In Our Tools, Ourselves, we get to know fiber artisans of all walks, ages, styles and skill levels, by way of their tools. For more on the series, read the introduction.
The first time I remember seeing the name Wool and the Gang was when some of their beautifully bagged knitting kits were being sold at Madewell, before I knew how to knit. I still remember the little pang when I saw them. Obviously I’ve paid closer attention since learning to knit, but I confess I really started zeroing in when they recently began selling their patterns individually. Co-founders Jade Harwood and Aurelie Popper get worlds of credit for helping to bring the art of knitting to a new audience over the past several years, and their creativity extends beyond their knitwear designs to inspired collaborations and charitable campaigns. So I’m really pleased they agreed to give us a look into their worklives as knitters!
They’ve also offered up an amazing giveaway for you guys — check the end of this post for details! And make sure to follow @woolandthegang on Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.
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Do you knit, crochet, weave, spin, dye, sew … ?
We knit a lot and sew sometimes. We’ve knitted since we were 7 years old, both learning to knit from our grandmothers. We met at Central Saint Martins where we studied Textiles Design covering Weave, Print and Knit. We specialized in Knit, learning skills in both hand knit, domestic and Dubied machine knitting.
Tell us about your tool preferences and peccadilloes.
We love to knit using wooden needles — working with wood creates a lovely tension. Circular is our preference because who enjoys to weave in ends. :)
How do you store or organize your tools? Or do you?
We love to use clear jars to store our needles. It keeps them organised but creates a nice decorative feature in the office or home.
How do you store or organize your works-in-progress?
We pin our swatch samples to big mood boards and keep our works in-progress around the office. We like to wear them a lot mid-development to get a feel of the shape, fit and style.
Are there any particularly prized possessions amongst your tools?
Lots of llamas — from stickers to little llama dolls.
Do you lend your tools?
Yes we lend them and they spread everywhere — from our studio to our bags, to our kitchen draw. It’s kind to share needles. :)
What is your favorite place to knit?
In front of a good series like Homeland or Breaking Bad.
What effect do the seasons have on you?
We pretty much knit all year around, however we do always get sooooo excited when wool season comes around where you can cosy up in all your knitted layers. In the summer we like work with our Jersey Be Good T-shirt yarn to make fun summer accessories.
Do you have a dark secret, guilty pleasure or odd quirk, where your fiber pursuits are concerned?
We use the leftover yarn for birds to collect to make their nests.
What are you working on right now?
Right now at work we are developing our summer collection — watch this space. However on the personal side of knitting, we are monogramming a lot of hats to gift, using this technique.
NOW ABOUT THAT GIVEAWAY: Wool and the Gang wants to give one of you the knit kit of your choice — up to $150 in value! All you need to do to enter is fill out this entry form. The contest is open to Fringe Association readers worldwide (except Russia, sorry) and the winner will be contacted by Wool and the Gang once their name has been randomly chosen.
Good luck!
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PREVIOUSLY in Our Tools, Ourselves: Kathy Cadigan
Photos © Wool and the Gang