078: Creating Colour Systems with Alanna Wilcox

03/26/19 • 42 min

This week’s guest is Alanna Wilcox: a Master Spinner, art educator, weaver, knitter, artist, author, and teacher! Alanna has also written an incredible book on spinning, A New Spin On Colour and a dyeing guide, Dyeing To Get The Colours You Want.

Please join Felicia and Alanna as they discuss spinning and Alanna’s massive dye formula project she is undertaking!

In this episode, we talk about:

1:45 Alanna chats about how she got into the fibre arts
4:01 Alanna shares her journey of becoming a Master Spinner
7:44 Felicia asks Alanna to share more details of the intensive Master Spinner course
10:10 Alanna discusses her personal goals with spinning
12:15 Alanna shares with us the massive dyeing project she is currently undertaking: colour matching dye formulas
17:55 Felicia and Alanna discuss the number of primary colours one can use while dyeing
21:36 When Alanna’s project will be available to the public (Note: as of this episode publication, her colour formulas are now available for purchase on her website!)
23:32 Felicia asks Alanna how she keeps track of all her swatches and samples while completing this project
25:20 Is colour sense and colour theory something anyone can learn?
27:17 Alanna chats about what it takes to teach fibre arts
30:56 Felicia asks Alanna how she manages to balance teaching, dyeing experiments, and having a family
32:52 Alanna chats about her 100 Day Project
35:04 Felicia and Alanna chat about electric spinners
37:43 Where you can find Alanna online
38:46 Felicia’s Final Notes

Here’s Where You Can Find Alanna:

Instagram: @spinnybuns

Website: www.alannawilcox.com

Colour Matching Dye Formulas: www.alannawilcox.com/colormatchingdyeformulas

Facebook: Alanna Rothschild Wilcox

Enter the Giveaway for a copy of A New Spin on Colour and 5 Free Dye Formulas:

Alanna is giving our listeners a chance to win an e-copy of her book A New Spin on Colour and 5 free dye formulas! If you’d like a chance to win this awesome prize pack, click the link below and enter this episode’s secret word. Thank you so much Alanna!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please le

Send us a text

Please join Felicia and Alanna as they discuss spinning and Alanna’s massive dye formula project she is undertaking!

In this episode, we talk about:

1:45 Alanna chats about how she got into the fibre arts
4:01 Alanna shares her journey of becoming a Master Spinner
7:44 Felicia asks Alanna to share more details of the intensive Master Spinner course
10:10 Alanna discusses her personal goals with spinning
12:15 Alanna shares with us the massive dyeing project she is currently undertaking: colour matching dye formulas
17:55 Felicia and Alanna discuss the number of primary colours one can use while dyeing
21:36 When Alanna’s project will be available to the public (Note: as of this episode publication, her colour formulas are now available for purchase on her website!)
23:32 Felicia asks Alanna how she keeps track of all her swatches and samples while completing this project
25:20 Is colour sense and colour theory something anyone can learn?
27:17 Alanna chats about what it takes to teach fibre arts
30:56 Felicia asks Alanna how she manages to balance teaching, dyeing experiments, and having a family
32:52 Alanna chats about her 100 Day Project
35:04 Felicia and Alanna chat about electric spinners
37:43 Where you can find Alanna online
38:46 Felicia’s Final Notes

Here’s Where You Can Find Alanna:

Instagram: @spinnybuns

Website: www.alannawilcox.com

Colour Matching Dye Formulas: www.alannawilcox.com/colormatchingdyeformulas

Facebook: Alanna Rothschild Wilcox

Enter the Giveaway for a copy of A New Spin on Colour and 5 Free Dye Formulas:

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please le

Previous Episode

077: Knitting Design and Life Through the Lens with Sylvia McFadden

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Sylvia is a knitwear designer who has self-published several knitwear design collections. She is well-known for her Waiting for Rainshawl which is one of the first shawls of this design to use short rows and lace together. Sylvia is also a photographer and does all the photography for her gorgeous collections.

Please join us this week as Felicia and Sylvia discuss photographing knitwear!

In this episode, we talk about:

2:05 Felicia and Sylvia reminisce about when they first met at Knit City years ago
4:48 Sylvia discusses her passion to teach other designers photography
7:01 Sylvia and Felicia chat about how perfectionism can interfere with artistic progress
7:54 Felicia asks Sylvia what her process is as a self-publishing knitwear designer
11:07 Discussing the "creative gap" of what vision you have in your mind versus the results you get
11:51 Chatting about moody and dark photography trends coming into fashion and the cyclical nature of trends
17:46 Discussing the challenges of photoshoots and finding models
22:06 Sylvia explains why she left photography school and the issues in fashion photography today
24:49 Felicia asks Sylvia if she keeps photography trends in mind when she does her own knitwear shoots and designs
26:02 Talking about Sylvia's latest purchase of a Lensbaby lens
27:53 The gear Sylvia recommends for photography
28:47 Felicia asks Sylvia how she gets her beautiful "thrown in the air" shawl photos
31:35 Sylvia discusses what she's working on right now
33:33 The difficulty of sizing in knitwear patterns
36:49 Felicia and Sylvia chat about dealing with the discomfort of seeing photographs of yourself
40:43 Sylvia offers advice to those wanting to get into knitwear design or photography
43:35 Felicia asks Sylvia how she manages to publish knitwear designs on her own
47:09 Where to find Sylvia online and her new YouTube podcast
48:30 Felicia's Final Thoughts and giveaway!

Here's Where You Can Find Sylvia:

Instagram: @softsweater

Website: www.softsweaterknits.com

Ravelry: softsweater

Ravelry group: www.ravelry.com/groups/softsweater-knits

YouTube: The Wrong Side Podcast

Facebook: Softsweater Knits

Enter the Giveaway for a copy of Gentle Armour:

Sylvia has generously offered our listeners a chance to win a hard copy of her shawl collection Gentle Armour: Five Shawls for Sensitive People! If you'd like a chance to win these gorgeous patterns click the link below and enter this episode's secret word. Thank you so much Sylvia!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please

Next Episode

079: Street Fashion and Modern Colour in Knitwear Design with Caitlin Hunter

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This week, Felicia is chatting with Caitlin Hunter. Caitlin runs her own knitwear design company called Boyland Knitworks and lives in Oregon with her husband and three boys. Caitlin has a degree in apparel design and manufacturing and worked as a designer in the traditional fashion manufacturing industry before leaving her career to care for her children before becoming the successful knitwear designer she is today. Caitlin’s garments feature fantastic stranded colourwork and are designed to be fashionable, comfortable, and fun!

Please join Felicia and Caitlin for their discussion on fashion, colour, and designing!

” In fashion for so long we women have been... stuffed into uncomfortable garments. So there’s nothing really less flattering than seeing somebody who they might look great standing still but they can’t walk in their outfit... or they’re pulling on their hem, adjusting things... it’s not fun to be that person... To try to find that happy balance between looking good and feeling good... that’s my sweet spot. ” – Caitlin Hunter on designing knitwear that’s fun to make and wear

In this episode, we talk about:

1:18 Caitlin chats about how she got interested in knitting
8:15 Felicia asks Caitlin what inspires her knitwear designs
10:53 Talking about comfort in knitwear patterns
11:53 Felicia asks Caitlin what she thinks makes a knitwear pattern go viral
14:17 Does Caitlin get nervous before launching a new design?
17:12 Chatting about the price of knitwear patterns. What is the value of a pattern and how much work goes into being a knitwear designer?
21:08 Caitlin and Felicia talk about trying to find balance between work and family
27:15 Caitlin discusses her passion for stranded colourwork knitting
30:13 Colour dominance in stranded colourwork knitting
32:14 How Caitlin chooses colours for her projects
33:10 Is there anything Caitlin wishes she had known before becoming a knitwear designer?
34:30 What is currently inspiring Caitlin and what plans she has for 2019
37:10 Where you can find Caitlin online
38:32 Felicia’s Final Notes

Here’s Where You Can Find Caitlin:

Instagram: @boylandknitworks

Website: www.boylandknitworks.com

Ravelry: Boyland Knitworks

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!