On the weekends, I’m inviting some of my crochet, knitting, and crafty friends for a takeover of my Instagram account so they can share their talents with you. Since you can’t easily share links on Instagram, afterwards I’ll share a roundup including links to all the patterns and projects featured in the takeover. So, are you ready for this week’s #undergroundcraftertakeover roundup?
This week’s guest is knitting designer Talitha Kuomi. You can find Talitha on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Ravelry, Twitter.
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- Talitha says, “hey there. i’m talitha kuomi. my friends call me tal. i’m a knitwear designer, or i am currently. but i’ve also been a dispatcher, a bridal seamstress and radio dj. i’m drawn toward things that let me be creative (yes, dispatchers are creative) and allow me some amount of control over the outcome. ‘sinew‘ is the hat i’m wearing in this pic. knit up in berroco folio, the drape and sheen of this yarn is fabulous.”
- Talitha says, “something that i always find inspiring: texture. it’s always been this way, although i’m ever more aware of textures now that my youngest is legally blind. it’s amazing how much he knows from touch. i’m learning more and more.”
- Talitha says,”something else i love (that’s related to the first): big cables. the 3d quality of big cables fascinates me. there are so many different ways a cable can look. all those options really make knits come to life for me. this cabled hat is the test knit for ‘lind‘ in julie asselin leizu dk. just look at the depth julie gives to her colorways!”
- Talitha says, “i have a deep love visual textures, too. mixing solid and variegated yarns together makes things look extra interesting. and color choice is such a great way to express our own personal taste. the version of the ‘sosanna‘ cardi shown here is in lorna’s laces shepherd worsted. these rich neutrals really play well against each other. that said, i’m swatching now for a stevenbe’d version of this cardi (colors picked by steven be himself). it’s always so exciting to see what different colors do to a favorite design.
- Talitha says, “the ‘snuggle factor’. do you know what that is? on a scale of 1-10, it’s how safely comforted something makes the user feel. all 4 of my kids give the ‘laska‘ blanket (in malabrigo arroyo yarn) a two thumbs up 10 on the snuggle factor scale. g’nite little man, and sweet dreams to us all.”
- Talitha says, “smell. most of my memories are attached to colors or smells: mum’s homemade pumpkin bread still warm from the oven, uncle jack’s french toast, pine trees at the holidays and grandma’s flowers. i always smell yarn before i work with it, too. the lanolin and dyes and processing leave it all smelling differently, and each different scent starts a new memory for me. shown are the ‘rivi mitts‘ (in malabrigo mecha yarn) modeled by the finely manicured hands of my lovely cousin @pebblesthegreat one chilly morning on our maine vacation by the sea.”
- Talitha says, “my trusty doc martens. perfectly broken in at this point. being in front of the camera is not my favorite thing, but when i wear my old favorites i feel strong and free to be more myself as my friend wendy clicks the shutter here. in this photo you can see just the tip of ‘nyilt‘. its open stitches and flexible shape leave lots of room for your own personality to shine right through!”
- Talitha says, “i get very excited about new yarns. i want to squeeze them and knit them. they flood my mind with ideas…that’s the way i felt when i saw the first colors of the new worsted from the fiber seed. i dove right into a new design for it, and i’m just starting a test knit for the soon-to-be cowl pattern ‘depth’ now. anybody want to join in? dm me on ig and i’ll get you in the loop.”
- Talitha says, “have you heard of the yearly ‘independent designer gift-a-long’ on ravelry? tonight (monday, 11-22) three hundred and thirty-five designers will put 5,106 patterns on sale for 25% off. then, the fun kicks into overdrive. there are prizes to be won, trivia popping up all over, and kudos to be had by all. the supportive environment formed by other knitters is electric, no? check out the ‘indie design gift-a-long’ group on ravelry for more info. i’ll see you over there.”
- Talitha says, “there is only one time each day that i know i’ll be able to knit: nighttime. when the paperwork of the day is done, dinner dishes put away, and the kids off to bed, then i knit. this pic is me knitting ‘traverse‘ from my latest book, the voyages of vivian, with gorgeous yarns from mrs. crosby yarn. truth be told, i’m usually in jammies by this time of night, but i waited to take the pic until i was knitting in daytime clothes. just for you. smile.”