

Which comes first – the yarn or the inspiration?
Usually the inspiration, then there is a mad scurry through my stash to find the perfect yarn.

What characteristics do you try to incorporate in your designs?
All my patterns are seamless and knit from the top down. I like them to be simple so any beginner knitter could pick it up and start knitting. I try to make instructions clear and unambiguous and hopefully people enjoy knitting them.

What is your favourite type of item to design?
Girls clothing, mostly dresses or tops. All helped by the fact that my daughter still loves to wear her knits.

Nate Hoodie

Your desert island yarn? (if you could only knit with one yarn from now on which would it be?)
This is another hard question! I recently knit with Madelinetosh tosh vintage and it was a dream to knit with. I also love Colour Adventures Dia Twist, and I adore the incredible colours of Mosaic Moon. Sorry I can’t pick just one.

What’s your “comfort knitting?”
Anything that I can knit while doing something else, watching tv, reading, watching the children play.

Which is your most under-appreciated design?
Probably Little Miss Jorja. It is one of my favourite winter knits for my daughter when she wears it with tights and boots.

Little Miss Jorja

Which three GAL designs are top of your list to cast on?
Oh that is so difficult! I have some baby gifts to knit and have just cast on a teeny Rainbow dress (by Georgie Hallam) I’m also thinking of knitting a Baby Vertebrae (by Kelly Brooker) I also would love to cast something on for myself. I’ve been meaning to knit a Winifred (by Sarah Ronchetti) for a long time.

Continental or English?
English. I would love to become proficient at continental but at the moment I’m definitely faster knitting English.

Nina

What’s the best thing about knitting?
I love that it is so portable and that it creates something functional and beautiful. I’m also always learning new techniques or a new stitch. I also love yarn!

What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with other knitters?
Don’t be afraid to give something a try. I remember knitting my very first cable (on a Milo vest) and feeling very proud of myself 😀 There is such a fantastic knitting community out there that you’ll always be able to find the help you need if you’re stuck on something. Also you can never have too big a stash 😀

Moana

Any knitting/designing New Year’s resolutions?
I don’t have any design resolutions, other than to keep designing. Every year my knitting resolution is to knit some socks. I am yet to do it. Maybe 2015 will be the year of the sock 😀 I also want to knit more garments for myself. My husband’s resolution for me would be to knit him a pair of slippers, haha.

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View all of Rachel’s patterns here. All photos are copyright Rachel Evans, Flame Lily Designs. All images used by permission.

What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!

Today’s Gift-A-Long interview is with Anna Rauf, a designer I discovered as part of Gift-A-Long. Anna lives in Poland and is the co-moderator of the group Knitting Break – Przerwa na dzierganie on Ravelry.

Anna Rauf modeling Almandine hat

How did you get started designing?
I like to create different things, I’m not saying only about knitting right now. I just like to create new things in any area of my life. I love to cook and making some new dishes, I love to bake and making new cakes, I love to changing the look of my house pretty often etc.

When my little one was born, I wanted to make something special for her. I made a dress. I wasn’t really experienced knitter that time. I just did my best. Writing a pattern for it wasn’t my intention… but I received many requests about the pattern from different people from Ravelry. I had all of my notes, so I decided to write everything up. Pattern was prepared only for newborn size, but when I set up a testing thread, some other people started to asking about bigger sizes. I had no idea how to prepare them, so I read some guides, asked my friends, who already had some experience in this theme and slowly counted everything for 8 sizes.

When I realized that designing not only for myself, but also for others, can be very pleasant and give a lot of satisfaction? When I saw my little one’s dress prepared by others. I saw it in different sizes, different colors and it was incredibly pleasant feeling!

And so began my adventure with designing…

Branchee dress

What inspires your designs?
I could say everything. But mostly my daughters, my husband… they are the biggest inspiration to me in any area of my life.

Which comes first – the yarn or the inspiration?
I can’t give you one answer. Because sometimes it is yarn and sometimes the inspiration… but mostly I’m making some sketch first. The idea is evolving in my head and then I’m looking for some suitable yarn.

What characteristics do you try to incorporate in your designs?
When I’m making something for children, I often follow my eldest daughter’s tips. Although she is only 6, she had good taste and she knows what she wants… and because I like making things she will be wearing willingly, I’m always asking her what she thinks about my idea, if she likes it or maybe she would make some changes. She loves to draw, so sometimes we are working as a real team!

Billie Cowl

What is your favourite type of item to design?
I’m not sure if I can answer you for this question yet. I have only few designs as far and each gave me pleasure and other experiences. I think I will be able to answer you for a few years, when I will have more experience…

Your desert island yarn? (if you could only knit with one yarn from now on which would it be?
I don’t have one specific favourite base. I have one favourite brand – Colour Adventures yarn. So if I could knit only with one yarn from now on I would like to have any base from Colour Adventures yarn. I believe the most reasonable would be to choose some fingering (i.e. Dia Shawl), because I could always knit with few strands held together, if I will need something thicker. This is the most amazing yarn I’ve ever use. Soft, nice next to skin (which is important to me, because I’m really sensitive person!) and it just flies off the needles. Colors are vibrant, full of depth, and fully saturated through the yarn. It’s a pleasure to work with any Colour Adventures yarn, so it is definitely my desert island yarn.

Not Only for Christmas Hat

What’s your “comfort knitting?”
Hmm… I think that everything can be good to knit even if I’m tired, maybe just besides some complicated lace or lots of cables, because knitting always allow me to rest.

Which is your most under-appreciated design?
I think that my latest design – Snowstorm Cowl. I know that it was released not so long ago… I love it to pieces, but I had a problems even with finding an appropriate number of testers and all my patterns before had more sales during the first day after publication, than this one had even after a few days.

Snowstorm Cowl

Which three GAL designs are top of your list to cast on?
It is really hard choice, to point out only top 3 designs. It will be easier to give you my top three designers from GAL, rather than top 3 patterns. It would be for sure something from Monika Sirna, Justyna Lorkowska, Jenn Emerson… but it is really narrowed choice, there is much more interesting and lovely designers there, I love and admire!

Continental or English?
Honestly? I’m not sure about my technique of knitting. My mom showed me how to knit and purl long time ago… and I’m even not sure if I’m making everything the way she taught me. I found Combination Knitting group on Ravelry and I feel I’m there… I make knit stitches a different way working flat and a different way working in the round. The same about purl stitches. I could say I’m a very intuitive knitter.

What’s the best thing about knitting?
Creating, relax, satisfaction… possibility of having something unique – one of a kind!

When the Sun Goes Down hat

What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with other knitters?
Don’t be afraid of trying new techniques. Lace, cables, short rows, colorworks… everything can be so interesting and give you a lot of fun. Don’t be afraid of trying new garment’s constructions. Maybe the one you avoid is the one you will love? Don’t be afraid of making any modification to design you are working with! Everyone has different shapes, different taste, different length comfort zone and if some change to the design will give you more satisfaction – don’t be worry to make it! I believe the designer will be happy, that you made something you love!

Any knitting/designing New Year’s resolutions?
I want to knit more garments for myself. I’m knitting mostly for my kids, but I have some dreams also 🙂

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View all of Anna’s patterns here. All photos are copyright Anna Rauf. All images used by permission.

What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!

Today’s Gift-A-Long interview is with Bristol Ivy, a designer known for her use of unconventional shaping.

How did you get started designing?
I’ve always had a tendency, once I picked up an interest, to go off on my own path with it. So when I read, I wrote. When I danced, I choreographed. Knitting was no different–it didn’t take long before
I was tweaking patterns to suit my needs, and then not long again before I was starting from scratch with my very own ideas. It helps, too, that I’m just really bad at following other people’s directions!

What inspires your designs?
I love catching random glimpses of garments in everyday life–either walking down the street, on TV, on Pinterest, and so on–and deciphering how I might reinterpret them in knitting. I also love designing based on technique and creating a wearable garment from a desire to play and explore how a certain skill or technique might work in a specific context. My favorite is when the two of those combine: when I see a ready-to-wear inspiration and use interesting techniques to construct it in my own personal way.

Triangulate Cowl

Which comes first – the yarn or the inspiration?
Almost always the inspiration. If I’m asked to work with specific yarns, I’ll analyze them in terms of structure–how will the ply and twist handle texture or cables? Would it be good for lace or colorwork? How will it drape?–and tailor the designs from there. But often, I’ll come up with parameters for a design and try to find a yarn that fits. I’m SO picky about that when I’m mulling over options! I think my friends have learned to run for cover when I start asking for yarn suggestions, because it takes me a long time to find the perfect one!

What characteristics do you try to incorporate in your designs?
Because a lot of what I do focuses on unconventional shaping, I try to keep the fabric itself very simple. Both in terms of the experience for the knitter AND the look of the finished garment, I like there to be a balance of complexity and simplicity. So I tend not to use a whole lot of stitch patterns, unless they’re there to convey a mood or to shape the fabric themselves. Otherwise, I just try to make sure that, no matter how off the rails I’ve gone in terms of construction, that the garment is still something you’d feel flattered by and comfortable in.

Wainwright Cardigan

What is your favourite type of item to design?
I love sweaters! There are so many cool ways you can play with shaping in them. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface on what you can do with them!

Your desert island yarn? (if you could only knit with one yarn from now on which would it be?)
Oh my gosh! I have to choose?! Okay, I have to cheat and pick two: one for hot days–Quince & Co.’s 100% linen Sparrow–and one for cool nights–Shibui’s cashmere and silk tweed, Pebble. I could legitimately
knit with either of these yarns forever and be completely happy.

Stria Cardigan

What’s your “comfort knitting?”
I’d have to say stockinette in the round. It’s just so cozy and calming!

Which is your most under-appreciated design?
The one I probably wear the most is also probably the one that flew the furthest under the radar, my Alewives cowl. It’s texture and a teeny bit of lace in the most gorgeous earthy yarn, Clara Parkes’ CVM 1.0. I wear that sucker probably three times a week!

Alewives cowl

Which three GAL designs are top of your list to cast on?
Oh wow, too many to count! I am for sure casting on is Sarah Roncetti’s Alec XL. I’ve owed my incredibly knitworthy dad a sweater for two Christmases now! I am also eyeing the Mittens that are on the list–I’ve not had a proper pair of mittens for a few years now, which is a serious problem here in Maine. The two that I’m wavering between are Reykjavik by Carol Sunday and Jazz Age Mittens by Elizabeth Elliott. Totally different designs–one’s very traditional and the other is very graphic and modern. It’ll be a tough choice! (ETA: I just bought them both and might combine the two. We’ll see what happens!)

Continental or English?
Kind of a modified English, halfway between a lever and a throw.

Hrim shawl

What’s the best thing about knitting?
Hands down, the community! It’s been a delight to get to meet such amazing and interesting people from all walks of life. I’m endlessly fascinated!

What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with other knitters?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll learn the entire time you do, and even if you have to rip out, you’re still left with the two sticks and string you started with, as well as a host of new
understanding.

Metropolis Mitts

Any knitting/designing New Year’s resolutions?
I haven’t made any yet–I should probably get on that! 🙂

View all of Bristol’s patterns here. All photos are copyright Bristol Ivy. All images used by permission.

What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!

Today’s Gift-A-Long interview is with Gabrielle Vézina, fellow Canadian designer from Montréal.

Gabrielle Vézina

How did you get started designing?
When I was a kid, my mom was a fashion design teacher. We were living in a rather small apartment where she had to sleep in the living room but she had a sewing and knitting room. In this lovely environment, where I had access to every tool and knowledge I needed, I started sewing and crocheting at 6, designing clothes and accessories when I was a teen, but I really started knitting my whole wardrobe when I quit smoking in 2009 and got to keep my hands busy. In 2012, I realized my dream job would be to design knitting patterns and that’s when I really started being serious about that.

What inspires your designs?
I take my inspiration everywhere! I love nature and a lot of my designs have flowers, leaves or animal patterns. I also like designing youthful and everyday wearable pieces so I get inspired by people I see in the streets. In my nordic city, I enjoy taking the subway and carefully study interesting scarves and hats people are wearing.

Cycles Reversible Scarf or Wrap

Which comes first – the yarn or the inspiration?
I often imagine a pattern first and then go stashbusting. If I can’t find what I need in my stash I try to find the perfect yarn at my LYS and I usually come back with more yarn and even more ideas…

What characteristics do you try to incorporate in your designs?
Simplicity is my motto. I like when my patterns are easy to understand and to wear. I try to use most techniques at a beginner level so knitters can enjoy working through the pattern in a stress-free way. My biggest hope is that people will really wear their creations based on my patterns so I tend to create sober yet actual designs.

What is your favourite type of item to design?
I’m very proud when I get to design a cardigan. It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it. I feel like I accomplish something big when the pattern is released. I also love wearing cardigans every single day so they never end up in the corner of a closet.

Sylvania Cardigan

Your desert island yarn? (if you could only knit with one yarn from now on which would it be?)
It depends if it’s a northern or southern island! For a southern island, I would go with Handmaiden Mini Maiden which is a light blend of wool and silk. For a northern island, I’d choose SWTC Llama Lluxury which is 100% Baby Llama, the softest yarn on earth, never pilling and holding its shape well even after years of frequent wearing.

What’s your “comfort knitting?”
I knit most of my scarves and shawls in my PJs while watching movies so I guess it makes it comfort knitting! Shawls and scarves are easy, fun to knit and there are endless possible variations.

Doncaster Stole

Which is your most under-appreciated design?
Without hesitation, the Doncaster Stole. It’s one of my favorite design but it’s also my less favorited neckwear on Ravelry. I like its combination of lace patterns – eyelets, flower and leaves. The construction is different from most scarves because it starts with a provisional cast-on and the lace sections are worked from the middle to both ends. Because of that, the stole is symmetrical. It’s not complicated and I really like the result, I wear it very often.

Which three GAL designs are top of your list to cast on?
1. I love love love the Tiptoe Slippers by Hanna Tjukanov
2. The Lucent hat by Hunter Hammersen has lovely details that gives it a very unconventional look
3. My teeth are hurting because this baby coat is too sweet! Red Riding Coat by Lisa Chemery

Red Riding Cowl

Continental or English?
I learned the English way at first but switched to Continental because it seems to be more ergonomic. I convinced my mother to switch to Continental even if she had been knitting the English way for over 40 years! We would not switch back!

What’s the best thing about knitting?
I’m still fascinated by the fact that a simple strand can take an infinity of shapes. Isn’t it wonderful? It’s like magic to me, one day it’s a skein, the next day it’s a hat! This is very concrete, in opposition to everything that is virtual in the world we live in.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with other knitters?
Never let a cat near a basket full of balls of yarn…!

Any knitting/designing New Year’s resolutions?
I have a yearly subscription to the famous resolution “buy less yarn and to use more from the stash”. I’m not really good at it. This year, I have also resolved to translate all my patterns from English to French. I’m quite ashamed that not all my patterns are available in my first language.

View all of Gabrielle’s patterns here. Photo credit for Doncaster Stole and Syvania Cardigan: Robert Tétreault. All remaining photos: Gabrielle Vézina. All images used by permission.