Maria Magnusson
Meet NKS designer Maria Magnusson from Askim just outside Gothenburg, on Instagram you can find Maria as @mariamagnussonknitwear.
Maria's designs will be published with a theme of autumn so you'll have to wait a while for "Maria's month". Until then you will get a glimpse of who Maria is and of course you can buy her previous designs in the shop.
Maria comes from a family of needleworkers, all the women in her family have done needlework, which was one of the reasons why Maria learned to knit at the age of 5. Her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were all part of her knitting lessons. Initially, Maria's knitting needles were used for many pairs of socks and shawls, but now it is cardigans and sweaters that capture Maria's interest.
When NKS asks Maria about her favourite yarn, the answer is obvious
- Wool! And it can be a little bit rough in a yarn as untreated as possible. Particularly tempting at the moment is tweed yarn or yarn dyed on a grey base, it such a lovely depth of colour.
Preferably I go for Sport or DK when it comes to yarn thickness, those thicknesses usually work best for cardigans and sweaters I like.
What kind of patterns/garments are recurring on your knitting?
- Cardigans, preferably short and - vintage inspired. I hardly ever knit basics. The garment must always have a knot
for it to pique my interest. I'd rather buy basic cardigans. It should be fun knitting!
We are of course curious if you prefer to knit with the magic loop technique (knitting with cables) or stockinette knitting?
- Magic loop most of the time, but sometimes I get the urge to knit a pair of socks on thin stockinette stitch without a lot of cables getting tangled in the yarn.
Sometimes even an experienced knitter loses his knitting mojo (read knitting lust), if you Maria ends up there, what do you do?
- Then I sew, have a break or meet knitting buddies. That's when I get interested again!
Finally, what is your very best knitting tip that you wish you had known way earlier?
- To complete the knitting done by hand with a knitting machine. It's gold for restless toddler parents with little time on their hands!