Simply Socks interviewed Clara Parkes, creator of Knitter's Review, for our Winter newsletter, and she gave us so many great answers that we couldn't fit them all into the newsletter. Please enjoy the rest of the story here, and if you haven't checked out out newsletter, please do at the link below! Clara's interview should not be missed. Also check out Knitters Review and Clara's personal web journal and read up on the amazing work of Clara and other knitters worldwide.
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Clara, what have you knitted that you are proudest of?
That's a tough call. I guess I'm still pretty proud of an Icelandic sweater I made for my niece many years ago. She wore it for years, and then her little sister wore it for years, and you could trace its path through endless family photos. In a way it became emblematic of their knitting auntie- so I'm proud of that one.
What was your biggest knitting goof?
Ah, I still remember it well. I was knitting a cute little bear-styled Debbie Bliss onesie with feet, mittens, and even a hood with little bear ears on it. The pattern had row by row instructions and not much of a schematic so I just blindly followed the instructions, checking off each row as I went, and trusted that it'd come out OK. It took forever, the baby was born, the pressure was on, and I finally finished... only to discover that I'd somehow knit the feet backwards. Put it on a baby and you'd have a knitterly equivalent of a straight jacket. After some panic and a few tears, I got out the scissors and learned then and there how to snip yarn, unravel the stitches mid-work, and regraft them. The baby probably wore it twice, but those feet did look good.
Aside from the barest basics, what technique(s) should every knitter have in their repertoire?
The ability to unravel a stitch down several rows and re-knit it up the right way, fixing whatever flub you had baffled. If you know how to do that, mistakes don't seem nearly as daunting or tragic. Quite often people will frog an entire project when, really, all they need to do is a little spot fixing.
You're a spinner, too. Which wheel is your favorite?
My favorite wheel would have to be Norma, my Norm Hall wheel. She generates and incredible amount of spin effortlessly, and the workmanship is exquisite.
Favorite fiber?
Probably Shetland lamb. It's so soft and delicate, yet it spins easily and looks so inviting on the bobbin- especially when spun laceweight.
Each week you conduct a survey for Knitter's Review. Have survey results ever surprised you?
Recently they did. It was in the Farm Yarns issue, and I asked people if they'd ever bought yarn from a sheep farm. An astonishing percentage- over 40%- voted, "No, but only because I've never seen any for sale." Clearly I'm not doing my job!
The forum discussion occasionally become quite heated. These arguments usually take place in the off-topic areas, but occasionally they'll spring up in the knitting threads, as well. What's your technique for keeping discussion civil? Do you wonder what gets into people sometimes?
Indeed I do. The forums are a space I'm providing for knitters, and I work hard to keep it safe, welcoming, and supportive. So when people suddenly abandon the rules and behave like six-year-olds, I feel as if my guests have trashed my house. A certain degree of trust is broken
The sad thing is the 99.9% of the time people are marvelous- generous with their feedback and ideas, honest in their discourse, respectful, compelling... but that .1% can be pretty astonishing. I try to stay out of personal disputes and only focus on whether or not something is in violation of forum policy. Even if I agree with the person who's broken the rules, I still have to step in.
Your cat is beautiful- is Casey a Maine Coon?
That would be so appropriate... I believe he's either a Maine Coon or a Norwegian Forest Cat, which is a predecessor of the Maine Coon. He came from a shelter many years ago and I adore him.
What's the best thing about living in Maine?
Being surrounded by such intense, dramatic natural beauty. It's stunning here. After years of living in cities, I love being able to walk out the door and immediately be in nature. There's no need to get in a car or catch a bus to a crowded park, it's all right there, just outside my door. It helps me to stay grounded and connected to the bigger picture. When I'm stressing about a deadline, I can watch a flock of wild turkeys make their way through my field- and soon enough everything's back in perspective again.