Tin Can Knits
TIN CAN KNITS is the
collaboration of two
Canadian designers,
Alexa Ludeman and
Emily Wessel. They have
been publishing their
patterns since 2009, and
their beautifully presented books are filled
with gorgeous, wearable projects for all the
family. Their collections include Strange
Brew, Mad Colour, and Road Trip. Emily
and Alexa are also passionate about helping
novice knitters, and their website offers
free patterns and tutorials for sweaters,
socks, hats, mittens and more.Who inspired you to take up knitting?
Alexa: “I’m not quite sure what sparked
the idea, but one day, when I was in high
school, I decided I would learn to knit.
I had always loved crafty things. My mum
went out and got me some needles, yarn,
and a stitch dictionary (she has always
been supportive of my crafty endeavours)
and away I went!”Which designer has most inspired you?
Emily: “I’m really inspired by Norah
Gaughan - she has been in the business
creating designs for years, and is always
coming up with something genuinely
interesting. I feel like she pushes the
medium of knitting - knits ‘outside of
the box’. I love her creative construction
methods, and organic motifs.”Tell us about the colours, landscapes or
architecture that inspire your design work.
Emily: “I grew up on Vancouver Island,
on the west coast of Canada, so west coast
landscapes of beach, forest, and mountains
will always be special to me. But as a young
person and adult I was drawn to the buzz
and creative energy of cities, and now I’m
lucky to make my home in Edinburgh.
Both beautiful cityscapes and beautiful
natural places (and the mixture of the two
I find in Edinburgh) really invigorate me,
fill me full of the joy and appreciation for
beauty that drives my design work.”What is your favourite knitting book
of all time?
Alexa: “I gotta go with EZ! The Knitter’sAlmanac or The Opinionated Knitter
by Elizabeth Zimmermann... it’s too
hard to choose!”What fibres do you love to work with?
Alexa: “We both love working with wool
in all its lovely forms. It is so warm and
wonderful - from woolly wools, to smooth
single plies, we love them all! I will say
that I’ve been particularly enamoured
with Cormo wool lately, it makes for a
great sweater yarn.”Which design from your portfolio are you
most proud of, or is most special to you?
Alexa: “I am really pleased with my
most recent designs in our Strange Brew
book, particularly ‘Marshland’ and
‘Moraine’, but I also love that the ‘Antler’
cardigan has been knit so many times
by so many knitters!”
Emily: “My personal favourite recently is
the ‘Beloved Bonnet’. It’s such a pleasure
to knit, has an interesting construction,
and looks so adorable on the little ones!”Are there any techniques or styles of
knitting you’d like to explore further?
Alexa: “Our most recent book, Strange
Brew, was a deep dive into colourwork
and we really enjoyed focusing in on
that technique, and yokes in particular.
We continue to be entranced by creating
colour combinations, and exploring
modifications to basic patterns too!”http://www.tincanknits.comThe work of this design duo is filled with
colour, creative stitches and joyful photos
MY INSPIRATION
1 ‘Slice’, from the Mad Colour book 2 Like most
of their designs, ‘Chromatic’ is sized for adults
and children 3 + 4 Alexa admires the writing of
Elizabeth Zimmermann, while Emily is inspired by
Norah Gaughan 4 ‘Moraine’ from Strange BrewEmily Wessel and Alexa Ludeman formed their
successful creative partnership ten years ago5
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Interview
The Knitter 90 Issue 141