This month, I’m really excited to be interviewing Dana Gervais. Dana lives in Ontario, Canada, and is well known for her sock patterns. Her patterns have been published widely, and she even has her own book of sock patterns coming out soon! Make sure to read all the way to the end because Dana has generously offered all of us a coupon code for her wonderful patterns.

As usual, my questions will be in black and Dana’s responses will be in purple because the guest should always get the best color, right?

Q: Dana, tell us how you got started in fiber arts. How did you first learn to knit?

A: My grandmother taught me to knit when I was about 7 years old.

Q: What led you from there to designing your own patterns?

A: I was improvising my own patterns for myself, friends, and family, so publishing those patterns felt like the next step in my knitterly evolution.

Q: You have a background in finance, correct?

A: Yes!  My first career was in financial planning.  I was a financial advisor for ultra high net worth individuals.  Then, I became a credit counselor with a local non-profit credit-counseling association until my daughter was born.  When the kids came along, I became a property manager and rental consultant for about 5 years.  We wound down the property management venture in 2015, and I’ve been focusing on knitwear design since then.

Q: I seem to have a proclivity for finding people with really interesting professional careers, including quite a few scientists, but I think you are the first person with a background in finance I’ve interviewed. I’m beginning to see a pattern here (sorry for the pun) of designers who come from backgrounds that involve a lot of precision, and finance certainly qualifies. How did the change from your work in finance to your career as a designer come about?

A: I’ve always knit as a hobby, but both pattern writing and finance require a lot of math and spreadsheets, so they share more transferable skills than many people might think.

Q: Now, I know you don’t only design sock patterns, but that’s definitely your focus. What do you love about socks?

A: I love socks because they are portable, they (usually) only require one skein, they’re (relatively) quick to knit, they are a great canvas for experimenting with stitch patterns and unique construction, and winter is long where I live, so everyone I love appreciates hand-knit socks.  Also, I have a lot of great memories of my grandmother teaching me about sock construction and techniques.

Q: When you’re looking for inspiration for a new pattern, where do you find it?

A: Anywhere and everywhere: seasons, colours, architecture, different fibres, song lyrics, people, emotions.  I’m never short of inspiration and find I have way more ideas than time.

Q: I totally get it! I have that same problem of more inspiration than time! Which comes first for you? The yarn or the pattern? Do you find some yarn and come up with the perfect pattern to go with it, or do you have a pattern idea in mind and go in search of yarn that would complement it?

A: All of the above!  Sometimes the inspiration starts with the yarn, and I have to find the right pattern to celebrate the yarn, and sometimes the inspiration starts with the design, and I have to find the right yarn to make the design shine!

Q: I have to say I just love the phrase, “celebrate the yarn”! I know there are lots of people who have been knitting for years but still feel intimidated by the idea of knitting socks. Okay, I admit it–I’m one of those people. On your website, you have #SockVirgin patterns and #SockStar patterns. I love that! What led you to make that distinction and help new sock knitters figure out how to make socks happen?

A: Socks have a bad reputation for being difficult to knit and confusing to understand.  Many knitters would approach me to ask how to learn to knit socks, what an ideal beginner pattern might look like, and what they would need to make their first sock, so I decided to create challenge to break sock-knitting into bite-sized pieces with worksheets, tutorials, and a built-in community for support.  Then I challenged myself to create as many sock knitters as possible.  I’m so happy that the challenges have been so well received!  There are more than 2000 new sock knitters in the world – that’s a lot of warm feet!

Q: That’s so wonderful! What an accomplishment! What would you say to encourage someone who wants to knit his or her first pair of socks?

A: You’ve got this!  If you need any help, visit my Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/DanaGervaisDesigns/) and we’ll help you finish that first sock!

Q: What are the pros and cons of toe-up versus cuff-down sock patterns? Which one do you think is easiest for new sock knitters to understand?

A: I’m biased to cuff-down socks because that’s the way I was taught to knit socks.  That being said, both methods are great, and I encourage knitters to try all the things: try toe-up, try cuff-down, try DPNs, try magic loop, try 2-at-a-time, try everything and see what works best for you.  There is no right or wrong in knitting.

Q: From someone who has designed so many sock patterns and knit so many socks, I would love to hear your insights on yarn bases. What is your favorite yarn base for everyday socks?

A: My current favourite is BFL.  It’s squishy, has a high enough twist that socks made with it are durable even without nylon content.

Q: How about for special-occasion luxury socks?

A: MCN – Merino, cashmere, nylon.

Q: Do you find a difference in wear and comfort between 20% and 25% nylon in your socks?

A: No, I can’t say that I do.

Q: What is your own personal favorite design that you have made?

A: This is like asking me which of my children is my favourite…my favourite design is always whichever one is currently on my needles.

Q: Tell us a bit about your upcoming book. What inspired you? When and where will we be able to get our hands on it?

A: I can tell you that the title is Footnotes (I haven’t told anyone the title yet, so you’re the first to find out).  It will have 12 patterns and is inspired by logophilia.  It’s scheduled for release in the spring of 2019.

Q: I feel privileged to be the first to hear the title. I can’t wait to see it! What’s the best place to find you and your patterns on the internet?

A: I’m on Ravelry as DanaGervais

My website is www.DanaGervaisDesigns.com

I’m on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DanaGervaisDesigns or in my #SockStar Facebook group.

I’m on Instagram as DanaGervais

Thank you, Dana. This has been such a pleasure!

As I mentioned at the beginning, Dana was kind enough to include a coupon code for us for her patterns. Just use the code “purple” to receive 25% off any of Dana’s patterns between now and the end of October. You can use it on her Ravelry page here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/dana-gervais.

Also, if you are a #SockVirgin looking to make your first pair of socks, you can sign up for Dana’s #SockVirgin challenge here and receive the pattern below for free.

Thanks for reading today! Feel free to leave a comment on my website or email me with any questions, comments, or ideas for future articles.