Knitch Magazine

KnitchMagazine is delighted to speak to this designer and blogger who is not only busy with her yarn and design business, but who has also entered the world of publishing.

Shannon Okay lives in Northeast Ohio where she has her own studio, a virtual beehive of activity. You probably know her as “Knitgrrl.”

Knitch: How did you enter the knitting fashion industry? Was it the fulfillment of a childhood dream?

Shannon: I actually got a late start knitting compared to so many of my friends. I began in my 20s. And as a tech-y person, I was an early blogger, but when my knitting content began to take over my regular blog, I split it off into its own site in 2002. Those of us who were writing about knitting online then (remember, Knitty.com came on the scene fall 2002, the Yarn Harlot in early 2004) all seemed to end up "meeting" each other online. Fast forward to 2004, and a friend of mine introduced me to her editor in NYC. The end result? My first two books, Knitgrrl and Knitgrrl 2. For a few years I was writing a book about every 6 months, and then -- with the advances in technology -- I decided to concentrate more on single patterns and self published work! This past year I was editing Yarn Forward, a UK-based print knitting magazine, which was an adventure in itself. I recently stepped down so I could concentrate on other activities.

Knitch: You have so many different talents – dyeing, designing, knitting. Can you tell us about them?

Shannon: I think that outside of knitting, dyeing and felting are probably my favorite two activities, especially since they're considerably faster and I can be impatient sometimes! This winter show season, I've been making a lot of recycled wool scarves that are all completely different due to the cutting and overdyeing process I used.

I've also been wet felting and hand-dyeing larger scarves, shawls and material for custom garments. You might see some of them pop up in the studio shop or on knitgrrl.etsy.com after all the craft shows are over for the season! I own my own studio/workspace where I give lessons (knitgrrlstudio.com) and create, whether it's writing, knitting or making something out of raw wool. I'm a spinner, too! I wish there were more hours in the day, but I do the best I can. It helps to have a big notebook to scribble down/draw ideas and a boyfriend who is very tolerant of wet wool dripping all over the basement when I decide to work at home.

Knitch: What do you most enjoy designing? What’s been your most popular design so far?

Shannon: I'm a sucker for sweaters, it's tough for me to cast on something smaller, so I've been challenging myself recently. I've always been fond of hats. Popularity-wise, Rivulet is the best-seller of the bunch. I am inordinately fond of the modifications a Ravelry user in the UK made to the front, I think I might need to knit another one!

Knitch: You’re extremely busy with your classes, writing and speaking engagements. When do you find time to knit?

Shannon: As my boyfriend said to his best friend once: "Shannon is Amish on weekends." I try to actively avoid the computer on weekends and park myself in front of my Buffy The Vampire Slayer box set with needles instead!

Knitch: How do you keep on top of what’s happening out there in the market?

Shannon: Yarn Market News magazine, Ravelry.com and all the other magazines out there. But I'm also inspired by a lot of things I see in the natural world, whether it's color or texture or both. I'm not big on shopping live and in person, but I do tend to look at various designers' collections online and as they're reported or advertised. My new adjustable tubular scarf Ennis was "ripped from the runways" after I saw a lot of designers doing big, cushy cowls and similar pieces in their fall 2009 collections.

Knitch: Which designers you look up to? Who inspires you?

Shannon: Annie Modesitt, for sure. She's done much more for the cause of designer rights than anyone else I know, and she's a fabulous designer, too. Ysolda Teague is so incredibly inspiring. She showed that an independent publisher/designer could not only make a better deal for herself but also put out the highest possible quality design work. My company published South West Trading Company owner Jonelle Raffino's first book back in 2007, but the technological leaps and bounds even since then has made niche publishing topics even more viable. I'm happy to report that since I've left the magazine, I've dived back in to publishing books by myself and other authors, so stay tuned for more news on that front! Accordingly, I follow a lot of independent publishers and small businesses. Meg Swansen of Schoolhouse Press, Deborah Robson of Nomad Press and look to them for inspiration, too.

Knitch: Tell us about the fibers you use. Which ones do you prefer? Why?

Shannon: Wool. But since I'm a spinner, I have to be more specific that that! I love Bluefaced Leicester, Cormo and Merino, and I just got a BFL/silk blend in that is to die for. I'm also extremely interested in the new "alternative" fibers such as soy, bamboo, etc. When I first started pitching the book that became Alt Fiber, back in 2005, NO publisher would touch it, they thought it was "too weird." Happily, they've been proved wrong and you can find these fibers just about everywhere now! Wool and soy blends such as SWTC's Karaoke are fantastic from a soft/sturdy perspective, and they felt beautifully, too!

Knitch: What do you predict will be “the next big thing” for knitters? And what’s your own “next big thing?”

Shannon: My next big thing? Reviving my publishing business! And I've been working on a new business model for promoting local designers in northeast Ohio. One result that you can see now is my including handmade ceramic buttons by local artist Gina DeSantis with my scarves this show season. My studiomate Arabella Proffer and I are dreaming up some fabric-y goodness, too. For knitters, I think smaller, more complex projects are the new big thing. You need something that holds your interest but doesn't take two years to knit!

Knitch: We couldn’t help but notice your cat.

Shannon: That is my cat Spike. He was rescued, along with his biological brother Milkshake, by my studiomate Arabella, who then adopted Milkshake. They were two weeks old, and it was a small miracle they both survived. They even have a Facebook fan group (Spike and Milkshake Fans)! He lived in my shirt for the first month of his life, so he love humans, cars, riding around on your shoulder like a parrot...you name it, he is a very unusual cat. I saw this sweater in the teddy bear section of the local craft store and couldn't resist. You can tell he's patient! His baby brother Giles is much less tolerant of our human foibles, and his older sister, our dachshund Anezka, would like to remind you that cats are dumb and also please give her chicken. Yes.

Knitch: We’ve just got to ask… Can we have Spike?

Shannon: No. My boyfriend would MURDER me. You can visit, though.

Knitch: Any secrets you’d like to share?

Shannon: Stop knitting stuff you're going to felt on giant needles! Using a smaller needle (US 8-10) allows you greater control over the shrinking process and for me, they're much easier to knit on. I hate needles size 11 and up, they're just too big for my hands!