Meet the author: Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns

First off, if you haven't yet, you need to meet the book:

  Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns (Interweave Press, 2008)

Carol J. Sulcoski, the wizard behind the book Knit So Fine(Interweave Press, 2008), has done it again!  This time, she shares the vast knowledge of handpainted yarns she has gathered as dyemistress of Black Bunny Fibers.  This multicontributor book features designs from eighteen designers, with the goal of helping you to make the most of that gorgeous handpainted yarn in your stash.

Carol will be guest blogging at Knitting Daily this week to talk about her latest project, and I'm thrilled she took a moment out from her insane life to talk to me about it.

Deb B:    First of all, congratulations on what looks like another beautiful book.  Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed about Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns.

Carol Sulcoski:  Thanks Deb, it's great to be here.

DB:    This is your second book with Interweave Press (the first being Knit So Fine, which you co-authored with Lisa Myers and Laura Grutzeck).  With Knit So Fine, the designs were all the work of the three authors.  Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns features patterns from such a broad array of designers; how did this change the writing process for you?

 

CS:  In most respects, it didn't really change my approach.  With both books, there was a theme or goal that I wanted to communicate in the text, and to illustrate with the patterns. In Knit So Fine, we focused on introducing people to the joys of working with skinny yarns; in KSWHY, I wanted to help knitters to better understand and use handpainted yarns to knit socks. In both cases, the patterns were inspired by the things the yarns can do: e.g., skinny yarns drape and you can use elaborate stitchwork or double-strand yarns without creating a garment as heavy as chain mail; with handpainted sock yarns, you want to showcase the beautiful colors of the yarn. Of course, KSWHP also pays a lot of attention to want you want the yarn NOT to do – pool or splotch or make unattractive color patterns.

 

With both books, it was important to me to include technical information about how the yarns work so that knitters can learn more about why the particular yarns do the things they do, and then take that knowledge with them no matter what they are knitting.

 

I will say that from a time and stress standpoint, it was much easier to divide up roughly the same amount of patterns (20+ per book) among 18 designers, instead of three!

 

DB:    How active was your role in weeding through and selecting the designs for this book?  (And, if you can share a trade secret, just how many people submitted designs for this book?)  What process was used to ensure the designs chosen reflected the best of what these yarns can do?

 

CS:    I can honestly say that I don’t recall the exact number of designers who submitted ideas, although I think it was upwards of 40.  Some designers were so inspired that they submitted multiple ideas and swatches, too.  It sounds like a cliché, but we truly did have more great designs than we could fit in the book. (So email Interweave and ask them to let me do a sequel, okay?)

 

All of the sketches and swatches were sent directly to me.  I did a first cut and then I worked closely with my wonderful editor at Interweave, Anne Merrow (Anne worked with Ann Budd on several Interweave sock books so let me tell you, she knows her socks!) and we pored over the swatches and sketches to come up with a final slate of designs.

 

Again, it sounds like a cliché, but it was very difficult to narrow down the number of designs to around twenty or so.  It was fascinating to see how the call for submissions elicited all kinds of ideas from the various designers, and how they approached the challenges of avoiding pooling and showing off the colors in diverse ways.  Some people opted to use stitch patterns with changing stitch counts so that the yarn would be used up at different rates and not create stripes or splotches; others used innovative construction techniques to break up large areas that might pool; others used solid yarns in conjunction with the multicolors to shake up the colors.  It was exciting to see how the designers really thought about the challenges that handpaints can create and came up with creative solutions.  One of my New Year’s resolutions is to knit some of the designs from the book with yarn from my own stash.

 

DB:    Your writing career has taken off at a time when interest in handpainted yarns, including your own, is absolutely exploding.  What does this mean for Black Bunny Fibers?  What are your plans for future writing and yarn endeavors?

 

CS:    The biggest challenge for me is time.  I have three children in elementary school, and they are the top priority for me, so sometimes I find myself frustrated by not always being able to spend as much time knitting and dyeing and writing as I’d like!

 

Right now, I’m working on some more book proposals, and I’m always sending design submissions to anyone who will take them!  I’m excited that I will have two designs in the upcoming winter issue of KnitScene; I’ve got some sock patterns that will be in the next edition of the on-line magazine Knotions; and some sock patterns that will be included in JCA/Reynolds’ next booklet of Soft Sea Wool sock designs.  I’m also trying really hard to get some designs ready for sale in PDF form through my website and/or Ravelry.

 

With regard to Black Bunny Fibers yarns, I’m very excited to announce that The Loopy Ewe will be selling selected BBF sock yarns, beginning with a gorgeous superwash 100% blue-faced Leicester sock yarn that will go up this week. I’ve got some yarn and fiber clubs going, which allows me to dye yarn or fiber for members based on their individual color preferences. And I’ve been working hard on trying to keep plenty of BBF yarns in stock on Blackbunnyfibers.com

 

DB:  Congrats again, Carol, and thank for being here.  We all look forward to seeing your work in the future.

Comments

[Lesley]

I cannot wait to see this book! I have several skeins of sock yarn set aside just for this one.

Thanks for the interview, very cool!

(ps, love the new blog look)

[ice yarn]

woow impressing me

thanks a lot for this post