We are so excited to feature Pacific Knit Co. by the fantastic Jamie Lomax for March 2024's Maker Spotlight! Known for her cute colorwork motifs, interchangeable designs, and all the customization your heart could desire, Jamie has a special place in our Insta feeds. And now we're thrilled to share a few of those fabulous designs and get a behind-the-scenes look at how and why she became the Doodle Queen!
Check out what Pacific Knit Co. has to say about popcorn knitting, designing outside the box, and how to use a Doodle Deck.
Q. What attracted you to stranded colorwork in knitting? Why did you decide to only design in colorwork?
A. I'm originally an artist and interior designer by training, and I have always loved to draw. When I first started thinking about designing, I fell in love with colorwork because to me, it feels like drawing with yarn, or as you'll see me call it "Doodling" with yarn. I love the idea that you can create a picture by just using two different colors of yarn, stitch by stitch and row by row. It's almost like creating a slow motion drawing, where it appears over time as you work the fabric of the project. This leads to "popcorn knitting" where you just need to knit "one more row" to see how the picture will take shape.
My technical background in architecture also really lended itself to this standardized framework of graphical stitches. I find that when you have these boundaries that you have to work within, in graph paper, in the colorwork repeat, etc. that it actually leads to more creativity. It's so satisfying to me to create this intricate geometric motif, and then test the repeat of the pattern (in my knitting chart app) and just see that it works out! Like a beautiful math problem.
I tend to stick with geometric patterns, over more organic shapes, because for my brain (which is neurodivergent) it creates more predictability in the pattern. For example, when you have a symmetrical motif, made with simple geometric shapes, your eye can begin to predict where the next stitch should be, which both helps you notice more easily if your stitches are off, and makes colorwork charts easier to memorize. Easy memorization leads to more approachable knitting, which ensures that my patterns aren't scary for beginners. I also find that simple colorwork motifs make great conversational/tv knitting, because once you've memorized that repeat, you can carry on another task while working on the project, rather than having to focus 100% on the knitting. Personally, I like to use my knitting to keep my hands busy while I'm doing something else (like a video call or coffee with a friend), rather than having it so complex that it requires my full attention. In that way, knitting colorwork has become a fidget spinner of sorts for me.
Q. What does knitting bring into your life and what do you hope to bring to the fiber community?
A. For the community, I want knitting to be about allowing for creativity. When I first started knitting, I always modified the patterns I knit. Every time. I wanted it to be exactly what I wanted, and you know, that's one of the great things about knitting, that you can make it what you want. So when I started designing, I intentionally thought about how to build a framework of patterns that encouraged people to knit outside the box.
I found that traditional patterns often assume modification knowledge (perhaps passed down from mothers and grandmothers) or want you to just follow the instructions exactly as written, no mods. And when I started knitting, I didn't know how to modify, so I watched dozens of YouTube videos to learn. I found resources spread out and had to do a lot of trial and error (and frogging).
So when I wrote my own patterns, I wrote them to encourage modification. To practically require you to make some creative decisions (which yarn, which pattern shape, which motifs, what order, etc.). And while you can knit my patterns to match the sample, what you choose to knit is entirely up to you! And I'm seeing a lot of positive response to that framework. That my patterns aren't just to knit something, but to become a little bit of a designer yourself! And it's so fun to see my test knitters really lean into that and create amazing versions of Doodles that I've never thought of before!
And also for me, designing knitting patterns has allowed me freedom in my life. After three years, I've been able to quit my day job and now I spend my days drawing, knitting, drinking coffee, and slowing down from the work hustle. It's given me time back with my family and allowed me to show my daughter that we can thrive in creativity and not just be stuck in a cubicle for the rest of my life.
Q. Tell us about your super cool Doodle Decks. How are they different from using a traditional stitch dictionary? And where can we buy one?
A. Ah yes, the Doodle Decks. Endless customization with one pattern. I like to call these my "portable stitch dictionary." They are card decks (playing card size) that include thematic colorwork motifs, similar to a traditional stitch dictionary. But what's different here is that since these motifs are each on an individual card, you can actually physically and visually rearrange the motifs in any order, which is extremely helpful when it comes to designing your colorwork pattern.
The way it works is in 4 Easy Steps:
1. Pick your theme/order. Doodle Decks are all arranged in thematic motif sets, such as winter, autumn, spring, baking, monsters, you name it! So start with the vibe you want, but you can also mix the colorwork motifs across the themes, because every Doodle works with every pattern in the series. Once you've got the motifs you like, you get to use the cards to re-arrange the motifs and decide the order you'd like to work them in. Some people create a landscape, some create a mirrored motif, some are random. The choice is yours!
2. Pick your pattern. Since every chart works with every Doodle Pattern, you can pick from the existing library of cowls, scarves, hats, and socks. Each Doodle Card Deck comes with two cowl patterns to help you get started! Or you can use the motifs to add to any "vanilla" style pattern you have, as long as the stitch count adds up to a multiple of 24.
3. Pick your yarn/colors. Now that you have your theme and order, you can choose your yarns! While several LYS have started assembling Doodle Yarn Kits, these patterns are also the perfect stash buster because you can use as little as 5-10g per color on any given motif! I like to encourage people to mix stash, weights, dyers/brands, etc. and just generally get comfortable playing with yarns.
4. Start knitting! That's it! Just follow the pattern instructions and start knitting. When you get to the colorwork section, you'll work your first chart, then your next, then your next, and so on.
Because the framework is clear and consistent, and everything works together, it creates a really approachable pattern for beginners or knitters who want to try some modification or design, but just don't know where to start. If you'd like to try it yourself, you can pick up Doodle Card Decks at www.pacificknitco.com.
Fair warning through, once you try Doodle patterns, you'll never want to knit anything else because they are so much fun!
Connect with Pacific Knit Co.
Connect with Jamie through the Pacific Knit Co. on Instagram and Ravelry!
Or if you'd like to grab a Doodle Deck, you get find them on the Pacific Knit Co website.
Until Next Time
Thanks Jamie! We loved getting to know the woman behind the doodles at Pacific Knit Co!
Love,
