Denise Frame Harlan
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ravelry: twirlyhead
Started cranking: 2015
How did you learn about CSMs? I first heard about these machines on an online knitting forum, back when uploading photos was nearly impossible. I already knew I needed one. Saw a knitter demonstrating at the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool festival, then later attended the Socks by the Side of the Road Crank-In.
How did you learn to use a CSM? I started with LOTS OF PROMISES TO FULFILL. I began with crowdfunding site Kickstarter to fund my new business, Stockingfoot Knits. It wasn’t the most sane or reliable path forward, but it suits my personality, and it worked. I had full funding for my project in just a few weeks, and I had Knitting Goals.
I obsessively watched YouTube videos before the machine arrived. Subito Farms hosted a crank-in shortly after my machine arrived—Cindy MADE me knit a heel. So glad she did. Laurie the Brilliant tweaked a broken cam-spring and helped me get more comfortable with the machine. After that, it was all repetition and brute determination and asking a million questions. Sue Vunesky helped me time my ribber at the Amherst CSKMS crank-in: so helpful. CSM people are smart, generous, and kind.
I wrote an article for Interweave Spin-Off Summer 2017 on crowdfunding to move from hobby to business. It was fun! I’ll never do anything like that again!
Ribber preference: Equal
What do you like most about this pastime? I love FINISHED GARMENTS that meet a real need. I love colors of yarn.
Favorite item to make? Socks! Right now, I like knitting fine yarns on the 80-slot cylinder.
What is your favorite sock yarn? Austermann Step
Advice? Try EVERYTHING: different heels, different yarns, different kitchener methods. Do a little work to find yarn that’s affordable when you buy in bulk. Listen to the really smart people in this community. Stay OUT of online arguments about the best machine, or the only way to do something. It’s okay to like what you like! I was convinced I’d prefer a quieter machine, and I do!
Do you know how to knit with sticks? Yes
Have you attended a local or regional crank-in? Yes
Pet peeves/Turn ons? I ordered a Chambord Accuknitter in my first weeks owning a different CSM. It’s THE smoothest knitting, most gorgeous machine! QUIET—did I mention that it’s quiet?
Tell us more…
I am a writer. I teach first-year writing at Mass College of Art and Design. I also coach high school students writing their college application essays. I knit 200+ pairs a year, and I sell at 3-4 craft fairs each year, including a local Waldorf school holiday fair, an artisan fair at a local retreat center, and a fair that serves the outdoor ed hiking program of a local college: so my audiences are a) holiday shoppers who still need to buy something for DAD; b) women whose feet are cold at a chilly retreat center; and c) hikers who value wool for its insulation and durability. I’ve never been great at “building up stock” until this pandemic season, and now I’m hoping to have 100 pairs before summer begins. I tend to “knit like pacing the floor,” when I need to think through something. I guess I’ve been thinking through a lot!