Interviews · Mar 16, 2017

Meet the Twistedista: Emily

Name: Emily, owner

When did you first knit, and who taught you?

I first learned to knit from my mother and grandmother when I was maybe 7. We bought some hideous acrylic monstrosity from Kmart and I made a… polygon…? It never got to scarf status. I couldn’t ever figure out how to turn the work so my mom would do the first stitch of each row for me.

I learned again when I was studying abroad in Oxford my junior year of college. Soon before that, my best friend had given me a haircut so bad I just shaved my head and was then freezing because England is freezing and wet and miserable in the winter. Also, we missed a train in the middle of nowhereshire and had an hour to kill in some random hamlet. There was a yarn shop across the street from the train station so we bought yarn and taught ourselves to knit. We were greatly assisted by the house mother of our dorm, a feisty grandmotherly woman named Pat who rode a bright yellow scooter to work every day and could curse exactly like you would hope and dream that an English grandmother who knit and drove a scooter would curse. By the end of the term we had the whole dorm knitting at tea time every day – ladies and lads, too.

What are your favorite things to knit?

Hats. They’re fast and functional and you can never have too many.

What has been your most frustrating knitting project?

Probably any of the things I’ve tried to design. Designing is not for me. I’m too much of an obsessive perfectionist and with designing there is no right answer. I’m better off sticking to my IT and accounting duties! My favorite projects, on the other hand, have been a tiny custom dog sock I made for my beloved old dog when her foot was hurt, a giant Celestarium shawl I made for a friend, and a Koolhaas hat I knit for my boyfriend.

When it comes to knitting, are you more about the process or the product?

100% the product. I even like weaving in ends, sewing on buttons, and blocking because it means I’m almost done. Not to say I don’t enjoy the process, but it’s the shiny end result that keeps me going.

When not at Twisted, how do you like to spend your time?

I have a little old bungalow and a little old French Bulldog that occupy most of my time. I like to bike and camp and hike when I can. My very favorite thing is sharing a meal with friends and family and laughing. I’m pretty simple!

Favorite color?

Purple. It’s the color of royalty.

Beyond knitting, what do you like to create?

OMG. All the things. I like organizing and there’s nothing quite like constructing a good color-coded conditionally-formatted spreadsheet. I like working on my house – painting in particular – and gardening, both of which to me fall under the category of creating a space to live in. Also: friends, processes, cocktails.

What is the last book you read?

I’m currently halfway through the His Dark Materials trilogy. So the last full book I read was book 1 of that. Good!

One piece of knitting advice:

DO A GAUGE SWATCH. It is the keys to the kingdom. It’s not a punishment to be suffered through – it’s confidence and freedom from worry!

Where can we find you online?

Ravelry– emilyshmemily

Meet the Twistedista: Emily

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