Meet Rachel!

Readers, meet Rachel! Rachel is one of my favorite people and my absolute favorite knitwear model. She's one of those rare people who are kind, generous (remember a few posts back when a violin showed up on my doorstep after I told everyone about my lifelong dream to play? That was from Rachel!), funny, smart, beautiful, a wonderful friend and a great mom - basically one in a zillion. Rachel was good enough to sit down and answer a few questions for us. I thought it'd be nice for everyone to get to know this awesome person I am privileged to call friend since her face graces my blog and knitting designs on a regular basis.

Tanis (TG): If you look on my designer page on Ravelry, your face is everywhere. People are sometimes surprised when they meet me when I travel for workshops because they think you’re me and I’m your photographer! We are in fact, two different people. Do you find this as amusing as I do?

Rachel (RL): I think this is so funny, especially considering the first time I met you. I had been aware of you and your work for a while before we met, but we met for the first time when you toured the school where I teach. After you knocked on the door, I opened it expecting to see a model you frequently used! I think I was momentarily confused, and most likely incredibly awkward when I introduced myself to you because of my visual expectation of you. You were so gracious and warm though, and I couldn't help but admire the knit shawl you wore, so I assume you forgave my awkwardness? Hi, my name is Rachel, and I am in fact not Tanis Gray.

TG: You teach preschool in Alexandria, VA and we met when you became my son’s first teacher a few years ago. Did you always want to be a teacher?

RL: So, I've always had an inkling that I would be a teacher. I mean, there was a bit of time there in childhood when I was going to be a ballerina/journalist/botanist/neo-natal intensive care nurse, but yes, children and teaching have always been passions of mine. At the school where I work as Director and teacher, we incorporate many different educational philosophies and we especially find inspiration in the Montessori philosophy. I cannot extol the Montessori philosophy enough.  It's a child-centered approach to education that considers children to be hungry for knowledge and able to initiate their own education within a well-prepared environment. The Montessori method values children as unique individuals and, most importantly, follows the child as they explore the world. What's so fantastic is that the Montessori method can be incorporated in the home environment as well as the school environment, giving children independence, self-motivation, the ability to self-correct, and the support to become active knowledge seekers. I've incorporated as much Montessori into my home as I can with my 3-year-old son, and it's become a way of life around our home.

TG: Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself.

RL: I'm originally from San Diego. I was born and raised there, and lived there until I moved to the DC metro area 8 years ago. I was actually in the process of preparing to move to Japan to teach, but met my husband, fell in love, and moved here instead. My husband, Vance, and I have been married for almost 7 years, and we have a 3-year-old son named Theodore, Teddy for short. I love my family, crafting, food, and binge-watching tv shows on Hulu and amazon prime. I'm kind of a linguistics nerd, and have a healthy obsession with onomastics (the study of names), natural health, and educational philosophies. In my time off from school, I love going on nature walks with my family, exploring the history and the hidden spots in the DC metro area.

TG: In addition to being a wonderful teacher and a fantastic model, you’re a knitter, too! How long have you been knitting?

RL: I've been knitting for 14 years. Because my father was in the military, we lived on the opposite side of the country from our extended family. This led to only seeing my grandparents during their visits to San Diego or on summer trips back to northwestern Pennsylvania. One of my earlier sensory memories is of my grandmother knitting on a visit to our house in California. I remember sitting on the arm of her chair watching her as she peered through her glasses at the knitting in her hands. I remember just watching her as she quickly worked her yarn from one needle to the other, her concentration intent, but willing to answer my questions about the loops on her needles, the coarse yarn she used, and what it was that she was making. Attached to this memory, I also remember my love/hate relationship with the packages she would send of oversized ponchos and stiffly crocheted collars. From the former memory though, my fascination with yarn and needles was born. I knew I wanted to learn, but unfortunately she passed away when I was young, and I didn't have the opportunity to learn from her. When I was in my freshman year of college, I decided that I wanted to learn how to knit in her memory. My mother taught me a basic single cast on, and garter stitch, and from there I self-taught. I still have a few knitting and crochet needles from my grandmother that are largely impractical, but I use them sentimentally.

TG: What’s your favorite thing to knit?

RL: Lately? Small things. I have many half-started, never-finished projects in queue that have been calling my name. Maybe because I'm always around them, I love knitting children's clothing. I love that so much detail can go into such tiny works. I also enjoy a good challenging sweater. There is so much satisfaction in seeing your completed work. The first "big" project I ever knit was a sweater for my father. The left shoulder seam is so crooked that it drives me batty every time I see it, but he wears it proudly to this day.

TG:  Our sons are friends and Teddy has modeled once for me. Are you going to teach Teddy how to knit?

RL: Yes, most definitely! He's already shown a bit of interest, and by that I mean, he's repeatedly swung my circular needles around like a lasso. I may be wearing an eye patch the next time you see me.

TG: What’s your favorite thing I’ve designed that you’ve modeled for me?

RL: Oh my goodness, where to begin? There are so many to choose from! Most recently, I loved Bad Kitty! Although I'm terribly allergic to cats, I loved the design and colors of the cat-inspired cowl. Your Emporia Cowl was so soft and warm, because hello, cashmere. The Acorned Hat is stunning, as is the Nyra Cowl. I fell in love with your Warrior Shawl pattern, and finally felt like I could pull off a shawl.

TG:  Favorite fiber? Book? Color? Artist?

RL: Okay, I'm probably the most indecisive person I know, so... Favorite fiber: cashmere, hands down. Merino comes in a very close second, followed by silk maybe? Gah, too many to choose from! Book: Well I mean, besides your books, I actually really enjoy Knitting America by Susan Strawn. It isn't so much a pattern book as it is a history of knitting in America. Color: Green, or blue, or gray. Earth tones? Jewel tones? I like 'em all. Artist: I saw a few pieces by Rania Hassan in 2007, and enjoyed her art, but as far as designers go, there is so much talent out there to name just a few. I'm inspired by so much of the work that you all do!

TG: You are a very patient, calming personality. Does this come from teaching little ones all day or copious amounts of knitting?

RL: Haha. Well, thanks. I guess it comes from a lot of deep breathing, knitting, prayers, imagining that every one is just a giant toddler, and more deep breathing.

TG: Do you prefer to knit for your son/family members or yourself?

RL: I have a couple of drawers filled with beautiful yarn I've bought for myself over the years, and I really do plan to use it on myself one day, but I mostly stick to knitting for others. As I knit for family and friends, it's so nice to really focus on the person I'm knitting for and send out all that good energy and love when I deliver the finished product.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Rachel, dear readers! Stay tuned for many more new TanisKnits designs modeled by my amazing friend!

Recycling

I read the below article recently (original article published here) and started thinking about how similar fishing nets and yarn are. Imagine if we took all the leftover yarn we had from all of our projects and did something amazing like this? I love seeing people turn a negative like illegal fishing and harming our oceans and sea life and turning it into a positive and useful thing that we all wear - sneakers. “The problems we face are many, but so are the solutions." Well said indeed.

Discarded Plastic Fishing Nets Retrieved from the Ocean Used in New Shoe Prototype by Kate Sierzputowski

Adidas is now designing shoes from our oceans’ detritus, recently producing the world’s first prototype with parts constructed from ocean plastic and illegal deep-sea gillnets. The athletic apparel manufacture partnered with Parley for the Oceans as collaborators, a group of creators, thinkers, and leaders who design projects that aim to end the destruction of our oceans.

The community explains, “Our oceans are about to collapse and there is not much time to turn it around. Nobody can solve this alone. Everyone has to be a part of the solution. And collaboration is the magic formula.”

An ally of Parley, the Sea Shepard Conservation Society, collected the materials for the shoe while tracking an outlawed poaching vessel off the coast of West Africa. The concept for the shoe was then created in just six days, the prototype showcased at the UnxParley launch event in New York on June 29.

Parley explains that this concept is only the beginning, but is an example of how impactful creative collaboration is. “The problems we face are many, but so are the solutions. Stay tuned to learn more about how Parley will end ocean plastic pollution.” Although the partners have explained that this specific concept might never be commercially available, Adidas plans to introduce recycled plastic into their manufacturing process by early next year.

Bad Kitty

I like looking back over my current design year and remembering yarns I enjoyed working with, projects that had that magical balance from concept to weaving in ends, color combinations that popped and if it turned into a class, was a great project to teach and the students did wonderfully. One of my favorite designs this current design year was the Simon Says Cowl, and I knew I wanted to use that yarn again for another color work cowl.

I'd like to introduce the Bad Kitty cowl, a Fair Isle knit cowl with Latvian braids and a Delft pottery-vibe. According to Holland.com, "Delft Blue is the world-famous earthenware that has been produced in the city of Delft since the 17th century. Between 1600 and 1800, this earthenware was popular among rich families who would show off their Delft Blue collections to one another. Although the Delftware potters preferred to call their earthenware “porcelain”, it was only a cheaper version of the real Chinese porcelain. Delft Blue was not made from the typical porcelain clay, but from clay that was coated with a tin glaze after it was fired. In spite of this, Delft Blue achieved unrivalled popularity, and at its peak, there were 33 factories in Delft. Of all of these factories, the only one remaining today is Royal Delft."

I was hanging out with a friend recently, binge-watching Outlander with her as she was cat-sitting for her parents. It's been a while since my cat Igby passed away, and I haven't had to fight the (always losing) battle between woman, cat and yarn for years. After leaving her house and spending the next few days picking cat hair out of my yarn, the idea for the Bad Kitty cowl was hatched.

Knit in the round in the lovely Mrs. Crosby's Carpet Bag yarn on US 6 needles, this cowl uses 1 hank of each color. I also really love the idea of switching colors in each striped section and having a rainbow of bad kitties circling around, plotting their revenge on your yarn! Carpet Bag has great drape when knitted up and the sheen (from the 20% silk) and slight halo (from the 80% superwash merino) make it super soft and cozy. A lot of knitters are sensitive to yarn around their neck or on their forehead and this yarn hit an ideal balance for me.

Pairing Fair Isle and Latvian Braids running in opposite directions creates a dynamic combination between texture and design. Throw in some corrugated ribbing for balance and weight and you have everything I love about cowls in one project. The added length ensures enough knit fabric to tuck under your coat and keep out the chill, but you can make it even longer or shorter if you wish.

Keep the bad kitties who go after your yarn at bay! Download the Bad Kitty cowl here.

Intertwined

My parents recently sold the house I grew up in, which was an oddly emotional experience for me, especially considering I haven't lived there since I left at 18 to go to RISD. Leaving behind a tiny New England town in southeastern Massachusetts, they moved into an apartment in Boston.

I got a call recently from my mom, telling me about a huge net installation she saw while exploring her new bit of town, then she sent me this link (original article here) to share with you, dear readers.  It looks like a beautiful piece of knitting stretched across buildings and sky and I love that the artist states that it's a way to “visually knit together the fabric of the city with art." If you find yourself in Boston, it would definitely be worth checking out. Gorgeous!

Thanks, mom!

A Monumental Sculpture of Colorful Twine Netting Suspended Above Boston by Kate Sierzputowski on July 31, 2015

One hundred miles of twine compose this public sculpture of suspended netting above Boston, a structure that spans the void of an elevated highway that once split downtown Boston from its waterfront. The artist, Janet Echelman, designed the artwork titled As If It Were Already Here to reflect the history of the installation’s location. Echelman also intended the piece to be a visual metaphor—a way to “visually knit together the fabric of the city with art,” she explains.

The installation is 600 feet at its widest, including over 500,000 knots for structural support. Each time one section of the sculpture sways or vibrates in the wind the other parts follow suit, undulating as a single form 600 feet in the sky. As the day progresses the 1,000-pound structure’s webbed surface begins to glow, becoming a beacon in the sky rather than blending into the blue above it. In addition to moving with the wind, the structure also glows in response to sensors that register tension and project light onto the sculpture.

As If It Were Already Here is just one of Echelman’s enormous sculptures, she’s also installed pieces in Montreal, Seattle, and elsewhere. Echelman received the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Harvard University Loeb Fellowship, a Fulbright Lectureship, and was named an Architectural Digest Innovator for “changing the very essence of urban spaces.” You can see Echelman speak about her other environmentally-responsive sculptures in her TED talk here.