Knit Spirit, to me, starts with Gaëlle’s crocheted bunnies. They are just too cute. It’s also a complete series of videos (in French) for crochet and knitting newbies. But Knit Spirit is also a woman I love to read, and who is exactly the active, sharp Parisian lady one imagines when thinking of that beautiful city of lights.
I asked Gaëlle to answer a few questions; here’s what she had to say.
PS: I was also featured on Knit Spirit (http://knitspirit.net/2015/04/crochetons-avec-julie-sarah-desjardins-aka-accrochet.html). You’ll need a translator for that, but that should not stop you!
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(Q) Can you tell us about the person behind Knit Spirit? Who you are, where you live, what your passions are…
(A) In real life my name is Gaëll. I am addicted to sports, knitting and crochet. I live in Paris.
(Q) How was Knit Spirit born, and how did you come up with the name?
(A) Knit Spirit was born almost 8 years ago when I discovered blogs. Initially, my goal was to have a place to store my patterns, but in the end the blogosphere sucked me in and things took a different turn.
About the name, I just really love the English language (I have family in the States) and I thought it sounded good.
(Q) What do you hope visitors to your website will find?
(A) Motivation to do more than they think they can. People seem to have negative ideas about things being harder than they actually are. That’s why I created those knitting and crochet videos, so that they’d see anyone can do it.
(Q) How long have you been knitting and crocheting, and who taught you?
(A) I learned to crochet 4 years ago. My maternal grandmother had tried to teach me when I was about 7, but I was already a knitter then and I thought crochet was too hard. But then Carine (owner of Lil Weasel ) forced me to pick up a hook, saying it was inconceivable that I didn’t know how to crochet. She explained really well and it was a revelation. For a while I even forgot all about my needles.
(Q) Why rabbits? They are so cute ! I love them !
(A) I don’t know!! They just sort of happened!
(Q) What’s your favorite piece to work on, and with what fiber?
(A) Whether crocheting or knitting, I love to make things for babies. They’re quick and they make awesome gifts. I am currently crazy for blankets. Ce que je préfère réaliser au crochet, comme au tricot, c’est la layette car ça monte vite et ça fait de jolis cadeaux.
As far as fibers go I don’t have a preference, but for baby items it has to be machine washable!
(Q) To people who will be reading this, what’s your message about the fiber arts world?
(A) Crochet and knitting are good for you; they quiet you down, and once the work is completed, they give you something to be proud of (which is a great way to rebuild self-esteem).
(Q) Last question: share something about yourself that people don’t know.
(A) Oh boy, there are a bunch of things people don’t know about me because I only show some aspects of myself on blogs or social media. I like to keep a lot to myself – I think it’s important to preserve my privacy.
But sure, I’ll play along. When I was 7 or 8 and had just started knitting, I wanted to knit my mother a mother’s day cushion with « Maman » written in Jacquard on it. I had prepared my chart and everything, but I followed it from the wrong side and ended up with a mirror image of “Maman” instead.
Awww, sweet! Thanks for agreeing to do this, Gaëlle!
Find all of the links to follow Knit Spirit at her website: http://knitspirit.net
And find all of her video tutorials at : http://knitspirit.net/videos
