Tips for New Knitters and More with Léna Maury
Léna is a newbie knitter who just began her knitting journey during the pandemic, like so many other new knitters we have welcomed into the community these past few years. Léna has really dived into knitting and has turned herself into an avid test knitter. For this interview, she talks about her knitting journey, the ups and downs of knitstagram, tips for new knitters, and thoughts on the knitting community.
Hi Léna! Tell us a little about you.
My name is Léna, I’m a 22 (soon-to-be 23) year old girl. I was born in Hô Chi Minh, Vietnam, but was raised in France and currently live in Toulouse. This city in the South West of France is also known as the pink city because of its pink brick architecture, and it might have influenced my passion for pink.
I started to knit in November 2020, during the second lockdown, and never looked back since.
Apart from knitting, I love going out with my friends for a drink (or 10), traveling (before Covid restrictions), and playing video games.
What inspired you to start knitting and what keeps you going?
I picked up knitting in November 2020, a little more than a year ago, during the second French lockdown. I had started a scarf a while before that, but finally finished it with the help of my grandma. Then I tried making little hand-knitted pouches, which my mom and I were lining with leftover fabric. I sold a lot of them, and it was a great way to start building a small community. It was more small-biz- and customer-based, but still.
When it comes to picking up a hobby, I’m very indecisive. I love everything related to crafting/art/creativity in general but I usually never stick to it for more than 6 months. For example, during the first lockdown in France, which was 3 months long, I picked up drawing and was doing that for like 6 hours a day, but when the quarantine ended, I’ve never really picked that up again.
But it was a very different story for knitting, and I’m so glad I stuck to it. I believe the last few years were tough for everyone in terms of mental health, so knitting has been a relief for me, and the perfect way to relieve anxiety!
Click here to read about the amazing impact that knitting has on anxiety.
As I kept knitting, I started to follow a lot more artists, knitters, and designers, and I started to notice more knitted items in stores. I was dreaming of making my own clothes and began doing so in March 2021. I chose a pattern that I thought was easy for the first garment I made, which was worked flat and then seamed together in garter stitch. I dove right into it. Of course, it’s not the best garment, but I still have it and it makes me proud to see the evolution of my knitting!
With this new fascination with making clothes, have you thought about selling commissions or designing as well?
No, I'm not doing any commissions because I'm not confident enough to grade for someone who I don't know. I love following a pattern, and being a designer and a knitter are definitely two different things. And I think it's a lot of work. So I’d rather knit for me and my friends. We'll see in the future, but for now I'm not very comfy with being a designer.
Your knitstagram is gorgeous and you are very active there. Starting and managing a knitstagram account can be overwhelming. What are some practices you have for managing yours?
Well, first of all, thank you very much! Mainly, I don’t put too much pressure on myself for what I post. I see my knitstagram as my diary, and I’ve made a lot of friends along the way. I don’t always post about knitting. Sometimes I post updates about what I’m doing, selfies, or photo dumps about my week. I enjoy the raw feeling of realness, without any filter, and I also enjoy the creative process of editing a picture, a video, or a caption.
But yeah, Instagram can be SO overwhelming. Setting boundaries for myself is something I want to work on this year. I think it’s important, and I’m easily stressed, so I shouldn’t feel guilty if I go off Instagram for two days.
The only thing that matters to me is dividing what I post on my knitstagram, and what I post on my personal account. I don’t involve my friends, boyfriend, or family on my knitstagram because they are private to me, and even though I love sharing random things, I don’t want my people to be involved in something like this.
When it comes to knitstagram, it’s pretty common for makers to feel like they have to make one thing after the other just to have posts to share. However, this can lead to an issue of overconsumption versus sustainability. How do you balance the two?
I have this feeling too, and a lot of makers that I had the chance to talk to about this topic feel the same as well. Knitstagram is mostly a safe place, with amazing people and never-ending inspiration, but it can also be toxic. The feeling to perpetually produce is sometimes overwhelming, for your well-being and mental health, but also because it can lead, indeed, to overconsumption.
“Knitstagram is mostly a safe place, with amazing people and never-ending inspiration, but it can also be toxic. The feeling to perpetually produce is sometimes overwhelming, for your well-being and mental health, but also because it can lead, indeed, to overconsumption.”
I still think that knitting your own clothes on itself IS a sustainable thing. For example, since I started knitting, I have bought fewer clothes. I haven't ditched buying clothes completely, but I definitely buy less than I used to. I’d rather spend my money on yarn than clothes, and knitting has been eye-opening for me about the fast fashion sphere. When you knit your own wardrobe, you learn the value of your work, your labor, and the cost of materials (yarn can be so expensive). Therefore, you might shop more consciously.
I think every single knitter on this platform has experienced the desire to urgently cast on another project at least once, even though they already had too many WIPs. I don’t think this desire is bad, but as we just discussed, sometimes you have to set boundaries. I’ve seen many challenges from different knitters pushing others to be more conscious and sustainable, especially the one from @minimalistknitting. I believe she’s French, and she has an amazing challenge where you only use the yarn in your stash and try to be more aware of what you NEED, instead of what you desire.
Click here to read about creating a knitwear capsule wardrobe to help cut down on overconsumption.
I still consider myself a newbie in the knitting world, and I love to experiment with yarn weights, textures, etc. Because of this, I usually buy a lot of yarn weekly/monthly, without a project in mind. Sometimes only to swatch, sometimes only because I think it’s the most gorgeous yarn I’ve ever seen. We all are influenced by what we see and who we follow on Instagram, and if the feeling of overconsumption is too much to handle, I’d recommend unfollowing the most tempting ones.
However, I feel that the two very famous yarn brands (who I’m not going to name) who run sales at least once a month (but usually more) can lead to spontaneous purchases and spending. We see their ads everywhere, and they sponsor a lot of knitters. Don’t get me wrong, I plead guilty to having bought these yarns so many times, usually on sale, and the quality is outstanding. But I think these brands should advertise a more conscious way of knitting to help decrease over-consumption.
I try to strike a balance between sustainability and overconsumption in my knitting practice. I love colors, speckles, neon, everything, but I also love neutral colors. If you check my non-knitted wardrobe, you’ll mainly find black, white, blue, and grey. I’d lie if I said I wear my knitted items every single day. However, when I buy more expensive or hand-dyed yarns from indie small businesses, I try to find a project that I know I’ll wear a lot.
Sometimes I use synthetic fibers such as acrylic and nylon, because:
I knit a lot and knitting is so expensive if you only consume 100% wool, so I balance between wool and acrylic.
I can wear acrylic knits during spring, or even when it’s cooler in the summer, which is not possible with 100% wool, especially where I live because of its warmer climate.
There are amazing quality and less pricey dupes of wool on the market that are great to experiment with.
Synthetic fibers are easier to take care of, and not everyone has the possibility/ means/space to afford wool, and then deal with hand-washing it and laying it flat for 3 days.
Learn more about yarn sustainability.
You’re killing it with all the test knits you’re doing. What inspired you to get started with test knitting?
Thank you!! Test knitting is a wonderful opportunity to get into the crafty world. This is probably the number one advice I’d give to a beginner who wants to dive into the knitting world: apply to test knit! It’s SO fun. With test knitting, you're going to meet new people from the same community and it is so reassuring to knit with pals. When you make a mistake on a test knit, you can always send a message on a group chat, and usually, people have your back. I feel like it’s a great opportunity to build confidence as well.
“This is probably the number one advice I’d give to a beginner who wants to dive into the knitting world: apply to test knit! It’s SO fun.”
I value two different things when deciding on a test knit:
The pleasure of the process. I know that this project may not be my most worn piece, but I love to learn new techniques.
The pleasure of the finished object. The final piece looks like something I can wear daily, and I know I’ll enjoy the process of making it.
I started with something simple and easy for my first test knit: The Back & Forth Top by Karas.Knit.Eng. This pattern is worked flat, with a flattering I-cord to secure the back, and two straps. It was so quick and easy to follow. I remember right after finishing this one, I was so content with myself that I finished it in time, that I liked it, and I didn’t make too many mistakes!
What’s your favorite thing that you’ve made so far?
It was hard to decide on just one thing, so I created a list of my top three favorite knits!
My third favorite knit is the Fleury Tee, which I test knitted last summer for my friend Noémie, and whose handle is @knitricot on Instagram. It’s a slightly boxy tee, with some cute details. I made mine oversized and knitted it in the fanciest organic hand-dyed cotton from La Droguerie. It feels very luxurious. I finished this piece in late August/beginning of September, so I didn’t have a chance to wear it a lot, but this is one of my faves because of the fit of the top, the yarn, and the designer.
Léna Maury’s Fleury Tee (Pattern by Knitricot Design)
I’d say my second favorite is the Fashionably Lace Sweater by Kara. I knitted it in this deep emerald green, which I think is such a statement piece. Knitting lace is my current obsession, and I think lace with chunky yarn is so cool. The color of this garment is one of the reasons why I adore it, and I’m already wearing it a lot and have gotten a lot of compliments on it!
Léna Maury’s Fashionably Lace Sweater (Pattern by KarasKnitEng)
My favorite is probably the Williamsburg Sweater, again by Kara. I have always been amazed by cables sweaters, even before I started knitting. I think they are so timeless and intricate. I considered making this project in a brighter color. However, since my wardrobe mainly consists of neutrals, I chose a dark grey, and this is my most worn knit ever. Simple, timeless and so cozy!
Léna Maury’s Williamsburg Sweater (Pattern by KarasKnitEng)
If I had to sum up my top 3, it would be the perfect mix between timeless yet funky pieces (because of the design or the color), while also being cozy, which is so important to me when I’m wearing the garment.
As a newbie knitter, I think it is important to hear how you feel about the knitting community. What do you like about it? Is there anything you think should be worked on in the community?
I absolutely adore this community. It is full of amazing, talented, and creative people, which is so uplifting and inspiring on a daily basis. I feel myself being much more creative than before mostly because of this community. Some people might think it’s a bit saturated, but each one of us is unique and has our own personality and style of knitting, and everyone can get something out of it based on their personal taste. For example, I’m less attracted to Nordic knitting because it’s more intricate, sometimes more complex, and I’m not attracted to the patterns as much as brighter colors and funkier designs. But there are so many styles. Even sock knitters have their own niche community! Find what you like and where you can find inspiration.
“I absolutely adore this community. It is full of amazing, talented, and creative people, which is so uplifting and inspiring on a daily basis. I feel myself being much more creative than before mostly because of this community. ”
What I also really, really appreciate about this whole community of knitters is the size-inclusivity of the patterns. Most designers have a wide range of sizes available, which is amazing for plus-sized people who are looking for perfectly tailor-made garments.
One thing I believe that could be improved is mostly in the designer sphere/test knitting sphere. Sometimes, I see crazy deadlines to test knit, say, a fingering weight jumper, and I think it’s unfair for larger sizes because it’s much more time-consuming to knit a sweater in 5XL than in XS. It’s also an issue because a lot of designers lack testers for bigger sizes when they do a testing call. After all, plus-sized testers may not be able to meet the tight deadline because they have more to knit. And, sometimes, designers put pressure on themselves to release a garment at a certain tight deadline, but this can stress the test-knitters, and it can be a bit toxic (again, not something I’ve personally experienced, but echoes I’ve had from knitters).
Overall, I think when designers have a strong follower base, those followers can wait for a proper release and designers don’t need to put as much pressure on themselves or others for a tight turnaround.
Do you have any advice for newbie knitters who are just entering our knitting community?
REACH OUT TO PEOPLE! I’ve made most of my friends by reaching out to them, or they reached out to me. People in this community are kind and patient, and they dedicate a lot of time to their hobby. Most of them like to have a chat during the day. Don’t be afraid to interact with people, ask for help, or even create a group chat with a few knitters! I created my own with around 20 knitters, and even though we don’t talk daily, we ask each other for advice regularly.
I’d also consider joining a KAL (knit-along)! It’s a similar process as test knitting, with a big difference being that the pattern is already out. You join a group of people to knit the same garment during the same period of time, and you can ask questions and talk about it along the way. I have personally never done one, but it is such a lovely idea if you want to meet new people.
Also, try to find knitters near where you live! It can be a great experience to meet in real life. Where I live, there is a pretty famous knitter who organizes a monthly knit-tea where people chit-chat, gather around a cup of tea and knit. You can meet knitters and real life, and it takes the knitting experience to a whole new level.
Do you have any projects that you’d like to share? Where can people find you?
I have lots of projects that I’d like to share but some of them are brand deals and have to be kept secret for the moment. It’s very exciting, because a lot of brands, especially in France, tend to be more traditional, but they are slowly turning to younger and more diverse knitters to represent them.
For my 2022 projects, I would like to find a balance between funky and neutral projects like I did with my favorite Williamsburg Sweater. I already have a knit list of things that I want to make. I would also like to organize my stash and do more gauge swatches.
I am so grateful that Léna took the time to be featured on the blog, and we had such a lovely conversation. It's so valuable to hear the reflection of someone who has recently celebrated their first year in their knitting journey as well as their first year in this community. Make sure to go follow Léna on Instagram at @lestricotsdelene so you can see what she's casting on next!