Vol.2 Hiromi in New York
New Series Cohana and Ninigi
Along with the introduction of Cohana's products and campaigns, we also would like to share stories and the latest information related to handicrafts, focusing on "people" who passionately work in various fields of handicrafts.
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Cohana and Ninigi Vol.2 Hiromi Glover in New York Hiromi is a professional knitter in New York. Born and brought up in Japan until she left Japan in her 20's. 23 years living in the U.S.A. After spending 3 years as a student in Michigan, she moved to New York City 20 years ago. Currently, she is a sample coordinator and junior designer for Purl Soho.Purl Soho is a company that continues to shine in the American knitting industry, offering a variety of beautiful yarns and notions as well as sophisticated original designs for attractive everyday knitwear from the city of New York. |
This issue has a two-parts, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Continuing from the first part, please enjoy the interview with a professional knitter in New York, Hiromi.
Please let us know if there are any differences between Japan and the U.S. when it comes to knitting.
English knitting patterns are mostly in sentences. Sometimes the text even gives detailed direction to pass the yarn and which needle to move left or right. So, if you knit following the text right, you will get the knitting done. Sometimes as a knitter, I feel insecure about whether what I am doing is correct in the middle of the process, since there are almost no diagrams.
This is the challenging part of my job to write the patterns in sentences to guide the knitter to perfection!
I take pictures of how the yarn and needles are positioned as I knit when I write a pattern.
On the other hand, Japanese patterns are mostly diagrams with few sentences, so if you are used to text patterns, you will find it difficult to knit relying only on diagrams. But I know that there are many wonderful Japanese knitting patterns, so I try to knit a few items a year with Japanese knitting diagrams for my study. Patterns are also often in downloadable format here, so buying beautiful Japanese knitting books is one of my favorite things to do when I return to Japan for a visit.
Please tell us about your creative inspirations
As I got involved in knitwear design, I became more aware of other crafts and artworks in order to incorporate into my knitting ideas. I find inspirations in fabrics with eye-catching patterns and colors, as well as in beautifully woven baskets.
At the Basket Museum on Nantucket Island
When I visited Portugal last summer on a trip, I was struck by azulejo tiles. I thought I could express the geometric patterns of azulejos with knitting! so I bought a photo book of azulejo tiles.
At the National Azulejo Museum in Lisbon
Inspiration comes from new things I come across or see, and sometimes it somes from images and memories that have come down to me.
This Sunburst Potholder © Purl Soho was born from handmade memories with my grandmother.
Sunburst Potholder © Purl Soho
A design born from memories with my grandmother, who loves handicrafts.
My favorite place to knit is my home. In the summer, I like to knit sitting on a bench in a nearby park, or at a café when I knit non-work related items at a leisurely pace.
Summer in Central Park
As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, I often knit on the subway while traveling especially when I am busy with prototyping. I arrive at my destination in no time at all! When I can complete a swatch during my ride, I feel satisfied that I have made good use of my time.
Could we have a glimpse of your workshop/atelier?
What a beautiful space filled with love for knitting! It looks like a New York room from one of those movies with the big windows that let in lots of natural light! Thank you for letting us take a look at your beautiful atelier.
Would you tell us about your first encounter with Cohana?
I remember following an international knitter on Instagram who was using Cohana's Seki Mini Scissors. I wondered where they were from, so I looked into it and found out that they were from Japan and felt "I knew it" then got mine.
Happy to know your credit at the moment of first sight! Thank you for your cooperation in this interview. We would love to hear from you again!
Hiromi's Favorite Cohana
Seki Mini Scissors!
When I cut the wool yarn, I get a clean cut with a small pleasant sound. I am impressed by the high quality for such a small size. And of course, they are convenient to carry around!