Mimi Hill//Knit Nerds

Sometimes you follow a blog that you absolutely love; the FO's are gorgeous and the knitting tips are fantastic..... so who am I talking about? Mimi of Eskimimi Makes; author of The Knitting Pocket Bible (I own this - it's a must buy) and to top it all of she is a designer and amazing knitter!!! So here she is:

 

1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting and who taught you?

 

I’ve been knitting for four years now, and I learned to crochet a little at around the same time. I’d like to get more proficient at crochet in time, when I find the perfect project.

Nobody taught me to knit. I started with a book called ‘I Love Knitting’ which wasn’t a very good book on the subject but gave me enough information to form the basic knit and purl stitches, but then I treated myself to a copy of Stitch & Bitch and worked upwards from there.

2. What is your favourite yarny thing to make?

I don’t really have a favourite, though I do tend to knit a lot of hats and socks, though I think this is perhaps at least partly due to my yarn stash being mostly made up of one or two balls of any random yarn, so I will sometimes just grab some yarn and knit a hat.

 3. Who is your biggest yarny inspiration?

Mostly my online friends. Those that I keep in contact with on Ravelry, twitter and my blog provide me with the biggest and widest ranging sources of inspiration. I have never really followed anyone that might be considered a ‘big name’ knitter, partly because the popularity of some designers and their patterns means that I tend to see a lot of the same projects knit many times, and I prefer the variety that my friends and the wider knitting community are constantly amazing me with.

4. What is your favourite completed object?

Probably my Simple City Shawlette. It’s the most wearable thing in my wardrobe and keeps me warm as well as jazzing up any simple outfit, so it’s the piece that I turn to most often.

 5. What inspired you to start your blog?

I just wanted a place to call my own – my own little spot of the internet where I could share my thoughts, record my successes and mark my progress. Plus it gave me the beginnings of ideas to improve my craft and also my photography skills, and to expand my horizons in case I ever found an audience.

6. You wrote your own book, The Knitting Pocket Bible, what inspired you to do so?

I was contacted by the publisher. It wasn’t something I had considered, simply because I didn’t ever think I would be given the chance. But I loved writing the book. It was an absolutely wonderful experience and one that I would love to enjoy again, whether in book or magazine form. I love being able to put my thoughts into words and finding the best, most expressive and clearest way of communicating ideas with fun.

7. If you could give 3 pieces of yarny advice, what would they be?

Never decide against a possible project because you don’t know a technique. It is the best possible time to learn that new skill.

Don’t be scared to rip back. If you notice a mistake and think that you will keep on noticing it and think it might bother you, it’s worth fixing – you’ve already put the hours in, so spend that bit of extra time to make it as good as you can.

Use a lifeline. The ‘zen-like you’ in the future that is not tearing their hair out over ripping back acres of lace will love you for it.

Mimi has kindly offered 2 prizes for my lovely readers..... you could win a copy of either Eskimimi Makes Hats or Eskimimi Makes More Hats. All you have to do is leave a comment with some love for Mimi; let me know which prize you would prefer and why AND lastly please leave a ravelry name so I can contact you.
A huge thank you to the lovely Mimi for this wonderful interview, I have really enjoyed it and I hope all of you do too.
V xo