Straightforward, classic techniques with modern, READY-TO-WEAR-INSPIRED results.
After spending the first year+ of my knitting life declaring myself “not a cable person,” I…made a cabled sweater, fell head over heels in love with flipping the order of my stitches, and never looked back. My favorite projects — and a centerpiece of my design work — are cabled sweaters and hats that use simple-to-work combinations of cables in rhythmic, intuitive arrangements to create modern, graphic textures. Somewhere in the range of 90% of the cables I use are, at their core, 2x2 right and left crosses, meaning these are highly approachable, knittable projects that are doable for beginning and advanced cable knitters alike. Vertical motifs and discrete patterns abound as well, with careful placement ensuring that a wearable fabric and a flattering silhouette.
Wearable, knitworthy Garments and accessories
I want you to design things that you love knitting AND wearing. I believe in practical, straightforward garments that go with everything, but I also believe that not every sweater in your closet should be one you make—or feel like you have to make—yourself. If you’re going to knit it, which is, let’s be honest, a huge investment of time and resources, it should be wonderful to wear and fun and engaging while you’re making it. Likewise, if you’re going to plunge the time and effort into making it, I want it to be the kind of thing you can wear in your real life, not just to a yarn show or to knit night or around the house on a Saturday morning (though I will, forever, stand for the Perfect Weekend Morning Sweater—it’s a thing, and you should definitely have one). Whatever it is I’m designing, I want it to be the kind of thing you reach for constantly once it’s finished, and one where you’re filled with warm memories of what a joy it was to make. I also aim for projects that “show your work” a bit, the kinds of things where, when your friends see you wear it, they say, “oh my goodness, you MADE that?”
thoughtful, inspired yarns
Knitters, we are so spoiled. We live in a golden age of yarn. There are so many amazing choices available to us, whether we’re talking about fiber type or yarn construction or dye methodology or sourcing or color range, and one of my favorite things as a designer is getting to explore new and new-to-me yarns and figure out what makes them tick, and how I can bring out their best qualities. When I can, I’ve made it a priority to work with the kinds of thoughtful, careful yarn-makers and dyers whose values I share, and who are helping bring responsibly sourced, unique new yarns into our knitting lives.
