It’s time for a Saturday Spotlight. I know, I know I’m long over due, but you will forgive me soon.
I have been blessed to meet some really talented folks on this Fiber journey. Alex is no different. If I remember correctly we met at Vogue Knitting a few years back. It has been a pleasure watching him create.
Thank You for spending some time with me and my readers, let’s talk
SPotlight Meet Alex
1. First thank you for standing in my spotlight. Tell me your knitting story. How long have you been knitting and who taught you?
I learned how to knit/crochet 2010 through Youtube when I was 13. My mom had some random yarn from a bag weaving kit hoarded in her room. She taught me how to make a chain because that was all she remembered but I taught her the rest. She’s learning how to knit right now actually.
2. Wait you were 13 in 2010? So you crochet too?
I mean I don’t think it was a coincidence that I was born on National Crochet Day…. #Godknowswhathedoes
3. Hahahahahaha true indeed, He absolutely does. So you dye yarn as well as spin right? What came first the dye or the spin?
Great question!! I learned wool dyeing and spinning through books and youtube. Dyeing came first because it was cheaper to learn, Paton’s wool from Micheal’s was all I needed to buy, I already had food coloring from baking, white vinegar plus a coupon for Michael’s.
4.You make it sound so simple, I would have a hot mess. Your yarn is in local yarn shops! How cool is that! What was the first shop to carry your yarn and how did that feel?
It was surreal!! I had no idea what I was doing, not sure if I do now honestly. Woolyn in Brooklyn, NY was the first shop to carry my yarn. Rachel, the shop owner, knew one of my coworkers while I worked at Lion Brand Yarn Studio he suggested that I contact her to see if she wanted to carry my yarn in her shop when she was getting the shop ready in 2016.
5. I have to get to Woolyn and I didn’t know you worked at Lion Brand, wow! Do you have a favorite color that you have created?
That’s hard Gaye BUT I’ll pick Concrete. It’s a grey trying to be a black, black speckles on a tonal grey to represent NYC.
The good, the challenging, The yarnbombing
6. What challenges have you face during your journey
MONEY! Both of my parents have been disabled for about the same time I’ve been playing with yarn. This is one of the main reasons why I turned it into a business, I was good at it and pretty quick so I could make things to sell. Most stores want things quick, which means I need to have stock, which means I need to have money to have stock sitting in my house.
TRUST- AlexCreates became a legit business January 2017, the only reason I did this was to have a wholesale account with a yarn warehouse because my previous supplier stopped making my yarn and wouldn’t make it anymore. I found out a month after putting my order in, I needed a source I could depend and trust on.
7. Aright for being legit! Go Alex Go! Now for some reason, I think of you and I think yarnbombing as well. Am I right? Tell me about that!
YES!! I love that you asked me about this. I knew what yarnbombing was very early in my journey but never did any until I met and got to know Naomi Lawrence (@naomirag on IG), she makes these HUGE gorgeous flowers. We’ve collab a couple times and I’ve helped her install some yarnbombs too. I’ve also worked for some yarnbombers and saw how these yarnbombs impact the communities so I decided to make yarnbombs that impact or shine a light on the communities I’m apart of. My very first yarnbomb was a heart with “Love Wins” in the center, I made this the same day the Supreme Court legalized Same-sex marriage in states. My most favorite yarnbomb to the date has to be my Celia Cruz yarnbomb, I grew up listening to her but really fell in love with her, her voice and journey when I watch the Celia Cruz novela from Telemundo (now on Netflix). After watching the novela I knew I had to make something in tribute to her. I took three of her icon looks and tuned them into portraits, each has a different colorful wig, make and big-beautiful red lips! Growing up I was told many times that my nose was too big, lips too big, hair too nappy and that the only cute thing about were my eyes so making these features were and still are important to me. I have many more portraits planned out!!!
8. What a great story. I know you know you are perfect as is right? The yarnbombing is just mind blowing, bravo my friend. What’s next for AlexCreates?
To make it to 2018 happy and sane.
No, but really, I recently transitioned into doing AlexCreates full-time while being a full-time college student and I’ve never felt more overwhelmed! At the beginning of this year, I had two part-time jobs, school full-time AND AlexCreates and I wasn’t this stressed but I’m much happier now, can’t complain.
I’ll be a Vogue Knitting Live NYC in 2018!!
Alex!! Thank you so much for allowing me to point my spotlight at you. You know I will find you at VKL! Hope to see you are Rhinebeck too!
NOTE: if you know someone I should feature on the Saturday Spotlight, please let me know.
Knit on my fiber friends….knit on
GG