Sally Melville
Waterloo, ON Canada
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Books |
Sally Melville STYLES / A Unique and Elegant Appro
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| Specialty |
I used to think of myself as a designer and teacher whose specialty was colour and texture. While I still love doing all these things, my dedication is turning more to the craft itself. How can we get more people knitting? How can we bring knitters back into the fold? How can we garner knitting the respect it deserves as a creative activity--linking us to hundreds of years of working hands and knitting traditions? Writing my book (XRX's Sally Melville STYLES / A Unique and Elegant Approach to Your Yarn Collection) was an attempt to help knitters work through their yarn collections and bring excitement back into their knitting lives. But there is MUCH more work to be done!
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| Contact Information: |
Suite 306, 35 Alexandra Ave, Waterloo, ON Canada
519 578-3261
smelville@kw.igs.net
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| Favorite Knitting Book |
KNITTING IN AMERICA
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| Favorite knitting reference |
BARBARA WALKER, 1-2, THE HARMONY GUIDES, and my newest favourite is Lesley Stanfield's THE NEW KNITTING STITCH LIBRARY
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| Favorite Cast-On |
cable and bind-off.
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| Favorite Knitting Tip |
Oh, heavens, how to answer this? Take a class . . . any class! Read a book! Keep learning!
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| Classes |
Making the Most of Your Yarn Collection,
Borders and Buttonholes,
Emergency Measures,
Basic Maneuvers,
Creativity,
Basic Pattern Drafting,
Advanced Shaping,
Time Management for Knitters,
What do you want to do with the rest of your life?
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| Biography |
I was taught to knit in Brownies, and I felt as if I had been born to do this! However, there was no-one around to instruct me how to properly measure gauge, and I failed miserably, with the happy result that I simply began to design my own stuff!
I loved the rhythmic nature of knitting, so I knit, pretty constantly, through high school and university--neither of which were considered cool at the time. All the while, I sorted out my own ways of doing things--as most knitters do.
Somewhere along the way, I made a TOTAL mistake garment, but I embellished the mistake to make a feature out of it, and EVERYONE WANTED ONE! I made a bunch of them and found myself with a CAREER!
So, I bought knitting machines, made garments for sale in boutiques, wrote knitting manuals, taught classes, designed for the major magazines, and organized a Knitters' Guild in my city.
This latter was probably the most significant thing I had a part in, because it established a community of knitters that was able to import teachers who inspired and taught us all, and so my interest and involvement in knitting continued to grow.
I feel very, very fortunate to have found my place with XRX and to have published my first book with them. Here's to many more!
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| What is your knitting mantra? |
The process is more precious than the product.
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| What inspires you? |
Life is full of inspiration, and it all works for me: the simple and elegant, or the seductively ornate; the power and beauty of nature, or the wonders of the human psyche; the yarns and traditions of knitting, or the tools and techniques of other artists. Everything is grist for the mill!
(I have to say, however, that the students in my classes teach and inspire me incredibly!)
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| Confess - when it comes to hiding your yarn, what are your secrets? |
I don't hide my yarn: I hide my credit card receipts--especially when coming through customs. It is an astute customs agent who knows what this stuff is REALLY worth!
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| What is your idea of knitting heaven? |
Well, CAMP STITCHES is pretty close to 'knitting heaven!' Imagine a sunny day on a lake, then a lodge with a huge porch and 50 rocking chairs, then imagine the chairs all filled with good friends, knitting. Doesn't get much better than this.
But 'heaven,' you say? Meaning I can fill any fantasy? Okay, so put a mountain out back with the most perfect snow in the world, light the hill so we can ski or snowboard all night, and them make us creatures who do not need sleep.
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| How many UFO's (Unfinished Objects)do you have going at once? |
Oh, this is the mean!
Probably 7 . . . and I could try to excuse myself by saying that much of this is work towards a fourth book, or by repeating my knitting mantra, but I'm usually in the middle of 7 fiction or non-fiction books at the same time! Is there help for me?
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| My yarn stash equals the GNP (Gross National Product) of ... |
a very tiny, very picturesque, very debt-ridden country . . . somewhere.
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| Whom would you like to see accept an Academy Award wearing your creation? |
One of my children!
But you probably wanted the name of a know celebrity?
male: KEVIN KLINE
female: MEG RYAN
(They are wonderful actors who can do both funny AND serious plus feel like people we might all like to sit down and knit with!)
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| What knitting commandment do you most like to break? |
I hate to hear knitters say "I'm not ready for that yet." We should all challenge ourselves OUTRAGEOUSLY every once in a while!
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| What frequently-asked knitting question do you hate to answer? |
"How long did it take you to knit that?"
(In answer, I go into a long discourse about product vs product, and I don't quit until their eyes glaze over.)
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| What is your most dog-eared knitting reference? |
The SECOND HARMONY GUIDE. But I think the dog got to it, 'cause I have actually used the FIRST one more often.
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| When and how did you learn to knit? |
I learned in Brownies, and I think I was about 7. But who ever STOPS learning to knit?
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| What is the most unusual place you've ever knitted? |
I have knit every PLACE I have ever been . . . from bar to bath.
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| How long can you last without knitting? |
I once went a few waking hours . . . but it wasn't a pretty sight.
Seriously, for two years after my husband died, I hardly knit. I couldn't design--'cause I couldn't see colours and had no energy--although I did knit a few pieces from other people's patterns. (How I LOVE the work of Kristen Nicholas.) But I came out the other end and wrote a book I don't think I would have otherwise written.
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| If you were stranded on a deserted island, what one yarn, book, or gizmo would you want along? |
I would want a cotton yarn (because I am presuming the island is hot), and it would have to be very fine (so it would knit slowly and deliciously), plus I would want Lesley STanfield's THE NEW KNITTING STITCH LIBRARY (so I could knit up every stitch pattern in the book).
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| How many hours have you knitted non-stop - and why? |
I don't remember the number of hours. Nor do I remember the project. But it would have been to meet a deadline. And I DO remember the PAIN!
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| What do you want your knitting epitaph to say? |
She learned from her mistakes!
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| Who would you like to greet you in knitting heaven? |
Eleanor Roosevelt. Not only was she a knitter, but she was a rare and precious soul.
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