Take 5: Irina Dmitrieva

What’s your favorite detail about your WP9 design contribution? I like how the knotted openwork stitch separates the two sections of the ivy leaf motif. The two patterns look so different, but have the smocking element in common to give the design a sense of wholeness. Any interesting techniques in the design you'd like to tell knitters about? I thought that knitting a shawl from the bottom up would be more difficult, especially given the large number of stitches to cast on. But in the end it was not true. Watching the leaves form was fun and the work progresses faster and faster as the rows get shorter. I knitted Loden three times and all my doubts were erased! What's the most beloved (and well-worn) hand knit in your closet? Hats, of course, a lot of hats! Three things that are inspiring you right now? Modern architecture. For example, the Turning Torso skyscraper in Sweden has intrigued me for a long time. Embroidery on Ukrainian national clothes. I try to simulate it with geometric lace patterns. And yarn, of course. I pick up a skein and let its color and structure suggest what to knit.  

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  This interview is part of our Take 5 series—a collection of bite-sized interviews with designers about the inspirations behind our newest collection—Wool People 9 .