Meet the Twistedistas: Kat

Name: Kat

When did you first knit, and who taught you? Freshman year of college, late 1990s. A girl who lived across the hall was knitting, and I immediately asked her what she was doing and if she would teach me. Both of my grandmothers crocheted and had tried to teach me, but it just didn’t take. Knitting, however, immediately clicked for me.

My first project was a fisherman’s sweater. Bad choice but it’s what the friend who taught me was working on, and we didn’t have access to any other patterns. This was pre-Ravelry and the nearest yarn store was about an hour drive away! I think I finally actually finished that sweater senior year – and by then it didn’t fit! In the meantime though, I made lots and lots of hats. The first one I ever finished was a gift for my brother (because I didn’t get gauge – because I didn’t even know about gauge – and it didn’t fit me!).

What are your favorite things to knit? Everything except socks and mittens– I don’t like small circumference knitting in the round. What’s most frequently on my needles are cowls and shawls, usually of my own design, with a couple sweaters thrown in for good measure.

What has been your most frustrating knitting project? A coat that I was making for my niece– fingering weight with tons of seed stitch and cabling. When I went to seam it, I realized that I had reversed the neck and shoulder shaping!  This was about 5 years ago it’s still in the “timeout” bin, in the recesses of my closet. I need to just frog it…

When it comes to knitting, are you more about the process or the product? For accessories, the process– because it’s usually easy, mindless knitting which I find pleasantly meditative. For sweaters and things I’m designing, the product– because I have to pay attention more and that’s not as relaxing.

When not at Twisted, how do you like to spend your time? Mountain biking, climbing, hiking, surfing, skiing, gardening, hanging with friends, working on my house, or curled up on the couch with my dog.

Favorite color?  Teal.

Beyond knitting, what do you like to create? My main creative outlet is designing knitting patterns, which I do for most of my projects these days. I also began spinning last winter, and I really enjoy it. Other than that, I find gardening is a great creative outlet– I love creating picturesque little spaces by blending colors of flowers, textures of leaves, and heights of plants.

What is the last book you read? The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck.

One piece of knitting advice: Don’t stress it– It’s just yarn.

Where can we find you online? I’m on Ravelry as KatherineLeek.