Busy man, Alasdair Post-Quinn was our guest on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird today.
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Alasdair’s began knitting in college, at a craft sharing event, where he was teaching an Origami class that nobody showed up for, so he went to sit in on a knitting class. His mother knit and other family, he thinks they didn’t teach him because they didn’t want him to have access to pointy sticks. From the time of the class he was hooked on it. His progressed from that first class by teaching himself. He found a book called ‘Reversible Two-Color Knitting’ by Jane Neighbor (sadly out of print) which got him inspired and exploring, ‘knitting in a vacuum’ having fun. He says the techniques were undocumented, so he began to write patterns and sharing what he was learning.
His first pattern, The Corvus Scarf, which was designed for his sister who was an amateur ornithologist, particularly studying Corvids or crows and ravens. He approached Cooperative Press as well as other knitting book publishers. He met Shannon Okey at a Knitting Guild meeting in Boston, afterwards what he was knitting caught her eye and somewhere in the conversation she told him ‘You have to publish a book about this’ and eventually that came to be.
Alasdair Post-Quinn is the author of the book “Extreme Double-Knitting: New Adventures In Reversible Colorwork” (published by Cooperative Press in 2011). Because of the progress he was making at that time, he admits the pattern may have rough edges, but the opportunities to learn techniques is present. It was written as a primer for those who have not done double knitting.
Hesperos scarf will appear in the upcoming book!
Once the initial accomplishment of that book wore off, about six months, he began planning for the next book. By that point, he’d already learned more double knit techniques, like Double-Knit Cables, both with a cable needle and without. Alasdair says he knew how to do cables before, but this was a more ‘elegant way’ to do it. His new book in the works entitled “Double Or Nothing” will be out sometime in late 2016. (PLEASE NOTE: that last link is to pre-order the self-published book. He also shared that he will be able to drop it in the expected price with more of us pre-ordering. HINT, HINT!) While he was working on ”Extreme Double-Knitting” he attended Cat Bordhi’s Visionary Authors retreat, as a unique potential author in that he already at a book deal with Cooperative Press. What he learned, he says, about self-publishing worked so well with his adventure with CP, that it was almost like self-publishing, which he will be doing with “Double or Nothing”. He says having his first book published was wonderful because you share in the work, you share in the process, and then the process. With this one, he will be printing locally, everyone behind the scenes like tech editors, sample knitters are all local. As he used to layout a newspaper, he has the background in design to do this on his own.
There was another book he self-published between “Extreme D-K” and “Double or Nothing” called Parallax that included 5 patterns. If that term is unfamiliar, Wikipedia says: ‘Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines’. The patterns Alasdair has included are really the visually stunning images that make the eye think it’s looking at curved surfaces…. SERIOUSLY cool!
Alasdair lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife and cat; his day job is in computer repair. In his spare time, he travels around North America to teach, and he’s slowly transitioning to spending more time designing, publishing and teaching double-knitting techniques and patterns. We can continue to follow him at his website: www.Double-Knitting.com, he also has a blog, and a Facebook page. Double or Nothing can be pre-ordered, to get on that mailing list, CLICK HERE! Also, he has a Craftsy Class for those who learn by watching others, USE MARLY’S LINK.
Great interview. He makes double knitting sound so intriguing I’d love be to give it a try. His book Parallax sounds amazing as do bother of his other books.
I was skeptical I would be able to do any of the patterns since I haven’t tried color work yet. He said that everything was explained well in his book Parallax and the new one coming out, so I think I should give it a whirl. The Craftsy class would probably be a big help too. Thanks for pushing us to try new things and make it possible for us to be successful with it.
I currently have your craftsy class would love to have your book Parallax to create even more wonderful items.
I have the Craftsy class and Extreme Double Knitting book. The Parallax patterns look really interesting!
I am so intrigued by the patterns in the Parallax book. Just beautiful! I would love to challenge my brain and learn a new technique like this. It’s like knitting out of the box.
How cool to hear from Alasdair. Double knitting has been on my radar for awhile as it would be a new to me technique and I love learning new techniques. It does seem a bit intimidating so I’m glad he recommended the Parallax pattern as a place to start. When you don’t know it, they all look difficult!
So interesting to learn about a new twist on double knitting. I’m looking forward to trying the Parallax pattern, to develop a new skill.
Thanks !
The designs in Parallax kind of make my head spin…in a good way!
Double knitting has never seemed more exciting! The patterns in Parallax are very visual appealing
Alasdair makes double knitting sound so intriguing. I need to check out his patterns and would love to get my hands on Parallax, I’ve done simple double knitting but nothing as complex as he mentioned.
I learned alot today about a new technique…now I have to check out Parallax designs.
I have been inspired to learn to knit before the parallax book comes out!
Thank you for including resource links. I’ve always had double knitting on my technique bucket list but have been pretty intimidated by it. Next project will look nice on both sides!
Thank you too for sharing more information about the publishing aspect of pattern writing. That was really interesting.
My son has knitted a few items, using both the double knotting method and brioche. I would love to win the Parralex book, so that I could give it to him to add to his knitting library.
I have taken Alasdair’s Craftsy class and he is an amazing teacher. I would love to have the Parallax book to learn even more about double knitting.
I have Alasdair’s Craftsy class. I have to finish watching it so I can really learn double knitting. I’m looking forward to trying the Parallax pattern, too.
I once knit a double knit blanket on size five needles. I don’t know what i was thinking. I have Alasdair’s Extreme Double Knitting book and have had the Whorl’d Tree bag in my to do list for a while. Now I will have to get the Parallax pattern also.
I am knitting my first entrelac scarf as I listened to the podcast. When you said Double or Nothing will have double knit entrelac, I think my head exploded! I was already on the pre-order list from seeing the designs on facebook–but now I am counting down the days to the book coming out in December!
Alasdair goes into such depth with double knitting, it was very interesting to hear about knitting from his unique perspective. And oh my goodness, his Parallax scarf is really something else!
I would like to learn double knitting. I saw the patterns on Ravelry and heard Alasdair say to start with parallax 0.5. It would be great to have a signed copy of Parallax. Pick me!!
Thanks for your generosity
I took Alasdair’s Craftsy class and was hooked. I even designed my own DK MSU Sparty scarf. To win the Parallax book would be really sweet!
So this has me excited about Parallax, and his Extreme Double Knitting, and the new book, Double or Nothing. Hope he comes back soon!
I have done double weaving and know the principle of double knitting, but I have never tried it. I would love to have a copy of Parallax
This is one of my favorite interviews from the Yarn Thing podcast. I had to look up double knitting because I am unfamiliar with it. it is gorgeous! I usually crochet because I knit so slowly, but this is a technique that I am definitely going to try so your book will be in my library. Thank you for the introduction to Parallax. I would love to hear you again on the Yarn Thing podcast.
I’ve been crocheting for a couple years now but just learned to knit about 2 months ago. So I’m still learning lots but how cool are those Parallax patterns?!
What a great new innovative style of knitting. I am excited to be able to learn and hope to start with Parallax. Thank you!
The Parallax patterns are quite impressive! It’s always fun to learn a new technique.
I already have Extreme Double-Knitting, enrolled in the Craftsy class, signed up for the pre-order, and have now entered to win Parallax. Guess it’s time to get over my fear of colourwork, and just do it!
Would love to learn the new Parallax pattern and to see the other new patterns in the upcoming book!
I loved this episode, especially when Alasdair’s explanation of the differences between double knitting and brioche, which I’ve always wondered about. I would love to give his book Parralax a whirl and test my double knitting abilities!
What a modest, but “extreme” accomplished, knitter Alistair is! And his Parallax design is stunning. Thanks, Marly for this great episode.
I will have to check out his book Parallax and his craftsyclass .
Parra lax sounds intriguing! The door to new knitting adventures!
I’ve never gotten up the courage to try double knitting or brioche, but parralax sounds interesting.
As a beginning knitter Parralax seems daunting, but Alistair made it sound doable. Thanks for another inspiring interview
I will definitely have to give Parallax a try! So fun to hear from Alasdair, his approach is so intriguing.
Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm about double knitting. It sounds like its own rabbit hole, a warm one at that. Now i’m off to look at the patterns in Parallax. Thanks
Really enjoyed the interview, Can’t wait for the book. I was lucky to get to knit for both of Alasdair’s books. the double knitting lace wrap sounds amazing, can’t wait to see it. the every Friday sneek peek is something to look forward to every week.