Knitting Contrissmas: Day 2: Laura Nelkin

Day Two of Knitting Contrissmas and the fun keeps on coming! Today please sit a bit with Laura Nelkin, designer, teacher, author, Etsy shop owner, knitter, blogger. I will admit right up front that I LOVE Laura having taken her fabulous Lace Knitting class with Craftsy, purchased two of her incredible kits and have knitted 1.5 of her beautiful lace shawls. If you don’t know Laura I hope you pop over to her blog and explore her many offerings. My blitter (*Blog reading knitter) friend Francis told me recently that she’d been in a rut with her knitting and that nothing was quite coming out in a good way. My advice was to take a Craftsy class with Laura and that I promised it would give her a beautiful product she’d be proud of and that she’d love the process! One of the best classes I’ve ever taken, seriously!

Speaking of Laura’s FABULOUS kits (and her BOOK, Adorn— that we haven’t talked about yet)—- she’s doing a GIVEAWAY! Laura is offering a copy of Adorn AND a Butin kit!  Leave a comment and the random number generator will pick TWO WINNERS on December 7th!

Leave a Comment by 12/7 for a chance to WIN!

Now that we’re all giddy over the possibility of winning such goodies——- on to the interview with Laura!

KC: Thanks so much Laura for taking the time to hang out with us a little bit! You’re known for being a super great purveyor of knitting! Many of us love KITS that put a project together and at our fingertips in a flash and yours for accessories and jewelry are exquisite! You also have a fantastic class on Craftsy; “Mastering Lace Shawls”, for being a prolific knit designer as well as a sought after teacher, –and I see your smiling face on Twitter often—you’re super busy!  That’s my first question for you—- what tips do you have to stretch personal time to be creative?

LN: I am super busy, in fact, I’ve made a decision lately that when someone asks me how I am I’m not allowed to say “I’m super super busy, because that’s a given… super busy is the new normal!  So, mostly I say “ I’m great : )!”  One thing I do do is make sure I have design time every week NO MATTER WHAT… typically this is on Friday’s, though I do try to get in more sessions in the afternoons, before my girl gets off the bus.  Some weeks I don’t get to design, though, as I have too many projects I need to finish first!

Iota Collection

KC: You’re also known for knitting beautiful lace and the teaching skills to make knitting come to life in a matter of fact way. Have you always been skilled as a teacher? 

LN: No, actually, teaching is new to me… I started teaching knitting 5 years ago and found out that I adored it! Interestingly I don’t do as well with adolescents as I do with adults.  I seem to have more patience with the over 10 year old set!

KC: I hear that Laura, I have zip to less than none when it comes to patience with little people!

KC: Do you have a favorite project or is that like choosing one child over another?

LN: Oh, I am fickle… my favorite project is typically whichever one is newest on my needles.  I do LOVE lace and beads though, so those projects typically win out!

Winterlude

KC: Your knitted jewelry is unique and very chic—- I mean I don’t want to say that some out there are, er, cheesy –but you know what I mean!     I’m crazy for the Butin Earring! How long have you been creating jewelry?

LN: A few years ago I did my first jewelry project for a book with DRG called It’s In the Bag, a book that focused on travel knitting.  I quickly realized how fun, portable, and wearable knitted jewelry is and decided that I wanted to explore it further with Adorn.  I had made a fair amount of beaded jewelry in my teens and 20’s but didn’t know how knit then… it’s be so fun to meld my yarn and bead stash!

Butin Earring

KC: What comes first the yarn or the pattern?

LN: Sometimes it’s one and sometimes the other… often times I get an idea, swatch with what I have on hand and then search for the perfect yarn… othertimes I get a skein of yarn and swatch with it until I find the perfect design for it.  There aren’t any rules to how I design which I adore!

KC: With so many beautiful and varied projects, what does your process of inspiration look like?

LN: I don’t really have a process of inspiration besides all the knitting I do.  Once I come up with a concept, swatch and then am ready to knit I have hours ahead of me in which I start to think of new ideas… really sometimes I wish I could just turn the creative part of my brain off so I can get some things done!  If I ever get stumped on something, though, I get outside for a hike or bike ride OR I take a shower.  I’ve discovered that the shower is really the best place for me to figure things out as it is the ultimate sensory deprivation tank!

 KC: Laughing—- I always say I do my best thinking in the two places no one bothers me; behind the lawnmower and doing laundry in the basement!

KC Who inspires you?

LN: The people around me, I am a surprisingly social creature and I try to make sure to create time to be with the people I love AND make new friends.  This is probably part of why I love teaching… I end up meeting such a wider range of people than if I just stayed home and worked!  Travel is key for this kind of inspiration and we do it often!

Lolly Pod

KC: Are you making handmade gifts this year? Can we peek into your list???

LN: Well, I have been stashing jewelry pieces throughout the year for my girl’s teachers… so they will all be getting something handmade!  My hubby REALLY wants more socks and I have some on the needles for him, though we’ll just see if those get done.  I also have a tradition of making my girl a FUN hat… so I’m sure I’ll squeeze that in!

KC: Many of us have a pretty big blog reading list Laura, do you read a lot of blogs in the creative community?

LN: I used to read more blogs but have gotten a bit lax on that… lately I have been using Twitter as my blog reader, so If I see someone post or retweet someone else’s blog post I will click and go check it out!  One thing I do really want to do in 2012 is read more blogs… and comment more!  Right now I am a super good lurker!

Nicholetta

KC: The past year has been a big one for you, what is coming in 2012? Please share with us some of your upcoming news!

LN: Well, I am planning a Mystery KAL for January of 2012. *Note from KC, sign me up!*  I plan to start sign-ups mid December, and then release the first clue mid-late January.  I am so excited about this… I did my first one last spring and it was WAY too much fun!  Have you ever done one?  I haven’t decided yet if Adorn II is in the future or now… it’s definitely a possibility : )!

 KC: I absolutely love mystery knit-a-longs or mystery quilts or mystery anything! I have to admit my last mystery was a frogger and of course it had nothing to do with knitter technique!!!

KC: What words do you have for your many fans in the world of all things YARN? For those knitters and crocheters who follow you (and are about to)?

LN: Knit On!  (and don’t forget to exercise too!)

Thanks so much Laura——  I send you and your family wishes for a wonderful holiday season!

Remember to comment to win a Butin Kit and your own copy of Adorn! Sigh!

Two winners: One Kit and One Book!