This month I’m talking to Lindsay Lewchuk, the designer of Knit Eco Chic, which creates knitting patterns that use of animal-fiber-free eco yarns, fit curves, and incorporate unique and intricate patterns in the designs.
These monthly features of other creative businesses are a way for all of us to get to know these wonderful makers; it has been a long-time interest of mine to explore how other creative people make their way as professionals.
Welcome Lindsay!
I know Lindsay from my A System of Grading Classes, Ravelry, and Instagram. I asked Lindsay to be my guest because she is a very thoughtful and engaging student, with a lot of impressive designs.
Q: Tell us about someone who has been important to you as you became Knit Eco Chic?
A: Nina Machlin Dayton is my VIP! I first met her on Ravelry in the Budding Designers’ group after she kindly responded to a question I posed. I kept asking and, with her extremely patient mod-style, she kept responding.
Shortly thereafter, Alex Tinsley recommended we bring her on as an admin for the Indie Design Gift-a-long (GAL). Those early days of the GAL were absolutely insane with designers jumping on board right, left, and center. Everyone was working to get the group up with all the rules organized and posted, all in time for the kick off, which was just a few weeks after the initial proposal of the idea!
Nina stepped in like a pro, and quickly became the public admin face of the event – something neither Alex nor I were wanting to do ourselves. Through the GAL I got to know Nina as a designer and person. She took me under her wing with her advice and guidance.
Years later she continues to recommend resources and tips for growing as a business and designer. One of my favorite aspects is that a friendship has developed from that initial Internet mentoring! One day I wish to meet her in person as she’s become so dear to me.
The number of people who any of us can say are significant to us and that we have met through the internet is wonderful. It can be a true place of coming together and I have watched for years as knitting has blossomed because of those interactions!
I love that hat your dad is wearing—NinaKnits shows how mixing simple design elements can really change the game!
Q: I know you are a bit of a Photoshop expert. Tell me what you do!
A: I LOVE Photoshop; whether it developed out of need or out of love of drawing, I discovered that through Photoshop I can enjoy my art in an allergy-friendly medium! “Camera Mom” and “Camera Dad” joined the Knit Eco Chic team on the first photoshoot. It was only after I downloaded the pictures that I realized, just because it was for publication the photos didn’t automatically turn out amazingly. In the early days I was lucky if I had a head and the knitwear was in focus ;-). From the get go, I decided to learn photo editing (thank you phlearn videos) to retouch the shots from family photo to business worthy. Credit where credit is due – over they years they have both grown immensely in their shooting talents! Most of my edit time now is on facial corrections (pesky zits) and color balancing to take great to flawless.
After several years of working on my own photos, I began offering my skills to other designers. My goal is always to make the hero shine! Whether it is muting the background, like the photo Nina hired me to retouch, or removing distracting elements, fixing shadows, or matching the color over a set of photos shot at different times and locations, I thoroughly enjoy each project and the challenges it brings. I love seeing photos transformed to being knitwear hero shots that present the designer’s vision in it’s best possible light!
It is such a great change to that photo. I’m convinced it is worth fiddling with the background when it isn’t quite right!
Q: I know you are a bit of a Photoshop expert. Tell me what you do!
A: I LOVE Photoshop; whether it developed out of need or out of love of drawing, I discovered that through Photoshop I can enjoy my art in an allergy-friendly medium! “Camera Mom” and “Camera Dad” joined the Knit Eco Chic team on the first photoshoot. It was only after I downloaded the pictures that I realized, just because it was for publication the photos didn’t automatically turn out amazingly. In the early days I was lucky if I had a head and the knitwear was in focus ;-). From the get go, I decided to learn photo editing (thank you phlearn videos) to retouch the shots from family photo to business worthy. Credit where credit is due – over they years they have both grown immensely in their shooting talents! Most of my edit time now is on facial corrections (pesky zits) and color balancing to take great to flawless.
After several years of working on my own photos, I began offering my skills to other designers. My goal is always to make the hero shine! Whether it is muting the background, like the photo Nina hired me to retouch, or removing distracting elements, fixing shadows, or matching the color over a set of photos shot at different times and locations, I thoroughly enjoy each project and the challenges it brings. I love seeing photos transformed to being knitwear hero shots that present the designer’s vision in it’s best possible light!
It is such a great change to that photo. I’m now convinced it is worth fiddling with the background when it isn’t quite right! If you can use Lindsay’s skills, read this about her “work for hire”.
Q: What drives you to do what you do as Knit Eco Chic?
A: Eco! While my design aesthetic is unique and interesting patterns, it is always expressed through animal-fiber free eco yarns.
Eco first became important to me from a health standpoint, but the more I researched different ways to be eco, the more I fell in love with what it entails. For instance, yarn certified as fair trade ensures that the workers who produce the fibers are paid a living wage. Eco dyed yarns provides a healthier work environment for dyers, crafting amazing colors in ways that they aren’t harming their own bodies by inhaling (or absorbing through their skin) toxic chemicals while dyeing. Even for those yarns that aren’t animal-fiber free, there are certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), which ensures humane treatment.
Q: Tell me about where you are KnitEcoChic.
A: Under a Great Dane “blanket!” Puddles plays an important role in my life. As a home-bound individual* I don’t get to interact with people in real life, so his presence is companionship, comfort, and unconditional love. Due to his Velcro Dane tendencies, he’s also with me when God inspires each new design, which most often happens in nature. Whether it be on a hike in the woods, cross country skiing through the silent winter, sitting on the deck listening to the birds and watching the deer and wild turkey wander through the forest beyond, or snuggling on the sofa stitching the ideas into life, Puddles is always there! Even as I complete this interview, he’s sounding louder than my music by my chair 😉.
Mitch and I both guessed how much Puddles weighs. We were each off by a bit. Puddles weighs 136 pounds!
*Environmental Illness or “EI” keeps me homebound. I can go outside sometimes (as long as there aren’t any chemicals that will set off my immune system. It is easier to go out in the cold and snow, and harder to go out in warm weather when everyone’s out keeping their gardens pristine.
Thanks for sharing about EI Lindsay. I’m not sure I’ve known anyone with the limitations you have. It makes me feel good about all the little things I do to try to keep my environment as uncluttered as I can, and good reason for us to each do as much as we can.
Q: So what is next for Knit Eco Chic?
A: For the past couple of years, I’ve taken up the practice of designing under a different theme for Knit Eco Chic each year – from “Texture” to “Daring Details.”
For 2018 it’s “Eco Elements,” where each release will feature the eco elements both in the materials and in the design inspiration. It’s a fun way of creating collections for my patterns, which are typically, individual releases. Additionally, this year, the theme ties into my non-design life venture – www.habitatforcanaries.org. After receiving our tax-exempt status, we’re gearing up for moving this project from vision to shovel ready.
Congratulations on the tax-exempt status approval and good luck finding the resources for Habitat for Canaries. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy your designs and photographs. Speaking of that, do you have any new releases you can tell us about?
This is a photo of the first pattern release for Eco Elements, available sometime in March.
Find and Follow Lindsay & Knit Eco Chic
Explore all Knit Eco Chic designs on here.
Find and follow Knit Eco Chic on social media…
Instagram – @knitecochic
Facebook – @KnitEcoChic
Twitter – @KnitEcoChic
YouTube – Knit Eco Chic
Pinterest – @knitecochic
Ravelry – Lindsay Lewchuk
Follow Lindsay’s adventures on the Knit Eco Chic blog here.
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