Sunday 6 May 2012

Tiny Owl Knits//Knit Nerds

So I have decided to do some fun little interviews (similar to the one with Miss Green Triangle Girl) over here; and we're starting with Stephanie of Tiny Owl Knits. Stephanie is one of my favourite designers right now, her patterns are majorly inspiring and I want to knit most of them. She let me have free reign over which photos to put in this interview - I have to say it was HARD but you can find all of her patterns over on Ravelry.
 How long have you been knitting and who taught you?
i got a job at a knitting shop as a crochet teacher. i scrambled together to try to get a knit stitch going and my stitches were twisted! i was knitting for about 2 days when i had to help the first customer put a sweater together. so the learning curve was super sharp and i had to just go with it and be brave! thankfully there were lots of amazing women working at the store. i call them the "mother owls" and they taught me so much every single day. im so thankful for them!
 What is your favourite thing to knit?
i LOVE to knit socks. i love to wear them and knit them and i can turn a heel in my sleep. :) it's weird that i dont have many patterns for socks so i think ill remedy that in the future! i also love knitting toys. im knitting hazel the humpback whale right now and having such fun with it. im going to hang her from the ceiling just like the life-sized whale in the british history museum. so excited for that! maybe a ceiling full of whales is in order? little ones, big ones. big white ones! oooooh oceany.
 Who is your biggest knitting inspiration?
i see someone that inspires me pretty much every time i peek into ravelry! i love to see everyones creations so much. each project always has a little twist to it and i love to see the personalities of each project. of course im long time inspired by so many amazing knitters. when i saw cat bordhi's books for the first time years ago something resonated with me so strongly. i used to carry her books around the store and just stare at them. i couldnt afford to buy them at the time, but i have them now! she is a major inspiration because she thinks so far outside the box and she is so deeply inspired and fun! im sure anyone can see her influence in my work, as a lake has many streams. :)
What is your favourite finished object of your own?
meow mitts! :D 
 
What is your favourite design from Tiny Owl Knits?
meow mitts! :D
 
What led you to start designing your own pieces?
i think it was just natural to see a ball of wool and imagine what it could become. i wanted clothes that i didnt see in stores so i started knitting them. you can knit anything!
 If you could give 3 pieces of knitting advice, what would they be?
1. dont be afraid of knitting. be afraid of bears and jumping out of airplanes.. but dont be afraid of your wool!
2. when you get stuck, realize you are not the first person to get stuck, get on youtube and be patient and kind with yourself. you can do it!
3. love your wool when you knit it, keep yourself relaxed and your projects will reflect it!
Super inspiring interview huh? And also Miss Stephanie is doing a little giveaway, the winner gets to choose a pattern of THEIR choice, so what do you have to do? Pop over to Ravelry or the Tiny Owl Knits website and let me know which pattern is your favourite, and remember to leave a little love for Stephanie too - you can also find her on Twitter, Facebook and Etsy.
You have until next Sunday night to enter,
V xxx

15 comments:

  1. I loved you interview with Stephanie and my favorite TOK pattern right now is the parseltounge hat!

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  2. I love the wear the wild things are hat and sweater patterns. So adorable!

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  3. I LOVE Stephanie Dosen!!!!! Great interview!

    !ext up I'd love to knit MR Fox Stole (my heart)

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  4. Very nice interview! Ms Stephanie is so whimsical and you captured that essence. I love 'Mr. Fox Stole (my heart). Ooh, I just bought some mink/cashmere yarn... wouldn't that be fun - a fox stole made from mink!

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  5. Love the interview! And I have to say, my favourite is still the Beekeeper Quilt, though i do love the Parseltoungue hat and the Hopsalot slippers!

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  6. Wonderful interview! My favorite has always been her "Hopsalot" slippers. They are so precious!!

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  7. Thank you for sharing this info on Tiny Owl Knits! I too have wanted to do a similar interview and story about her unique style and creative energy! Beautiful!

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  8. The Beekeeper's Quilt is a winner for me, she is such a wonderful designer. Thanks for the interview Vicki! :D

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  9. Thanks for highlighting Stephanie -- she's such a talented woman! I'd love to knit her ships and seaside cowl.

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  10. She is a doll, isn't she? I have a few of her patterns but the next on my list is Forest and Frill - just perfect for summer!

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  11. I love Tiny Owl Knits designs! The patterns are always well thought out and exquisite when complete! I am obsessed with the Meow Mitss- and they are on my to-do list, as having them in real life will probably be even more amazing. So, even though I love the beekeepers quilt, and fairy castles, and the orchid and fairy lights hat beyond love, my favorite pattern is probably meow mitts!

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  12. Nice interview. Catching butterflies is my current favorite (perhaps because I'm knitting that right now) but I'm dying to try Ships and Seaside.

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  13. I'm loving your interviews! Do more!!!
    Right, I've done the survey. Food for thought eh?
    I've also checked out the Tiny Owls patterns - they are so cute aren't they?! My first two picks were actually free!!!! So, I'm choosing Forest and Frill - I love it!

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  14. I love TOK patterns! Hard to choose, but I think the Baby Lamb Cuffs are the cutest wee babies ever to exist on cuffs :)

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  15. Great interview - I'm a big fan of TOK. I've been dying to knit the Gnome Holders. I love DPNs and have quite a collection. I think each set should be housed in a gnome holder. But then, the Fairy Castles are quite charming too.

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