The Sampler - Interviews: Shannon Okey

October Interview: Shannon Okey

Shannon Okey is a Cleveleand-based crafter, consultant, entrepreneuse and author of several books. Her latest book, Spin to Knit: The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn, is hitting stores this month.

Currently on her book tour for Spin to Knit, Shannon took a brief break to chat with the Sampler.

Hello there, Shannon. Would you please introduce yourself to the Sampler Clan?

I'm the author of several books, the most recent of which is Spin to Knit. I've also written the Knitgrrl series and Crochet Style, co-authored Felt Frenzy and AlterNation, and edited Just Socks and Just Gifts. I own a crafty online shop, I organize the Cleveland edition of Bazaar Bizarre...

So... just a regular girl, huh?

I am just a regular girl!: A regular, Type A, Martha Stewart-type girl!

Dime a dozen.

Hey, there are lots of rockstars in the craft world -- I'm part of a larger constellation of fabulosity!

Shannon, you've got a new book coming out because, you know, you've got oodles of time for book writing...

(I feel like I should blush when I say this, but...) I love my new book. I love spinning!

Tell us about your latest book and how fabulous it is and why everyone should run out and buy it.

Spin To Knit (published by Interweave Press) is a book specifically designed for knitters who want to make their own yarn, and then actually make things with that yarn. Well, not just knitters. Crocheters, too! If you love yarn, you can use this book...Actually, Kim Werker of CrochetMe.com, who I'm on book tour with right now, is going to help me experiment with handspun + crochet...

I love to spin, too!

What do you like to spin? (This is always my first question...)

Your mom.

HA! Well, she is fuzzy...... KIDDING!

What percentage of knitters you know are able to spin their own yarn? Do you think that most knitters even think about spinning their own yarn?

I think a lot of knitters have started! They see the beautiful handspun yarns that are for sale out there and get inspired and then they can use my book to learn from scratch how to make their own.

I see this a lot, actually... people who knit want to get more involved with the process, so they take up spinning... and then they delve a little further and take up creating their own custom fibers... where will it end?! will we all own sheep one day?

If I had my way, I'd already have one. My boyfriend says "you live in the city! you cannot have a sheep!" Me: "But... but... then you wouldn't need to mow the lawn!"

YES. That is a genius comeback.

Well, we're up to a dog plus two cats now, or as my felting book co-author Heather Brack says "one cat away from crazy cat lady." So I can't use the "you won't let me have a pet!" excuse... However: we want to move to Maine, and if/when we do... sheep city.

He won't let you have a SHEEP... sheep are smarter than dogs, you know. I read it in a magazine.

It's true! If you look in Spin to Knit, in the introduction there is a photo of the Eddie sweater. Eddie himself (a ram) was like a giant dog! He kept head-butting me and wanting to be petted. As attention-hungry as my dachshund...And speaking of whom... did you know you can spin dog fur?

YES. My fiancé keeps telling me to do it because our dog sheds like a jerk.

I taped an episode of Knitty Gritty last October that hasn't aired yet on how to spin dog fur... just wait 'til it airs and you'll be good. What kind of dog do you have?

A chow/golden mix. Her hair is AWESOME. She's all blonde and foxy.

Oh yes. Goldens have supersoft fur and chows are nice and fuzzy... just right for spinning. You can't spin dachshund, alas.

Okay.

Too "hairy," not enough fuzzy.

Oh, you can spin them, alright. Just not their fur.

Yes, and then she gives you the put-upon look. Typical.

What does a knitter need, besides your book, to start spinning?

A stick. And some fluff. That's all! You don't even need a spindle, if you want to be really hardcore about it. Take a wooden spoon from your kitchen, hold it with the stick end pointing away from you, and cut a little notch about an inch from the end, just enough to catch yarn in... and tie a piece of fuzzy yarn into it, then spin it and feed the roving (prepared fiber) onto it just like a spindle... read the book and you can even make your own spindle out of old CDs. Heck, you can spin fiber with just your hand, but good luck making a sweater's worth of yarn...

Where would you rate your book on the beginner to expert scale? is there something in it for true begginners? Something for those who are more experienced?

It's actually a pretty wide range, both spinning ability level-wise and knitting ability level-wise. You can start by making a little bit of yarn and knit a very simple wristlet, or you can make some lovely fancy thin yarn and knit a giant shawl... then there's lots of stuff in between. The other nice thing is that many patterns combine commercial AND handspun yarn, so you don't have to spin a huge amount to get started on a project, either.

You know what I liked? The pictures. Did you get to have a hand in the art direction for the book?

Funny you should ask. My mom and I did all the step by step photos, so that's me, my hands, and my Type A personality bossing the photographer around. (aka my mom). The model shots were done by Interweave, the featured spinner shots by me, and then some of the pretty pretty art shots were me, too...

Btw, I spin your mom.

HA!@

That's awesome that you got to control so many aspects of the book, Martha. Burn!

"Martha, Martha, Martha!" ( say like "Marcia Marcia Marcia" from the Brady Bunch) Yes. I am a control freak and I am not ashamed to admit it. It's why I work like, 15 hours a day...

I think that a lot of crafters with their own businesses are like that. That's why they have their own businesses.

Exactly. They got tired of watching what passes for quality work in corporate America and ran for the hills.

How does a busy girl stay sane?

Kittens. Kittens and a boyfriend who will take you out for a drink when you need one. Of course, you're presuming I'm sane to begin with, or aspire to be.

You gotta have goals.

My goals are to make all my deadlines, make work I'm proud of, win the lottery and hire a giant staff who can make me look good. You know, like Martha.

Oooh, lotto is in my goal book, too!

We were just talking about that at dinner! If we won the lottery, we'd use the money to hire all our friends to do cool things. It would be a kind of arts support grant lotto win...

Shannon, I noticed in your book that there aren't any haiku...

A grievous fault to be sure.

Would you please favor us with a Spin to Knit haiku?

Ok. Haiku. I am thinking of one. I am inspired!

Spin, my little wheel
Round and round and round and round
Soon, yarn will happen

Oooh, that's good.

HA! I AM AWESOME HAIKU MASTER!

Thank you, Haiku Master, for taking the time to talk to the Sampler!

Learn more about Shannon at Shannon-Okey.com or in interviews from her Blog Tour.