We are so looking forward to diving into Something To Knit Together, Winter Edition with you in just over a week’s time, and we hope you are too! To whet your whistle while we wait (try saying that three times fast), today, we’re bringing you an interview with Something To Knit Together, Winter Edition designer Natalie Warner. Natalie was kind enough to answer some questions by email for me last week, and I really enjoyed hearing about her path into designing and her design process. You can catch up with Natalie on Instagram where she is natalieinstitches, on her website natalieinstitches.com, and see her designs on Ravelry.
KR: When did you learn to knit? Who taught you? And how did you get started designing knitwear?
NW: I am not sure how old I was when I learnt to knit but I was definitely a child and I was definitely taught by my mother. I was an impatient learner and sewing overtook knitting until I was in my late teens, with no prospect of a summer job and nothing better to do! Since then I haven’t stopped. The designing came in later, when I realised that I had gone beyond customising and adjusting patterns (knitting and sewing) to suit me. It made more sense to just create my own from scratch rather than hunt around for something that I could use as a base for my own ideas. By then I was in my mid-twenties, and I decided to enrol on a design course at the London College of Fashion, which set me on the path I follow today. For knitwear, the turning point came when I found the courage to show some of my work to Sarah Hazell to see if she thought I was any good at designing. Without that moment of bravery, and without her paving the way for me to submit my first design to Knitting magazine, I don’t know if I’d be doing what I’m doing now. Her encouragement meant the world to me, and it still does.
KR: Can you tell me a little about the teaching you do? Does being a lecturer shape how you approach your designing?
NW: I work as a lecturer in HE [higher education] and FE [further education]; mostly the latter these days, which involves community learning in schools for parents and non-accredited courses for adults. I could be teaching any or all of knitting, sewing, crochet or pattern cutting, which is a nice mix – I’m not usually bored! When I was in HE there was more of a disconnect between my teaching and design practice; undergraduate students use knitting machines almost exclusively, and they are groomed for a hardcore industry career – or at the very least, encouraged to have their own businesses. FE is more up my alley because I am usually teaching people who create in their spare time, and because of that I am more empathetic and understanding of their needs. It tunes me into what makers want when they make time for knitting or any other craft and what it does for their wellbeing. One example of how I try to accommodate this is by having as many ‘resting rows’ as possible in my designs – there is a certain joy when you get to do a plain row of knit (or purl)! Many of my FE students have very full days, so I often think of them and try to create time and space for switching off when I write up my patterns. I also tend to be glad of this when I knit up my samples!
Isblomst Shawl by Natalie Warner, available on Ravelry. Image © Andrew Collymore.
KR: Where do you find inspiration for your knitting patterns?
NW: People watching! And also fitting people for dressmaking projects. I pay attention to body shapes, how people style themselves, and try to imagine what they might find useful. Doing fittings is invaluable because you can see how any particular garment needs to be altered for different figures and postures, and you get a snippet of the person’s day-to-day life through their garment choices. I suppose what I’m saying is that empathy is a very big deal to me when it comes to inspiration. Anything I design needs to be beautiful, enjoyable to knit, and useful. If it doesn’t tick those three boxes, I bin it.
Natalie in one of her recent designs, the Aneeta Cardigan. Check out this blog post for more on the story and process behind the design.
KR: Do you have a favourite knitting technique? Any techniques on your list to learn?
NW: I am a fan of German short rows: quick, neat and they get the job done. I have wanted to learn how to steek for YEARS but the timing of classes has never worked out for me. Two-handed Fair Isle is another favourite technique but I haven’t used it for years because of the purl side – yuk! So, if I learn how to steek I can get back in the saddle and knit all the Fair Isle designs I’ve banked over the years. There are loads!
KR: Have you taken on any new hobbies during Covid? Or tackled a particular crafting challenge?
NW: None whatsoever – I was hoping to find more time for existing hobbies, but I have been chock-a with design work since the first lockdown. I have also been teaching for Vogue Knitting Live, which is a completely new format; I’ve never taught virtually before, ever. That in itself has been a challenge, because for the first time I have been working with complete freedom. This has given me all sorts of ideas about what to do teaching-wise, and what knitters are interested in learning. I have been noting down ideas about what I’d like to teach and courses I’d like to develop, so I hope they come to fruition.
KR: Do you find time to knit for pleasure, or are you typically busy with work knitting? Can you share what's currently on your needles?
NW: At the moment I have another sample on my needles, which is a reworked version of my first design published in Knitting magazine. I’ve renamed it the Falling Leaves sweater and – fingers crossed – I can release it over the Christmas period. For my purposes, that goes up to Twelfth Night! But apart from that I hope to knit another cardigan or two from the collection with Jen: I have some Aran yarn in my stash that’s itching to be knitted up. That’ll be my first lot of pleasure knitting for quite some time!
KR: We like to ask about Sleeve Island picks – the piece of music, knitting book and yarn you'd take if you were stuck on sleeve island – care to share yours?
NW: This is a difficult one! I enjoy listening to a few genres of music but I would probably take ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by George Gershwin. It’s a beautiful piece, around the 15-minute mark, so nice and long, and I’ve never tired of listening to it. I will have to cheat with the book element and take two, neither of which are to do with knitting: The Roald Dahl Treasury, which comprises all his wonderful books, Sacred Geometry by Robert Lawlor plus some dotted paper, a compass, ruler and a mechanical pencil!
The yarn is the easiest bit to answer: Aran is actually my favourite weight of yarn – needle-wise, my sweet spot is anything between 4mm and 7mm – so I’d take any or all of Something to Knit with Aran and stuff from Malabrigo; the colours would inspire me for days!
Thank you so much Natalie for taking the time to chat with us today! If you’d like to knit up some serious Aran cosiness with us over December and January, do join us for Something To Knit Together, Winter Edition. This eBook collection contains five stunning designs by Natalie (three accessories and a garment with cardigan and sweater/pullover versions) that will be delivered to your inbox across December and January – the first pattern drops 2nd December! When you buy the eBook, you’ll also get accompanying tutorials on basic cable knitting and professional finishing + a discount code to use on our yarns for the duration of the knitalong. All of Natalie’s gorgeous designs are knitted in our super squooshy Something To Knit With Aran, and we’ve put together a range of kits that offer a 20-50% savings on buying the yarn for each project individually. We’ll be hosting knitalongs for each design over at The Knitalong Hub and also running Zoom knitalong sessions where you can meet Natalie and chat with other knitters from around the world! We’d love for you to join us!
And finallly, don’t forget to visit Natalie in her online spaces:
Instagram: @natalieinstitches
Website: natalieinstitches.com
Ravelry: Natalieinstitches