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Quercus: Knitting Nell is your first book. Did you move back and forth between writing/revising text and doing the illustrations? What was the process?
After the initial creation of the main characters, the story came in one piece. My current editor at Houghton had invited me (after an earlier submission of mostly artwork) to send her anything I had, so I sent her the story, art samples, and a page sketch. Along with that, I sent a second manuscript, accompanying art, and other assorted art samples. She liked both story ideas I sent, but I chose to work first on revisions to the other manuscript instead of Knitting Nell. It is far more complex, with many interesting characters who became very dear to me over the course of my work on it, but in the end, Nell won out as the better “first book.”
Quercus: How old were you when you learned to knit?
I taught myself to knit just after I’d graduated from college and was very tired from my studies. It seemed the perfect thing to lose myself in over the summer. It was great. I would knit all morning, go to my internship at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in the afternoon, and wait tables at night.
Quercus: According to your website, when you do school visits you engage the students in knitting. How do you teach an entire class to knit?
I offer several presentation/activity options for schools; knitting is one of them. The desire to teach kids about knitting comes from my own love of making things. When I am making something with my own hands, I am immensely happy, whether it be knitting, sewing, gardening, etc. For kids, whose passions are being stirred in many directions, knitting together becomes a vehicle to talk about the simplicity of discovering and doing what you love. It also gives us a chance to talk about the importance of making things (the classroom can make their own knitting needles and recycle yarn if they want to).
I teach the youngest children (K-2) finger knitting, and the older children, knitting on needles. I have large demonstration tools (an oversized, stuffed hand for finger knitting and large dowels for needles). Ideally, we also have parent helpers in the classroom. For teachers who would like to have knitting or the book, Knitting Nell, fit more directly into curriculum, there are many creative avenues available.
Quercus: Nell knits all the time. She also knits for others. You say her character inspired the Good Scarf Project which focuses on using knitting as a fun activity to connect with others and also be of service. The observable manifestation of the project will be a virtual scarf that grows on your website as participants send in photos of their scarf sections. What sort of samples have you seen so far? Where have they come from? Why did you name it the Good Scarf Project?
We’ve just recently launched the project, and it runs for a year, so we are just beginning to see some submissions now, though we are hearing about the creation of many more—from as far away as Australia. We have one from Camp Fire USA, knitting for all children to grow up in a world of peace; we have some that have been knit in honor of environmental organizations; and my own first submission is in honor of someone good, a young woman I knew named Samantha.
After fiddling around with words like “knitting for a world of good,” I thought that the word “good” is so nice by itself. All the letters are roundish and encircling. It is simple, and that’s what the project is about—just honoring goodness—which of course, is everywhere. (One of my favorite pages in Knitting Nell is when the ‘good’ side of the bully, Danny Tucker, is revealed at the county fair.)
Quercus: Have you worked professionally as a writer or artist prior to publishing Knitting Nell?
Prior to publishing Nell, I have always worked in the visual arts and communication arts: graphic design, illustration, and arts administration. Actually, my first two real jobs on the planet were two of the oddest jobs a young person could have—a subject I hope to elaborate on in a little talk for older kids someday.
Quercus: Writers often have writing groups and they get feedback from the group members as they develop a story. Is there anything like that for a visual artist who is creating a book?
I am not aware of too many visual art groups that operate that way. The best feedback for me during my process of perfecting my portfolio was to just look at hundreds of picture books, study, and compare my work to them.
Quercus: What are you knitting now?
A long Japanese vest. It’s actually very simple. I recently met the woman who designed the pattern and dyed the wool I’m using for it, so it feels extra special. I’ve been very inspired by all the knitters I’m meeting!
Quercus: What are you painting or drawing now?
I’m working on drawings (and revising a story) for a new picture book.
Quercus: What are you reading now?
I haven’t had nearly enough time to read lately. But, the stack by the side of my bed has a wonderful selection of children’s middle grade fiction, non-fiction favorites I poke around in, poetry, and, of course, knitting books. |
