What, if any, challenges did you encounter during the design process?
I thought this design would be quite straightforward, but I have to admit, I ended up spending a lot of time adjusting the motifs for the larger sizes. Making sure the flowers were perfectly centered across all sizes, both on the body and the sleeves, turned out to be quite a challenge, too. Originally, I planned for the sleeves to be straight, but I didn’t like how that looked in the bigger sizes, so I decided to shape them with decreases instead. It took several attempts, but in the end, I think I found a really clever solution.
If you were to knit this design in another color, what would it be?
My initial idea was to use mustard yellow (Polen) of Xolla Pastoreta for the background and dark brown (Burella) for the motifs. That’s the combination I used for the swatch I submitted. Later, when I spoke with amirisu team, I admitted I wasn’t entirely convinced by those colors and asked if I could experiment with a few more options. I made additional swatches using a raspberry shade (Gerd) for the background with beige (Civada), as well as the blue and white combination that eventually became the final design. We both agreed that the blue version offered the best contrast and suited the design perfectly.
How did you start your knitting journey?
Like many of us, I learned to knit as a child. I have a vivid memory of sitting with my mother, knitting a scarf with brightly colored yarn. But it wasn’t until about 10 or 12 years ago that I truly started knitting. One day, my partner jokingly asked me to make him a sweater, so I decided to take his joke seriuously and buy some yarn and give it a go. At the time, I hadn’t heard of Ravelry, so my first project was a sweater I graded and knitted by following a YouTube tutorial. I remember unraveling that sweater countless times. It was quite frustrating, but I learned so much in the process.
What made you decide to become a designer?
I never really imagined starting a career as a designer. My first design came about during the lockdown, when my job was on hold. Since I had some free time, I decided to develop a few ideas for a submission call for a knitting book, and I was lucky enough that one of them was selected. I enjoyed the process so much that I kept developing new ideas, and that’s how I gradually built a small collection of patterns. I’m fortunate to now work full-time in the world of knitting, and even though it all began somewhat by chance, the time I spend designing remains my favorite.
Among the patterns you’ve designed so far, which one is your favorite?
That’s a tough one! I really love Nivalda, but I haven’t had the time to wear and enjoy it properly yet. My favorite would probably be Pinassa, which is actually quite similar in terms of motifs and inspiration. It’s definitely my most-worn sweater. It’s just so comfy!