Once
a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights
on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed
that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly
different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting
world.
You can find Inês here and here on Ravelry.
Where
do you find inspiration?
Everywhere, it changes a lot. My attention might be caught by a pattern
stitch, a technique or by a particular shape or concept. I have
designs inspired by Nature, poems and music. Something is triggered
and I feel the need to explore it until it’s materialized into
stitches, resulting in a knitted item.
What is
your favourite knitting technique?
I have
many. I especially enjoy combining different techniques and pattern
stitches that result in appealing textures. I have, however, a
weakness for lace. Its precision and delicacy are both challenging and
rewarding. I also prefer seamless projects, which I find polished and
clever (more close to the true nature of knitting, in my opinion).
When possible I work them in a modular manner, whereby size is
adjustable depending of the number of pattern repeats worked.
How did
you determine your size range?
At the
present I design accessories and not garments. Most of them
are adjustable, being worked in a modular fashion which offers a
great deal of freedom to the knitter.
Do you
look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be
influenced by their designs?
I do look
and don’t see them as a threat to my own creativity. I enjoy seeing
new patterns emerging from magazines, books and great sites such as
Ravelry; being aware of the new trends and watching how everything
tends to be recycled. What was once old may be now very fashionable.
Vintage books and magazines show this very clearly.
How do
you feel about the so called controversy of “dumbing down”
patterns for knitters?
I believe
that patterns should be clear, complete and concise. My approach
isn’t throwing knitters into lions' dens by providing scarce
instructions and obscure drafts. Most of my patterns have both charts
and written instructions, and all of them have the abbreviations
explained (for instance, I explain how to execute an invisible
increase to the right and if the slipped stitches are worked with
yarn in front or back). It’s common to provide links to videos, and
sometimes I post tutorials showing a special stitch or technique. I
think that all these reduce the number of messages inquiring about
the pattern. After all, if you have doubts about a sentence, you may
check the chart to make sure you’re on the right track.
However,
every designer has to draw a line and this is very subjective –
does it make sense doing a video about an ordinary cast-on just
because you’re asked to? Well, the knitter may simply search it
on-line and get the answer in a minute. Even though many techniques
and new skills may be achieved by knitting more challenging patterns,
it’s not reasonable to expect that a designer has to teach how to
knit. I spend a great deal of time listing the necessary skills
required to knit the pattern and also rate the level (Beginner,
Intermediate, or Advanced). Every knitter should take these aspects into
consideration before starting to knit the pattern, to avoid
frustration and false expectations.
How
many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it
all yourself?
I don’t
work with sample knitters – I do it myself. I don’t have specific test knitters; I run test-knits in my Ravelry group and have worked so far with
many knitters, many of whom are recurrent. I don’t do lists, which
I’m aware is unusual, but this approach has worked well so far.
Sometimes, I ask some repeating testers about future tests,
especially when they’re done privately.
Did you
do a formal business plan?
No, I follow a working ethic only – doing the best possible job, over
and over again. My focus is on publishing high-quality patterns that
I feel are special and unusual. I try not to repeat myself. I’m not
present on most of the social media either – Twitter, Facebook, etc. Ravelry is an exception.
No,
I’m a self-taught knitter. I started
knitting as a child but my knitting skills were quite basic. I only
knew how to cast-on and purl (that’s the
dominant stitch in the Portuguese style of knitting).
I learned everything else from books, videos, tutorials, etc… One
big reference is Barbara G. Walker who is known for one of my
favourite techniques – knitting top-down, seamless. When I started, the
lack of yarn stores, workshops, knitting groups, etc... was very
discouraging. I remember ordering yarn on-line
and pretty basic tools such as double pointed needles, which I couldn't
find locally. Fortunately, today, the scenario is totally different and
knitters have a wide range of tools/choices available.
Do you use a tech editor?
No, unless
the pattern is published by a third party. My work is highly tested, first by me
and then by test knitters and at the present, this works for me.
How do
you maintain your life/work balance?
That's
a work in progress. I try to stop working after long hours, otherwise I
know I won't function the next day. Because I have a full time job,
there is the temptation to spend all my spare time in knitting -
nights, weekends, lunch time, etc... However, I think that having a plan
and sticking to the plan is a better idea, since I have to attend to other
areas and eventually get some rest. Yoga practice is especially helpful
to gain some awareness about this issue and create space for myself. I
don't see creative work as a sprint but more as an endurance exercise.
How do
you deal with criticism?
As
with everything in life, we should keep what’s important and ignore what isn’t. One type is constructive feedback that helps to improve
our work (correct typos, explain a technique better, fix errors,
change the pattern layout, etc…) and another thing is the writing style
and even the personal taste, which is much more subjective. Plus, we
can’t please everyone; we really can’t.
Understanding
that a criticism isn’t a personal attack – the subject of the criticism
is the work itself and sometimes not even the entire work, but
minor aspects of it – might help us deal with criticism in a better
way.
What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?
Patience
and persistence. Follow your own path.
What’s
next for you?
I'm writing a book focused both on knitting
techniques and patterns. At the moment it feels overwhelming, but let's see how
it goes. I would like to coordinate this with self-publishing patterns.
Yesterday, I released Tulipa Espiral on Ravelry and I would like to keep doing that, despite my best efforts being directed into a bigger project.
