FAST Member Interview- Amy of oblinaknit

If you’re a member of FAST and would like to be featured in the weekly interview, visit this thread in the yahoo group to get the questions, then send your answers (and a picture or two if you’d like) to me at merigreenleaf[at]yahoo.com (or a convo to merigreenleaf). These will be posted in the order I receive them.

(She’s the one in the pink and green dress.)

What is your name?
My name is Amy and my business name is oblinaknit

What is your Etsy shop? Does your shop name have a meaning?
oblinaknit- not really – I like to knit (among other things) and I used to watch a cartoon and a character was named ‘oblina’ which is a name I like and have always thought was quirky and fun – so I combined the two since I like to have an eclectic mix of goodies in my shop.

Besides your Etsy shop, do you sell anywhere else?
on dawanda, as well as in a few shops (wholesale and consignment)

Do you have a website or blog?
yes, but I am not as good as I would like to be with updates – http://oblinaknit.blogspot.com/

How long have you been making art/crafting?
ever since I was a child

What was the first thing you remember making?
well my friend and I used to make tops for our barbie dolls from her mother’s sewing scraps – and I always liked to make stuff with friends when we weer at each others houses

What kind of fiber arts do you do?
I knit accessories – hats and scarves, sometimes a shrug or two; and sometimes do custom dog sweaters (my cat Ken likes to model them for me – see pic in shop) I also knit with wire and make bracelets and chokers – its great to use unexpected materials and really catches people’s attention when they see it; I also make other jewelry

What’s your favorite thing to make?
I like to sew as well and enjoy putting together fabrics to make

(Click the below link to read the rest of the interview)

Where is the craziest or most interesting place you’ve ever
crocheted, knitted, felted, spun yarn, etc?
when i lived in NYC a group of us used to met at a bar on Sunday afternoon to knit – the bartender used to get orders all the time from the bikers who frequented the place – I miss the city and hope to move back soon – so many interesting people and things to do!

What is your favorite place to work?
at home – less interruptions if my cats are napping

What inspires you? Where does your inspiration come from?
color mostly – I like to look thru magazines as well but a lot of times I see a yarn that I like or fabric and just go from there.

What is your favorite color? Do you tend to work with that color,
or do you find yourself working with other colors?
Purple is my favorite – I have to remind myself to buy other colors so that I dont end up with 40 purple scarves at a craft show….

Do you prefer a specific type of fiber?
I like the bulky wools and mohair – they are more fun to knit with -I am not much into lace and frilly stuff so I shy away from the thinner yarns – while lacework is beautiful, its just not my style

Is there any other kind of art (fiber-related or not) that you’d
like to learn? I have tried my hand at felting and have taken a fiber spinning class – I would love to get a wheel and do more fiber spinning – I have a drop spindle to use but my cats tend to chase it – heehee

Tell us a bit about yourself- where do you live, what’s your job, do you have a spouse/children/pets, any other hobbies, that kind of thing.
I used to be in science but got a bit bored and wanted to do something that I truly enjoy – life can end very quickly, so you should do what you love….and not worry so much about monetary gain
– just me and my 2 cats at present – feel free to send over any potential candidates though..

Tell us one quirky thing about you (or one thing no one knows
about you).
hmm, well you may have seen me on tv and not realized it (heehee) – I was on Romper Room when I was 6 years old – not exactly a child star but it was fun – we got milk and cookies every day – but the milk was hot from sitting under the lights while they were filming – ackk!

Do you have any advice for other fiber artists? Have any craft
room, storage, or other tips?
keep your stuff organized so you know where its at and can use it when you are thinking creatively

Tags: etsyfast, member interview

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