That seems like great multi-tasking (as well as a good way to keep you on track.) Do you do this business full-time, or on the side? And is that hard? Do you have other jobs outside of pattern designing? Loopy: I have never tried knitting on an exercise ball. I used to just wing everything without a pattern, but now I stop in the middle and take copious notes to make sure I don’t forget anything. My all-time least favorite thing, though, is paperwork. If I’m on a deadline, I sit on my exercise ball and bounce while I knit, and that helps. I do find it difficult to sit still, though, so sometimes making myself sit there and actually do the knitting is beyond me. Romi: I love the possibilities and I love engineering it in my head and choosing my yarn. The Leaves in a Stream looks like it would be really fun to knit! What is your favorite part of your designing? And your not-so-favorite part? Ponte di Rialto, Seismic, and Leaves in a Stream. Can I give three? I love the number three. Romi: That’s a tough one! Like asking which kid is my favorite. I knew we had met a long time ago! Do you have a favorite pattern that you’ve designed? Loopy: That’s the perfect game of yarn chicken – 2″ left over! And 2006 is when we started Loopy. At first, I was designing to support the shawl pins I made, but now designing has almost completely taken over! Taygete © Romi Hill But I officially started designing in 2006 when my first pattern appeared on. My best one, I think, was a crew neck where I had only 2 inches of remaining yarn left. Somehow, I got some great wearable sweaters out of it. It’s one of those things where I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to, so I did it. Romi: I unofficially started designing when I was in college, because I loved nice yarn but could only afford whatever was in the bargain basket! I used to stalk sale yarns and then figure something out for that amount of yarn. When did you start designing, and what spurred that interest? Loopy: Good grief – you did not make it easy on yourself! But it sounds like just jumping in and figuring it out was the best teacher for learning lace. I must have ripped out the center of that shawl about 20 times because I kept getting lost and could NOT read my knitting! But by the time I was finished, I was a lace knitter. It included lace patterning both sides, and also a knitted on edging that I needed to graft together. It had a lace center and then needed stitches picked up all the way around. I fell in love with a Shetland style square shawl, so I decided to do it. I jumped into the deep end for sure! It was my first time using laceweight yarn and also the first time I’d actually done lace. Romi: I’d have to say it was the first shawl I knit. □ What is the most challenging thing that you have knit to date? Loopy: No socks? Out of all of your pages of designs, I just see just a handful of sock patterns (plus leg warmers and boot toppers.) So that makes sense. That’s a difficult one, because whatever I’m about to knit is my favorite thing! I think I have to go with my least favorite instead. What is your favorite type of item to knit? Those pretty yarn colors are probably what caught your eye early on. Loopy: It’s fun that your family was already into yarn and crocheting. I was completely in love with the look of stockinette stitch. She taught me to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. Romi: Hi Loopy – thanks for having me! I’ve been a knitter for OMG 46 years! I was born into a crocheting family and I finally convinced my mother to teach me how to knit when I was 9. How long have you been a knitter, and who taught you to knit? Loopy: Hi Romi! Thanks for being in our Spotlight today. I hope you have fun getting to know more about her! (Pattern links go to Ravelry.) Waikoloa Beach Shawl © Romi Hill (What a beautiful place, full of inspiration!) I first met Romi at one of our trade show markets many many years ago, and have loved her beautiful designs ever since. Romi lives in northern Nevada on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in the high desert. In today’s Designer Spotlight, we have Romi Hill.
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