Blog about someone in the fibre crafts who truly inspires you. There are not too many guidelines for this, it’s really about introducing your readers to someone who they might not know who is an inspiration to you. It might be a family member or friend, a specific designer or writer, indie dyer or another blogger. If you are writing about a knitting designer and you have knitted some of their designs, don’t forget to show them off. Remember to get permission from the owner if you wish to use another person’s pictures.
This blogpost is going to be pictureless, as I’m not sure I’ve got any meaningful pics of my knitting heroes…
- My mother: this might sound a bit corny, but my Mum taught me how to knit about 25 years ago, and I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now if she hadn’t taken the few moments to show me how to knit, purl, cast on and cast off. Everything else, I figured out myself, with some advices when I really wasn’t getting anywhere. Now, my Mum and I are on the opposite ends of the knitting spectrum. She’s pretty much a one project knitter, where her only goal is to have a finished object at the end. She knits because she enjoys it, yes, but she enjoys the finished garment much more than the actual process. I, on the other end, love the process of knitting often much more than the end result, and I knit because I like the action of knitting. And I often have more than one project on the go. But I admire her dedication, especially when she cranks out a jumper for my husband knitted in sport weight on 3.25mm needles. Also, now that she has retired and has more time, she is not afraid to learn new things, and has demonstrated an interest in learning how to knit in the round. I was more than happy to help her on the way, by getting her a starter kit with her favourite size needles, and a patter, in French, to learn to knit in the round.
- Jen and Sarah: Back in 2010, those 2 talented ladies gave me a chance to enter the “professional” side of knitting. First as a sample knitter, then as a tech editor and finally as a designer myself. At each of those steps, Jen and Sarah were here for me, providing guidance, advice, motivation and overall almost endless support. If those 2 darling women hadn’t been pushing me like they did, I certainly wouldn’t be a published designer now, or working with some other amazing designers. I feel so lucky to count them as my friends.
- I have plenty more heroes: Rachel (@knittingtastic) for being such a wonderful tech editor and bringing my patterns to life, all of my twitter friends (@mooncalf, @rhian82, @ripplescrafts, @itsmissmags, @pixeldiva, @tilib, etc etc… So many I can’t list them all). You are my heroes, because you make all the time I spend knitting much more fun and sparkly. It’s a shame I’m only going to meet some of you for realz for the first time for my leaving do (which is on 13 May, meeting up at Loop from 12.30pm onwards, before heading up to Bill’s -the Islington one – at 4pm for cakes and such! Please come!).
Corny, much? Ha!
Thank you lovely! And I should thank you hugely for your quilting advice and support! I wouldn’t be sewing so much without your enthusiasm. :)
Thank you for being so sweet! You have been a joy to work with