|
QUICK
CLICKS
About Us
Advertise
Archives
Blog
Columns
Contact Us
Featured Articles
Home
Media Room
Patterns
Share
Submit
Subscribe
|
Ethnic Knitting:
A Roundtable Discussion (cont'd)
by L'Tanya Durante
Donna
Druchunas,
Author of Ethnic Knitting Discovery and Arctic Lace: Knitting
Projects and Stories Inspired by Alaska's Native Knitters,
www.sheeptoshawl.com
 On
inspiration…
"I love
textiles from different cultures, and I love old and antique textiles,
too. I get a lot of inspiration from these things and it does carry over
into my own designs. Sometimes I try to copy something very directly, to
transpose a Mexican weaving pattern into knitted colorwork, for example.
Other times the influences are more subtle, but they are still there. My
choice of colors, for example, or my decision about what fiber to use for
a specific project, might be determined by something I've seen or read
about in an ethnic textile tradition. I collect a lot of books about
textiles, many of which are about other techniques besides knitting."
On
passion…
"I am a very modern person. I like
forward-thinking and progressive attitudes in culture and politics, but
I'm constantly drawn to old and traditional things in my physical
surroundings. I don't particularly care for modern furnishings or for very
much fashion-forward design for myself (I think it's cool, and I love to
look at it in magazines and at museums, but I don't surround myself with
it). Something about tradition makes me feel comforted. So although I
don't want to live my life following many traditions, I represent that
comfort zone by surrounding myself by physical reminders of the history of
my own family and of different cultures."
On
process…
"There's nothing like going to a place
to absorb the colors and texture of the life there. I can't go
everywhere I want to go. My inspiration usually begins with armchair
travel. I love reading, and when I get obsessed with a topic, I'm likely
to read a hundred -- or more -- books on the subject and related topics. I
think reading is wonderful because it's inexpensive (or free if you go to
the library) and can give all of us many more experiences that we could
ever afford otherwise."
"When I do get to travel, I like to spend time
with people and with things. I like to go to museums and markets and shops
in the area and see the historical artifacts and garments, but I also like
to just go out and get a feeling for the place and meet people."
"When I work on a book,
I make a very rough outline; a list of ideas I want to explore really. But
after I get into the research this almost always changes, especially when
I get to travel. You learn so much more than you ever imagined, there's no
way to figure out what you'll need to write about beforehand!"
On advice…
"Don't
be afraid. It's so easy to rip out your knitting and start over if you
don't like what you've come up with. And what would you do next anyway? My
guess is knit something else. If you still feel intimidated by trying new
things, start with small projects first. That's why I included a practice
project in each chapter of Ethnic Knitting Discovery, so the
readers can play with colors and textures and try the different techniques
on a small accessory before diving head first into sweater design."
On
her style…
“Have fun! Most
everything I do is to have fun. I guess that makes me a hedonist of sorts.
Even when I do things for charity or to help others, I expect to get some
satisfaction and joy out of it. It is, as they say, better to give than to
receive. But when we give, we also receive. I don't believe in an
afterlife, so I guess I think we need to enjoy this life as much as we
can, and part of that enjoyment for me comes from knowing that I can also
help others to experience pleasures by helping to alleviate some of the
suffering in this world in some small way."
<<Continued
on next page>>
|
