My artist statement
I like to create whimsical, artistic and uniquely patterned knitwear that make people smile. I love designing sweaters because I get to design every aspect of the garment. For me, designing sweaters is the closest an apparel designer comes to fine art; I don’t just paint on the canvas, I create the canvas. I want my sweaters to be wearable art in the most tasteful way - to feel good as well as make the wearer look good and feel joy. The first reaction when customers see my sweaters is often a smile. My process begins with my sketching the sweater, choosing yarn and colors and deciding how to knit the fabric. I create a life-size layout and decide on type and size of the yarn. I often knit a first swatch or prototype and then instruct my partner how to knit the garments on jacquard machines; my instructions include gauge, stitch, number of ends of yarn, and specifications and measurements for each size and garment. Every part of the knitting process is done under my instruction and supervision. I design, fit, and create every aspect of the collection. While I knit in small batches, I am happy to have become more inclusive of sizes, going from Small to XL. I also only sell at small, artisanal shows so that I really get to know my customers.