Spotlight on Angelia Robinson

How did you get started knitting / crocheting / designing? Who taught you? I learned to crochet as a child. My mom taught me, but I only picked up the chain and single crochet stitches at the time. I was just too impatient! About 12 years ago I stumbled across a crochet club at my local library, and I was literally hooked! The women in the club were so wonderfully generous with their time, wisdom and yarn as they reintroduced me to the craft. Soon I was crocheting again and knitting, too. Membrillo in Fino is shown above left, and Minas in Silk Blend is shown above right.

 Where do you draw inspiration from? I am inspired by the challenge of making a garment both fit and flatter the body. This is a completely selfish concern because my pear-shaped form is not always easy to dress. So when I start a new project, I usually begin by asking myself, "How would this look on me? Could I wear this out in public?" I love to browse through vintage fashion books, magazines, and thrift stores for inspiration. Just looking at silhouettes, hems, necklines and other vintage details always sparks new ideas in my head. I also like to reclaim yarn from thrift store sweaters. Not only is the process of dismantling and unraveling old sweaters a lot of fun, but it has also taught me so much about fit and garment construction. Above from left to right: Pineapple Cardigan in Serena, Siracha Twinset in Silk Blend, and Mint Breeze Cardigan in Silk Blend.