Thursday, March 31, 2016

A word with Ms. Laura Nelkin

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to another episode of my series of chats with designers I truly admire. But first, allow me to apologize for not getting this chat up earlier, I must confess that distractions, such as knitting and something I'm starting to explore, weaving, can be a bugaboo. But enough about me.


This month I chat with Laura Nelkin of Nelkin Designs. She recently launched another of her delightful Mystery Knit Alongs featuring her considerable talents and my newest entry to the yarn world, Reticule. The first hint went out, oh, pooh, March 29th. Mea culpa, mea culpa. If you're on Ravelry you can find it here: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/nelkin-designs/3403095/1-25

I met with Laura near her home in upstate New York.

Read, create, and enjoy.


Hello Dear. Please let me say you look wonderful. That is quite the smart top. But I digress, let us find out who is Laura Nelkin?

Where were you born?
Westchester County outside of New York City

And where do you live now?
Trumansburg, NY which is outside of Ithaca…. I’ve been here since 1991, so 25 years. (How did that happen?)

I love to travel. Please, tell me what place, anywhere in the world, would you call your favorite?
And why?
I’m going to have to say home… despite the cold and grey, this area fits my lifestyle perfectly. The food, community, music, outdoor activities, and general spirit make it the best place to live day to day. When I am not traveling I am a homebody, and I LOVE living somewhere simple. It is easy to get around, procure what we need and not battle crowds and traffic. Some people say it is 10 square miles surrounded by reality, I just call it Gorges!

Do you enjoy travel?
OH MY GOODNESS YESSSSSSS!

Where have you been that you long to see again? Why do you miss it?
I absolutely loved Copenhagen, I could happily live there for a few months. The design, aesthetic, architecture, coffee and pastries made me feel right at home. We live quite rurally and it is a city I could find myself at home in!

And are there new places you dream of seeing?
I’ve got a bee in my bonnet about going to Spain and then the Canary Islands… this will happen in the next few years for sure! Oh, and also Panama!

What three things do you never travel without?
1. My aeropress, handgrinder and Gimme! Coffee
2. A whiskey flask
3.
Emergen-C and Wellness Formula

This is my kit for travel success!





What is your favorite part of a trip away from home?
I sleep with my knitting! At home I never take my knitting to the bedroom (it’s work for me you see)… when I travel alone it is like a treat! Especially if I leave my family at home, then it is my companion!

As a counterpoint what do you like least about being away from home?
I miss my family (if they aren’t with me) and my spazzy standard poodle, Noche and freaky kitty Buffy!

How did you come to be entangled in the lovely world of yarn?
A little fate, a little luck and A LOT of hard work! (It helped that Schaefer Yarn was 6 miles from my house on back roads!)


Have you any pet peeves or joys about the knitting process?
I wish I wasn’t such a perfectionist sometimes…. The more I knit the more I know how good something can be. This means I rip out and reknit WAY more than I used to!


Let's chat about your newest Mystery KAL. Tell me how this design came to be. Were you responding to a personal need? Inspired by something in your world? Do tell.
Even though I am telling knitters that this Mystery KAL (MKAL) is a shawl I always like knitters to think that they are making a thong… so every MKAL I do is inspired by different ways a thong can be constructed. Synthesis is no exception to this rule!Except there is so much purple yarn involved it is clearly a thong for Barney this time!

That is delicious. How was your experience of the yarn?
Reticule is stunning, its drape is superb and thought the fibers are smooth they aren’t too slippery making it not too difficult to work with. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of it as they sink their needles into this new and scrumptious yarn!

Thank you dear. It was wonderful to find out a little bit more about you than I knew before. We must do this again in, let's say, Copenhagen?
Haha, it's a date. 

There she is dear Hearts, Laura Nelkin of Nelkin Designs. Do join her Mystery KAL. It sounds like a lovely project with, if I may say so myself, a wonderful new yarn called Reticule.

To learn more about Laura, her amazing work, and her delightful mystery knit along club, The M Club, please visit her website NelkinDesigns.com.

As for me I'm off to find a hand grinder and some that delicious Gimme Coffee.

Ciao Darlings.