#slow knitting

I am so excited to be able to introduce you to my photographer, Katie Starks (formerly Katie Meek, she got married this summer). Katie and I have worked together on several projects, including my book, Slow Knitting. I wanted to pick Katie’s mind about how shooting yarn is different than the work she does on her blog, Cora & Louise, shooting & styling food, and how some of her tips might help you with your own yarn photography. (The photos used throughout are photos Katie took for my book).

How did you get interested in photography?

I became interested in photography after I randomly took an Intro to Photojournalism class my freshman year of college as an elective — I had no idea it would change my major, college degree & career path!

What kind of camera do you use most?

I shoot solely with a Canon 5d Mark IV — it’s my one and only!

Who are some of your photo inspirations?

I feel like I see inspiration everywhere online, in blogs, on Instagram, etc. But if I’m ever seeking out photo inspiration specifically, I always go to my favorite food blog https://www.sproutedkitchen.com/ and study the beautiful photography! Hugh Forte is the photographer for his wife, Sara’s blog & I adore his work and could get lost looking at it for hours — http://www.hughforte.com/

How do you feel that shooting yarn compares to shooting food?

It all feels very similar to me — I approach it the same way I do a beautiful cake, or any other recipe. Taking the time to find the light where it looks most beautiful, styling it in such a way that the details are highlighted, and capturing it perfectly in whatever environment! (And plenty of trial and error until you get the perfect shot; food and yarn are patient and don’t complain!)

What is your setup when shooting prop photography?

My setup is so simple it hardly feels like a setup! I have some different boards/backdrops I keep on hand, but other than that, I use whatever I have/need at home. Other than a camera and a backdrop/board, a simple reflector or white board can be helpful with adding in more light & a step stool can be helpful for getting high to shoot a clean overhead shot.

What tools do you think a photographer needs on-hand to shoot yarn well?

I think what’s great & accessible about shooting yarn (and many other props!) is that you don’t need a ton of tools or special equipment. If you have a decent camera, a clean background/surface & some good soft light, you can make a beautiful photo!

How do you know if a model is going to translate well on camera?

It honestly may be a bit hard to tell beforehand just by a photo. I always know if a person will pop on camera after I’ve seen them in action and have seen them move/pose behind the camera! Hopefully if they are comfortable being behind the camera and understand how to show off/own what they are wearing it will translate well!

What is your top tip for shooting with a model / getting a model comfortable in front of the camera?

Talk to them! The best thing you can do before you start photographing anyone, even a model, is to chat and get to know them and feel comfortable having a good conversation with them before you can make great photos of them!

When do you think it's most important to hire a professional photographer for your business or project?

Anytime you want to elevate an idea, make your work stand out, help grow your business, make profit/revenue on a project or any/all of the above you need to enlist the help and expertise of a professional photographer! Beautiful photos speak volumes about how much you care about your business or project. We are visual humans and people notice the difference! If you have any budget or margin to work with, you won’t regret having professional images to showcase whatever it is you are working on.

HOW-TO: Knit the Sheep Sorrel pattern, designed by Pam Allen + a profile on Quince & Co.

An excerpt from Slow Knitting by Hannah Thiessen.

Open a back issue of Interweave Knits, search your shelf of knitting books, or simply glance through your Ravelry library and past projects, and I’m sure you’ll find something designed by Quince & Co.’s Pam Allen. From the publication of her first patterns in the early 1980s to her management of one of today’s most popular and prolific knitting brands, Pam has been a stable presence in a knitting market that has undergone vast amounts of change.

Pam’s earliest published knitting patterns appeared in Family Circle magazine. She sustained herself by publishing works and getting herself involved with anything knitting-related, including knitting swatches for yarn companies. She then moved into writing books (like Knitting for Dummies, which adorns my own bookshelf and taught me to purl, yarn over, and increase stitches), and she eventually became the editor in chief at Interweave Knits. Interweave combined many of Pam’s interests—fashion, art, history, research, construction, and instruction—into one neat package. She helped the company weather the industry’s move toward new Internet content offerings bolstered by the rise of Ravelry, the popular online knitting and crochet community, and the overnight boom of independent publishing. Afterward, she left Interweave Knits to pursue her interest in the making of yarn as creative director at Classic Elite, an established yarn company.

Pam enjoyed the process of coordinating and creating the new visions for each season of yarns, patterns, and campaigns for Classic Elite. During her time there, she got a call from a Texas mohair producer interested in making a yarn featuring his fiber. The fiber was wonderful, but like many large yarn companies, Classic Elite had long forgone using American mills to spin their yarn in favor of better pricing and higher production overseas. Regardless, Pam agreed to see samples. In talking to the mohair farmer, she discovered that a mill local to her in Maine was doing custom spinning, and she decided to do some research. While Classic Elite wasn’t interested in expanding to American production at the time, Pam decided to break away and pursue her new dream of becoming a yarn producer with the purpose of rejuvenating American textile production. She partnered with the mill owner, Bob Rice, and launched Quince & Co. in 2010.

Each and every yarn released through Quince & Co. goes through a design process that highlights the unique qualities of the fibers involved. Pam has pulled on her vast experience working with and selecting yarns to create beautiful versions of familiar things. Owl, a worstedweight, plump two-ply, is one of my favorite examples. Typically, Huacaya alpaca is spun to enhance the slinky, silky aspects of the fiber, resulting in yarns that have great drape, but may be heavy for use in larger garments. Combining alpaca with a special blend of American-bred wool, Owl is then woolen-spun, a method that adds air in between the yarn fibers and allows for warmth that is lofty and lightweight. One of the unique aspects of Owl is that each season, alpaca colors are slightly different based on the animal’s breeding, age, and coloration. This results in a yarn that while not consistent year to year, is truly special in its uniqueness. Instead of seeing this as a challenge, Pam has embraced these differences and introduces new colors of Owl frequently. (Although she does encourage those who knit with this yarn to buy enough for their garment all at once!)

Like the sheep’s wool used in Owl, the fiber used in all of Quince & Co.’s yarns is carefully considered and sourced, and not simply in the easiest way possible. After consulting with cotton farmers and discovering that growing and maintaining organic cotton standards wasn’t resulting in a premium product, Pam decided to go with Cleaner Cotton™ through the Sustainable Cotton Project. This process uses biologically based processes to manage pests and avoids compounds that create problems for natural wildlife populations, like honeybees. Unlike organic cotton, in which losses and waste create their own harmful results, Cleaner Cotton™ allows farmers to maintain the yields that are profitable without sacrificing the land’s quality and stability.

Six years after its start, Quince & Co. has become synonymous with beautiful, fresh design. Pam Allen has long since bought her partner out and expanded her production from a single mill to five, and has gone from making a handful of yarns to releasing new bases or colors seasonally (the current tally is thirteen yarns). While Quince may still be a fairly small company, Pam hopes it will continue to grow—she never intended it to be a boutique yarn, but instead hopes that someday the company may be large enough to support many farmers. More yarn means more sheep, and more sheep mean more open spaces, ranches, and farms that will not be turned into industrial development or construction. Open space is a commodity that cannot be regained, and Pam is passionate about maintaining as much of it in the United States as possible. Wool, as Pam says, is a living fiber that changes and grows, just like the industry that feeds it.

Sheep Sorrel

Designed by Pam Allen

Who better to design a pattern than the person who designed the yarn? Pam created a simple hat and fingerless mitt set that celebrates the rustic beauty of Owl in high relief. The combination of basic knit and purl stitches used on panels is reminiscent of Guernsey patterning. Ridges of garter stitch and simple cables make these a knit that allows for yarn appreciation throughout the project. Since the stitches are approachable, these make a great group project that knitters of all levels can enjoy.

Finished Measurements Hat: 17¼" (44 cm) circumference Mitts: 7" (18 cm) hand circumference

Yarn Quince & Co. Owl [50% American wool / 50% alpaca; 120 yards (110 meters) / 1¾ ounces (50 grams)]: 3 skeins Mesa (2 skeins for Hat, 1 skein for Mitts)

Needles Hat: Size US 8 (5 mm) needle(s) in your preferred style for working in the rnd Mitts: Size US 6 (4 mm) and US 7 (4.5 mm) needle(s) in your preferred style for working in the rnd

Change needle size if necessary to obtain correct gauge.

Notions Hat: Stitch marker Mitts: Stitch markers; waste yarn

Gauge Hat: 21 sts and 29 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in Hat Pattern, using size US 8 (5 mm) needles Mitts: 19 sts and 34 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in Garter stitch, using size US 7 (5 mm) needles

Special Abbreviations LT: Slip 1 st to cable needle and hold to front, k1, k1 from cn. To work without a cable needle, insert needle from back to front between first and second sts and knit second st, then knit first st and slip both sts from left needle together.

RT: Slip 1 st to cable needle and hold to back, k1, k1 from cn. To work without a cable needle, skip first st and knit into front of second st, then knit first st and slip both sts from left needle together.

Stitch Patterns

HAT PATTERN (multiple of 15 sts; 4-rnd repeat) Rnd 1: *P5, k2, p6, k2; repeat from * to end. Rnd 2: *P1, k3, p1, RT, p1, k4, p1, LT; repeat from * to end. Rnd 3: *P5, k2, p1, k4, p1, k2; repeat from * to end. Rnd 4: *P1, k3, p1, RT, p1, k4, p1, LT; repeat from * to end. Repeat Rnds 1–4 for Hat Pattern.

MITTS PATTERN (panel of 12 sts; 4-rnd repeat) Rnd 1: P1, k2, p6, k2, p1. Rnd 2: P1, RT, p1, k4, p1, LT, p1. Rnd 3: P1, k2, p1, k4, p1, k2, p1. Rnd 4: P1, RT, p1, k4, p1, LT, p1. Repeat Rnds 1–4 for Mitts Pattern.

HAT

Note: Use your preferred method of working in the rnd.

Using Long-Tail CO (see below), CO 90 sts. Join for working in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts; pm for beginning of rnd.

Begin Hat Pattern; work even until piece measures 10" from the beginning, ending with Rnd 4 of pattern.

Shape Crown Rnd 1: *P2tog, p1, p2tog-tbl, k2, p2tog, p2, p2tog-tbl, k2; repeat from * to end—66 sts remain. Rnd 2: *K3, RT, k4, LT; repeat from * to end. Rnd 3: *K3tog, [k2tog] 4 times; repeat from * to end—30 sts remain. Rnd 4: *K2tog; repeat from * to end—15 sts remain. Cut yarn, leaving a 12" (30.5 cm) tail. Thread tail through remaining sts twice, pull tight, and fasten off.

Finishing Block as desired.

MITTS

Right Mitt Note: Use your preferred method of working in the rnd. Using smaller needle(s) and Long-Tail CO (see below), CO 36 sts. Join for working in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts; pm for beginning of rnd.

Rnd 1: P3, work Mitts Pattern over next 12 sts, p3, pm for beginning of palm, p18. Rnd 2: K3, work to 3 sts before marker, k3, sm, knit to end. Rnd 3: P3, work to 3 sts before marker, p3, purl to end. Rnd 4: K3, work to 3 sts before marker, k3, knit to end. Rnd 5: Repeat Rnd 3.

Change to larger needle.

Rnd 6: Work to marker, sm, k12, k2tog, yo, knit to end. Rnd 7: Work to marker, sm, purl to end. Rnd 8: Work to marker, sm, k11, k2tog, yo, knit to end. Rnd 9: Work to marker, sm, purl to end. Rnd 10: Work to marker, sm, k10, k2tog, yo, knit to end. Rnd 11: Work to marker, sm, purl to end.

Shape Thumb Gusset Rnd 1: Work to marker, sm, k11, yo, knit to end—1 st increased. Rnd 2: Work to marker, sm, purl to end.

Repeat Rnds 1 and 2 six more times—43 sts; 18 sts for back of hand, 25 sts for palm.

Hand Next Rnd: Work to marker, sm, k1, place next 11 sts on waste yarn for thumb, CO 4 sts over gap using Backward Loop CO (see below), knit to end—36 sts remain.

Work even until piece measures 6" (15 cm) from the beginning, ending with Rnd 1 of Pattern. BO all sts purlwise.

Thumb Transfer sts from waste yarn to larger needle(s), pick up and knit 1 st at left side edge of thumb opening, 4 sts from CO sts, then 1 st at right side edge of thumb opening—17 sts. Join for working in the rnd; pm for beginning of rnd. *Knit 1 rnd. Purl 1 rnd. Repeat from * until thumb measures 1" (2.5 cm) from pick-up rnd, ending with a purl rnd. Bind off all sts purlwise.

Left Mitt Work as for Right Mitt through Rnd 5.

Change to larger needle.

Rnd 6: Work to marker, sm, k4, yo, ssk, knit to end. Rnd 7: Work to marker, sm, purl to end. Rnd 8: Work to marker, sm, k5, yo, ssk, knit to end. Rnd 9: Work to marker, sm, purl to end. Rnd 10: Work to marker, sm, k6, yo, ssk, knit to end. Rnd 11: Work to marker, sm, purl to end.

Shape Thumb Gusset Rnd 1: Work to marker, sm, k7, yo, knit to end—37 sts. Rnd 2: Work to marker, sm, purl to end. Rnd 3: Work to marker, sm, knit to last 11 sts, yo, knit to end—1 st increased. Rnd 4: Work to marker, sm, purl to end. Repeat Rnds 3 and 4 five more times—43 sts; 18 sts for back of hand, 25 sts for palm.

Hand Next Rnd: Work to marker, sm, k13, place next 11 sts on waste yarn for thumb, CO 4 sts over gap using Backward Loop CO, k1—36 sts remain.

Complete as for Right Mitt.

Finishing Block as desired.

Special Techniques

Long-Tail CO

– Leaving tail with about 1" (2.5cm) of yarn for each st to be cast-on, make a slipknot in the yarn and place it on the righthand needle, with the tail to the front and the working end to the back. Insert the thumb and forefinger of your left hand between the strands of yarn so that the working end is around your forefinger, and the tail end is around your thumb “slingshot” fashion; *insert the tip of the right–hand needle into the front loop on the thumb, hook the strand of yarn coming from the forefinger from back to front, and draw it through the loop on your thumb; remove your thumb from the loop and pull on the working yarn to tighten the new st on the right–hand needle; return your thumb and forefinger to their original positions, and repeat from * for remaining sts to be CO.

Backward Loop CO – Make a loop (using a slip knot) with the working yarn and place it on the right-hand needle (first st CO), *wind yarn around thumb clockwise, insert righthand needle into the front of the loop on thumb, remove thumb and tighten st on needle; repeat from * for remaining sts to be CO, or for casting on at the end of a row in progress.

Like the “slow food” movement, Slow Knitting encourages knitters to step back, pare down, and celebrate the craftsmanship of their work. In five chapters centered around the tenets of slow knitting—sourcing carefully, making thoughtfully, thinking environmentally, experimenting fearlessly, and exploring openly—Hannah Thiessen challenges knitters of all skill levels to view their practice in a new way. Each chapter contains explorations of fiber types; profiles of well-known yarn types, makers, and yarn suppliers; and garment patterns inspired by the featured fibers. With contributions from knitting superstars Norah Gaughan, Bristol Ivy, and many others, Slow Knitting proposes an approach to knitting that is both minimalist and all-encompassing, and emphasizes what makes knitting a meditation, a passion, and a unique necessity.