Tuesday 29 December 2015

Indie Design GAL 2015: Meet a designer: Sara Gresbach

I first discovered Sara Gresbach's knitting patterns when I was looking through all the Indie Design GAL patterns during last years GAL. It's taken me until this year to actually knit the Tupelo Slouch pattern that I bought last year, but I am delighted to be able to interview Sara (addiesma on Ravelry) here on my blog.

Tupelo Slouch, image copyright Sara Gresbach

1. How did you get into designing?
I got into designing shortly after I started knitting, simply because I can’t just leave well enough alone! I love to follow a pattern and have the FO turn out exactly as intended, but I also love making things my own, which is how I got into designing. I started to play with small changes in the things I was knitting, which sort of transitioned naturally into designing.


2. What is your favourite part of the design process?
That’s a tough one! I love every part. I enjoy the initial brainstorming and have really grown to love swatching, but the feeling I get when I pick something up after blocking for the first time to see how it truly turned out, that’s magic. I also really love to see how test knitters interpret my designs too, which is also a great phase of the whole process.


3. Which is your favourite of your designs?
Hmm, that’s tough! I have had so much fun designing my Lodgepole pieces, so I would say they rank pretty high up there. Lodgepole Hat, Lodgepole Cowl and the adorable little Lodgepole Pullover, which is an all time favorite for my son. He wears it SO much, I think I will be making the next size up for next winter.




The Lodgepole Collection, images all copyright Sara Gresbach

4. And your most underappreciated?
I have a couple cowls that I loved designing and wear a ton that I wish folks would choose to knit more. They are so cozy and fun! Moonpath and Comfrey.


Moonpath Cowl, image copyright Sara Gresbach
Comfrey Cowl, image copyright Sara Gresbach

5. You’re a mum; how has that changed your approach to knitting?
Well, I took up knitting when my oldest was just under a year old, and for me, it was the perfect fit for a creative outlet. It was functional, I could make things for my kids, and it was easy to pick up and put down, as well as portable. I can’t even picture my life with out it anymore, and now that my kids are older, it’s part of their everyday life too. They wear their hand knits like crazy and my daughter has learned to knit, and I don’t think her brother will be too far behind her, as he’s interested in learning too. They both are excited to learn to spin at some point too. It’s a way of life that has involved the whole family.


6. Which other GAL designers are on your must-knit list?
There are so many I just adore, I had to hold myself back from buying more than I could knit this year! I bought a couple patterns that I hope to make for my kiddos in the near future, one from Heidi Atwood-Reeves, Tinsel Tree, and the adorable Langstroth sweater by Elizabeth Green Musselman.


Tinsel Tree, image copyright Heidi Atwood-Reeves
Langstroth, image copyright Elizabeth Green Musselman

7. What is your favourite knitting technique?
I love working cables with out a cable needle. When I learned that, it made cables so much faster and they really “clicked” for me.


8. Are there any knitting techniques you’re keen to learn?  
Yes! I still haven’t knit a pair of socks, so that’s definitely on my list for 2016, and I’d really like to steek, hopefully a sweater.

9. If money was no object, what crafting object would you like to unwrap on Christmas morning?
Oh boy….that’s tough! Probably just a giant basket of all of my favorite yarns, as well as some I’ve been longing to try out. It would be like opening a bag of inspiration!


As part of the GAL, I have knitted Sara's Tupelo Slouch, which I tell you about in a separate post tomorrow.

A sneak preview of my Tupleo Slouch

If you want to find out more about Sara and her work, she can be found here:

Blog: http://www.frontporchknitting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontporchknitting
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/people/frontporchknitting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gresbachsara/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/addiesma


It's been lovely chatting to fellow designers over the past few weeks. The Gift-A-Long continues until the end of the year. Full details can be found in the Indie Design Gift-A-Long group on Ravelry.*

*Note that you must be logged into Ravelry for this link to work.

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