Kay's Korner - A Knitters Notes

Cardigan design by Zina

In Northeast Metro Atlanta, there is a most remarkable knitter, my friend Zina Rios. She frequently attends various knitting groups in the area and always turns heads with her lightening fast stitching, most always using sock yarn and the tiniest of needles. But her stitching proficiency is not her most impressive talent. Zina is a sweater wizard, knitting pullovers, vests, and cardigans from sock yarn, never using a written pattern. This bears repeating - she never uses a pattern. This cute, petite, Russian woman has such an understanding of fit and shaping, that with a percentage system akin to that of Elizabeth Zimmerman, she turns out unique and interesting garments that never cease to amaze me and a bevy of other local knitters.

Cardigan rear view

On several occasions. I have been so fortunate as to have Zina personally explain her design process in detail. Where she sees it as so simple and easy, I find it simply brilliant. Another of my knitting comrades calls it "terrifying," for she, like most of us, finds comfort in photos, schematics, and printed instructions, when embarking on a new project. But Zina only needs a swatch to be off and running, turning out sweaters and socks at a most prolific rate. Her preference for sweaters is top down and seamless. She incorporates cables and lace for both beauty and function. Zina also enjoys color work, which completes her design tool box.

Vest design by Zina

But truly the most wonderful aspect of our dear friend is her sweet and generous nature. She is always happy to nurture other knitters and is currently working with me on a shawl design, my choice of palette to learn her system of increases for shaping. I listen to her instructions intently, making notes almost as fast as her charmingly accented speech. Where I often rely on trial and error in my design process, Zina has amazing intuition. She maps out the sweater in her head, before casting on even the first stitch. I love that she relies on swatches, a practice I preach daily to my students. She can glean a design from a single swatch - amazing! -and the variety in her projects is endless.

Vest rear view

Recently married to Tony, the love of her life, Zina is happier than ever. I tell you , she glows! She adores her lovely daughters and embraces Tony's children, as well. Zina's outlook is so positive, so cheery, she is a welcome addition to several local knitting groups. Her free spirited approach to hand knit design is the only way she knows. Neither does she write out her many designs, preferring to encourage other knitters to try her patternless method for themselves. "Just choose a yarn and stitch pattern." "Make a swatch!" It is all so easy and solid for this small bundle of knitting magic, where for the rest of us, it requires a leap of faith.

Zina and Tony with her daughters

Although I am still in the inspiration phase of my new Zina style shawl, she has already given me some great guidelines for the fit I am wanting. Rather than work in strict terms like inches or centimeters, she instructs in more flexible terms, telling me to start at my collarbone and to reduce the rate of increasing at the "top of my boobs." This is the secret of her great fitting hand knits; they are custom fit to one person's body, using one particular yarn at a particular gauge. They are not just knit, they are crafted, and I have to say, the whole process still amazes me. Hundreds of sweaters have been knit with the help of the Sweater Wizard DVD, but for true knitting magic, you just have to meet our Zina.

Thank you Melissa for modeling.

Copyright Kay Mather April 2011