Test Knitter of the Month - July
With the COVID-19 pandemic still going on, keeping up with monthly test knitter of the month has been hard and this is obviously the last thing on everyone’s mind. I’m still trying my best to get back to it as things start to “open up”.
Each month I’ll like to feature a test knitter from one of my designs.
My hope for a part of this blog is to feature the knitters who spend their time helping me execute a hand knitting pattern. Test knitting, especially garments, are a critical part of the design process and I wouldn’t be able to do it without their valuable feedback.
It’s been important for me to connect with knitters, and people in general, on a human level. My hope is that these introductions will help us connect to others that are more than what we see on the surface.
Test Knitter of the Month - July Feature: Sunbel
How do you identify? she/her. My ethnicity is South Asian. My parents are from Pakistan. I was born in Norway and at 12, my family moved to Denmark, so I’ve been living here for 30+ years.
How many years have you been knitting? What’s your knitting origin story? My mom taught me to knit when I was about 6 years old. I wanted to make all the sweaters for my dolls but I remember thinking it just went too slow and I lost interest. I wouldn’t pick up knitting again until in my late 30's around 2015. It was my way of finding a mindful hobby and, I remember that I knew how to cast on, knit, purl and bind off, it was bit like riding a bike. If you have learned that skill it will always somehow come back to you. Well, I should I say, thanks to YouTube/podcast/knitter without their generosity (free content sharing on different platforms) I wouldn’t have been able to turn to knitting.
Which pattern did you test knit? What size, if garment, and yarns did you use? I test knitted the Algal Blossoming shawl (published in LITLG magazine) for Tina. I used Speckled Finch yarn. There's little lovely story behind the yarn. I won the yarn for a KAL Joji Locatelli hosted last year (2019). I was contemplating on making myself some sort of faded shawl or garment perhaps. But then I saw Tina was looking for a tester for a upcoming design and I immediately knew what that yarn wanted to be. :)
What is your favorite thing about test knitting or why do you test knit? To see designer’s thought process, learning a new skill.
What other making superpowers do you have? I can crochet. I hope to learn other craft at some point, but I'm must say I'm a knitter with a K.
Where can readers find your makes? Instagram: @sunbel_s, Ravelry: 5unb3l
