I Am So Popular: Love Me Doo-Doo

As if that doesn’t make her enough of a woman after my own heart, it turns out that Kourtney is also a totally badass knitter. And, like me (only much better), she is know to knit-from-the-hip, making it up as she goes, creating all sorts of groovy one-of-a-kind items. Before I made him stop, Warren kept coming at me with all sorts of goofy requests, which is how he wound up with knitted handcuffs, a roasted chicken hat, and a 3-D knitted menorah hat. So of course I slobbered over Kourtney’s unique work.

The good news is, you, too, can slobber over her work—up close and in person. She’s part of the EAST tour. What’s that you ask? It’s the East Austin Studio Tour, when over a hundred East side artists open their homes and studios so we can check out their habitats and their work and, of course, buy up their stuff. There are no excuses—NONE—not to attend this event. This year it’s running over nine days, from November 14th - 22nd. Next week we’ll be featuring more info and profiles. For now, a little sneak peak via a Q&A I did with Kourtney.

SG: Who are you?
AO: Oh, geeze. I’m still figuring that one out. I think I need a beer before I can even begin to ponder. Let’s just say, for now, I’m reaching the close of my twenties, I’m a mother, an aspiring pilot and obsessed with doing too many things at once and getting overwhelmed. I like to use my hands…a lot.

SG: How'd you get involved in E.A.S.T.?
AO: Since I recently left the domestic life behind, I’ve opened my eyes to a brand new world, a world outside mopping my floors and cleaning the kitchen, and I’m actually getting involved in the arts- something I’ve always wanted to do. My friend Terra Biddleman has never given up on me since we met, and constantly introduces me to amazingly talented people here in Austin. That's how I met the lovely Eya Floyd, who held my hand through the application process.

SG: Where can we find you on the tour?
AO: The 9th street house (2410 E. 9th Street).

SG: I knit, you knit, but not everyone knits-- so tell those us in layperson's terms how your on-the-fly knitting works. (i.e. what's your process from concept to completion?)
AO: Ok, so It depends on what I want to knit. Most of the designs of the creatures or hats I come up with just pop into my head, or they derive from a project gone bad or maybe it’s an extension or mutation of an old design. When it comes to clothing, I have a particular style in mind, but the real fun is when you get to play with stitch patterns and colorwork. On top of that, I like to mix techniques together. For example, if I combine crochet and knitting, sewing, and embroidery, it changes EVERYTHING. Most people I’ve come across who are involved in the fiber arts don’t like to step outside their comfort zone. They either knit or crochet, or sew, or felt, etc. When it comes to combining everything, I eat it up. My least favorite thing to do is the measuring and the calculating of stitches and making it all work for fitting a human. With making toys or pieces to be hung, you don’t have to worry so much about the math and counting stitches and practicality. Also, with many projects, I might have a particular way I want it to turn out, but then halfway through I completely change it, and luckily, it’s always worked out for the best. It’s all about intuition and throwing caution to the wind!

SG: Favorite thing you ever knit?
AO: That’s like asking what my favorite song is! No fair. As for an actual item, I had a really fun time knitting the nevernude. I love, love, love knitting cables, fair isle, and lace is fun when I don’t have to rip it out ten times. But I cannot stress enough that it has almost everything to do with WHAT I knit with. Favorite needles? Turbos and bamboos-- Lantern Moon [brand] if I can splurge. Natural fibers are the best! Acrylic is essentially knitting plastic and I hate it. Anything that’s considered “novelty” yarn I stay away from, because I just don’t like it. Perhaps I’m a purist or a snob. I can accept that fault.

SG: What's up with the poop-- is it a popular item?
AO: I don’t know what possessed me to subject people to those little buggers. I was reading something about the world’s oldest piece of coprolite having pinworms in it. I remember being so grossed out and thinking, “I gotta make poop cute.” Not to mention, having a 5 year-old, the poop humor is in full swing. Mostly, I just love seeing people’s reactions to things I make…the look of disgust and horror combined with an involuntary, “Aawwwww!” and a generous rubbing of the little guy upon their cheek is what makes me feel happy. It’s not every day you can get someone to say, “Damn, that’s a cute-ass poo.” People seem to enjoy them quite a bit.

SG: Besides E.A.S.T. where/how do you market your stuff?
AO: I’ve been on hiatus for a while. I have an etsy shop that I need to desperately restock. I also had a website, but I can’t really put the time into it to makework. I’m terrible at updating my knitting blog and marketing myself has been the biggest challenge. I suppose it's because I have yet to convince even myself that my creations are that special or good. I just try to keep things simple and fun. Etsy, my (old) website, Ravelry and local fairs are usually what I focus on when I'm in the Angryolive Mode.

SG: Advice to other crafty folks who want to get into the business side of it?
AO: I wish I could tell you, because I could definitely use that advice. I would say if you want to sell patterns, you would probably be in better shape than selling handmade items. I am a one-woman sweatshop and because of that, I developed tendonitis. Keep things simple and less time consuming if you want to make a profit. The best thing I have ever done is put myself out there and MEET PEOPLE. I have noticed that crafty people who constantly update their shops, blogs and participate in fairs, and publish free patterns online seem to get some wonderful breaks.

SG: Current favorite knitted item you've made/are making?
AO: The current favorite would have to be S. Cargo and the Dame Critter Trio or the Owl Vest. There is also a vintage pattern of a nautical blanket that’s burning a hole on my shelf.

SG: Tell me about your "plush life"— What's up with the plushies?
AO: Plushies are typically instant gratification, and when you spend over a month knitting a top, you need to have a quick fix. My quick fixes have turned out to be some of my favorite things to make. In the amount of time it will take me to knit a plush, I can sew 20 from fleece. Instead of running 5 miles a day, I just get liposuction every now and then…

SG: What else do you want to tell me?
AO: I am participating in a play called Love and Chaos that will be a supernatural four act, four location show on November 15, 2009 starting 4:30 at Rio Rita and ending at Shangri La. Not to whore that out or anything, but If you happen to see plush guts fly out of a stomach and an extremely oversized cinnamon roll in the show- I made them! thetinyblackhearts.blogspot.com
Spike Gillespie wishes she could sit in a big pile of plush poo and just knit all day, everyday. She blogs at KnitBuzz and spikeg.com.