10HoursOrLess, Indie Design Gift ALong 2019 Interview
Contents
- 1 10HoursOrLess, Indie Design Gift ALong 2019 Interview
- 1.1 How did you get into knitting/crochet and who taught you?
- 1.2 What made you want to start designing?
- 1.3 What’s you favourite part of the design process?
- 1.4 What inspires you?
- 1.5 Are you a full-time or part-time designer and how does that fit into your life?
- 1.6 Do you have a favourite thing to design and why?
- 1.7 Do you have much time to make things for yourself or for gifting?
- 1.8 If someone knitted or crocheted a gift item for you, what would you love the most?
- 1.9 Do you have a favourite yarn and why?
- 1.10 What’s your favourite of your own designs and what do you love about it?
- 1.11 Is there anything new you can tell us about or a recent design you’d like to chat about?
- 1.12 What’s your favourite colour?
- 1.13 Have you been a participating designer in the Indie Gift Along before and what do you love most about it?
- 1.14 Which Gift Along 2019 designers inspire you and why?
- 1.15 How do people get in touch with you or see more of your work?
Today we’re chatting to knit and crochet designer 10HoursOrLess who is also a Mod for the Indie Gift Along, tell us a little about yourself please George.
How did you get into knitting/crochet and who taught you?
When I was 12 years old, I found a long-forgotten “How to Crochet” book alongside an old skein of yarn and hook stuffed into the living room closet. From that, I taught myself the basics of crochet. Shortly thereafter, I learned to knit from a book I borrowed from my local library.
What made you want to start designing?
What’s you favourite part of the design process?
The initial inception, when an idea first takes hold and the possibilities are endless: What fibers? What patterns? What colors? What shapes? It’s a magical time when I begin to see a design take shape much like a movie in my head.
What inspires you?
Nature. At this point in my life, I appreciate the clear mind and quiet reflection that comes with hiking Florida’s forest trails surrounded by trees, ponds and wildlife. Since I left the city over a decade ago, I’ve come to really “see” and appreciate the wonders around me. That not only inspires my designs, but my everyday life as well.
Are you a full-time or part-time designer and how does that fit into your life?
I’m a full-time designer and publisher. And that suits me perfectly. I’m my own boss. I control my own time. I do what I want, where I want, when I want. If it’s a beautiful day, I might spontaneously stop work in late morning and then drive to the coast for the afternoon. If I’ve spent the day hiking, I might decide to come home and design until midnight. Every day is new. Every day is different. And that’s how I like it.
Do you have a favourite thing to design and why?
I actually don’t. And I’ll tell you why: I get bored very easily.
Being a designer allows me to immerse myself in one type of project and subsequently move on to an entirely different one thereafter. A month of working with wool will have me yearning for cotton or silk. A couple of knitted designs will eventually give way to thinking about crochet. After a succession of bulky projects, I’m ready for sport or fingering weight work. So I guess my “favorite thing to design” is whatever I’m working on at the time.
Do you have much time to make things for yourself or for gifting?
Since I spend my work time immersed in knitting or crochet, I never pick up the needles or hooks otherwise. Living in Florida, I much prefer to spend my free time in the active outdoors. So while I do have time to make things for myself and for others, I never do.
If someone knitted or crocheted a gift item for you, what would you love the most?
Definitely an afghan. Any style. Any kind. To me, there’s something quite comforting about a handmade afghan that goes beyond function or aesthetics. In fact, my aunt made an oversized afghan for me over 40 years ago – and it’s currently sitting atop my bed.
Do you have a favourite yarn and why?
I don’t have a favorite yarn per se, but I do have a favorite type. My favorite type is natural, non-superwash wool. The way it feels. The way it flows through my hands. The way it settles into the stitches. And the way it ultimately comes alive during the first wash and block.
What’s your favourite of your own designs and what do you love about it?
I love all my “children” equally. Even the ugly ones. 🙂
Is there anything new you can tell us about or a recent design you’d like to chat about?
That’s an interesting question – and a timely one. Especially since I’ve chosen to use the month of December to reassess my business direction. At this point, I don’t know whether I’ll continue the 10 Hours or Less™ brand as it is, expand it into other areas (like sewing and quilting) or add another entirely different brand to my portfolio. And that I don’t yet know. So stay tuned!
What’s your favourite colour?
Would you believe I don’t have one? The palettes I’m drawn to depend entirely on my mood at the time, which can lean toward soft neutrals or rustic heathers or deep jewel tones or electric neons.
Have you been a participating designer in the Indie Gift Along before and what do you love most about it?
Without a doubt, what I love most is being on the Moderator Team. The intelligence, competence and humor of the GAL moderators is second-to-none. We come from different walks of life, different corners of the globe, and yet work seamlessly together. Every year, I get so much more out of being a GAL moderator than I ever give back.
Which Gift Along 2019 designers inspire you and why?
There are so many! But to name a few that stand out to me in specific categories:
Classic: Nina Machlin Dayton (Therese Hat – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/therese-hat-2)
Contemporary: Christelle Nihoul (Bel Ami Shawl – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bel-ami)
Lacework: Lily Go (Proud as a Peacock Shawl – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/proud-as-a-peaco…)
Patterning: Barbara Benson (Courant Stole – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/courant-3)
Whimsy: Loraine (Santa Tea Cozies – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/santa-tea-cozies…)
How do people get in touch with you or see more of your work?
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/10HoursorLess
Ravelry: https://www.Ravelry.com/designers/10-hours-or-less
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/10HoursorLess
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/10HoursorLess
Quick links to our shop
Austermann Yarns, Baby Yarns, Debbie Bliss Yarns, Lanas Stop Yarns, Araucania Yarns, Schoeller & Stahl Yarns, Felting Yarns, Noro Yarns, DK Yarns, 4ply Yarns, Aran Yarns, Fur Yarns, James C Brett Yarns, Lion Brand Yarns