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When you first learned to knit, you might have wondered why certain stitches made fabric that curled, or why right-leaning and left-leaning decreases didn't quite match, or why charts didn't really show what the knitted fabric would look like. Knitting patterns might have seemed completely unworkable. If we stick with the craft, most knitters eventually take these oddities in stride and work around them. We learning to fudge what we can't fix, and we figure that's the way knitting goes. We read our stitches, let the habits of our skilled hands take over, and integrate knitting into our lives the way we ride a bicycle, make a cup of tea, or steer a car. Not Cecelia Campochiaro. With a scientific mind (trained by a PhD in physical chemistry), she approached those small curiosities as chances to investigate knitting more closely. By making small variations—holding several yarns together and creating gradual striping patterns, repeating a sequence of stitches with a slight offset, or mirroring the same stitches on both sides of the work—she has explored the nature of knitting and created extraordinary fabrics. Her latest book, Reversible Knitting, shows the differences in drape, texture, design, and color that emerge simply from removing the idea of “right” and “wrong” sides of the fabric. The richness in Cecelia's work lies in its simplicity. Like knitting itself, the careful repetitions and variations that she presents add up to a project far greater than the sum of its parts, as pleasing to the eye as to the hand. Links Reversible Knitting (https://ceceliacampochiaro.com/reversible-knitting/) is Cecelia's latest book. Making Marls (https://ceceliacampochiaro.com/making-marls/) explores working with strands of different colored yarns held together. Sequence Knitting (https://ceceliacampochiaro.com/sequence-knitting/) examines the surprisingly rich results of repeating a group of stitches. Parastripe Shawl (https://farmfiberknits.com/library/RSPIFfjdRk6icOdEBaAvGA) is available in the Farm & Fiber Knits Library and as part of the Creative Color Collection. (https://farmfiberknits.com/library/LuKQD_4ITWmxBc5CM5MuSg) Carson Demers's book Knitting Comfortably (https://ergoiknit.com/) offers advice on the ergonomics of knitting. This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com (https://www.treenwaysilks.com/). You'll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you'll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. The Michigan Fiber Festival—Michigan's largest sheep and wool festival—is a vibrant world of fiber arts. Discover five days of classes with nationally recognized teachers in spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. Enjoy three days of shopping. Delight in shearing and fiber arts demonstrations. Enjoy a truly immersive experience. Join us in August at the picturesque Allegan County Fairgrounds (you can even camp on site!) Find more details at michiganfiberfestival.info. (The Michigan Fiber Festival – Michigan's largest sheep and wool festival – is a vibrant world of fiber arts. Discover five days of classes with nationally recognized teachers in spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. Enjoy three days of shopping. Delight in shearing and fiber arts demonstrations. Enjoy a truly immersive experience. Join us in August at the picturesque Allegan County Fairgrounds (you can even camp on site!) Find more details at michiganfiberfestival.info.)
Cecelia Campochiaro started knitting at age twelve as a hobby. She has a doctorate in physical chemistry and has lived and worked in Silicon Valley for more than twenty years, developing different kinds of microscopes for finding problems with computer chips. Cecelia began experimenting with new ways to create fabric when flying on business trips. These ideas grew, and eventually the book Sequence Knitting was born. Textiles, photography, and the arts have been lifelong passions, and she loves thinking about how these different creative areas intersect with math and science.
Pom Pom Quarterly's podcast! Sophie and Lydia bring you all the usual fun and knitting related chat, as well as an interview with Cecelia Campochiaro, author of Sequence Knitting.
Sponsor: I wanted to thank this week’s sponsor, Knitterly…a special yarn shop created by Shelli Westcott, based in Petaluma California. I am always amazed at the well curated selection of yarns, fibers and classes Shelli works so hard to provide all us fiber enthusiasts. Knitterly recently released a gorgeous collection of weaving kits featuring a selection of colors and textures chosen by Shelli and her daughter Ashleigh. Make sure to visit knitterly.net for a great list of upcoming classes at the Petaluma shop and a vast selection of yarns and their own Radius collection. Fiber folk: A few weeks ago, I spent a morning sitting in our living room and chatting with Cecelia Campochiaro, the author and creator behind Sequence Knitting. It was fun to discover commonalities other than the obvious love of fiber…from our careers in tech and our time in Taiwan, to having the same tech editor and analytical approach. Sitting across from Cecelia, you can see the passion and dedication to which she applies to her craft, but more than that, you can hear it in her voice. She’s spent an immense amount of time and thought, bringing to the world her first book, Sequence Knitting, a labor of […]
The Pomcast gals talk to the one and only Joji Locatelli! (Apologies for the crackles during this long-distance interview!) We also discuss the PPQ Temarf-Along, the new book Sequence Knitting, some great Travelling Stitches stories, and all our usual segments!