Saturday Spotlight | Meet Corrado Lark

I am back with my spotlight. This Saturday Spotlight is on Corrado Lark. I have often said the best part of my fiber journey is the people. I met this fabulous soul at VKL 2018

The spotlight

1. Tell me your story? What is your name and where do you knit from?

HI GG’s blog spotlight! It’s Corrado Lark, an actor and new knitwear designer knitting through life here in Astoria NY.

2. Well hello Corrado! What is your craft of choice? who taught you and how long have you been creating?

I learned to knit around Christmas 2016. I was on a performance contract, and one of my fellow actors knew the very basics. She said it helped with her anxiety. We then went to get some bulky yarn and straight needles. It turned out she didn’t know how to teach me, and so I learned from tutorials on YouTube. I immediately picked it up and began to create. I knit 12 scarves that Christmas, all just different knit and purl sequences, and most I made up. Then I didn’t knit for almost 6 months.

I went into hibernation after so much creativity I unleashed! 6 months went by, and I found myself in a difficult place in life while touring with a musical. I fell into knitting as a means to escape. Once I discovered ravelry and the wonderful world of written patterns, I quickly realized I’d be good at writing my own, seeing as I naturally was knitting them anyways. Other than acting and singing, I’ve studied creative writing, and was always naturally good at math. If you mesh all of my skills together, being a knitwear designer seems to fit along with my day job on camera or on stage, and I get to spend my time on something that brings me joy. At the end of the day, I knit because I love it, it fulfills me, and though I may have to rip back a few rows, in the end, knitting can never let me down.

More Corrado

3. Yes it seems a perfect fit. You have a podcast how did that come about? How is that going?

I started my podcast (the Corrado Lark Knitcast Podcast Channel) as a means to bring out the best in myself. I’m not acting in it, but it’s me at my happiest, goofiest, quirkiest self. To spoil the “illusion”, my actual name is Corrado Alicata, and you’ll find lots of singing when you search my real name on YouTube. I go by Corrado Lark for all of my knitting adventures, mainly because I like the sound of it. All that said: I go through periods when I struggle at getting content out. I just can’t portray myself upbeat any old day. I use it to help me get out of my funks I can get myself in.

4. Yea I have to do better with putting out content too. What podcasts do you watch?

I love the Grocery Girls’ playfulness, Kristy Glass Knits’ approach, and the Legacy Knitz realness. Oh, and I always love catching up with your channel!

5. We love the same podcasters, twinsies lol. What is your favorite yarn?

I absolutely adored working with Stacy Charles’ String Yarns Dolcetto and Chantilly for my “Riccio (the Hidden Brioche Hat)” design in my pattern collection “Rado” coming out March 1st! (Shameless plug 😉).

Inspiration

6. Hahahaha nothing shameless about it plug away. Who inspires you in your creating?

My mom is a big inspiration when I knit. She’s extremely creative, and I get my knack for it from her side of the family for sure. Only problem is: My mom has still never knit before! I’m working on changing that.

7. Wow! Come on Mom you can do it! You kind of answered this question but…I read on your Instagram bio that you are an actor too.  that help with your podcast?

I think being an actor definitely helps with my podcast. I know how to talk to a camera from my years in the profession, and I have some video editing knowledge from back in my Arts Magnet High School days.

8. That makes sense. What advice would you give someone looking to start a podcast? 

If you’re looking to start a podcast, I would say turn a camera on yourself and do it. I look at it as a good way to be reflective and positive about yourself and what you make. Stress about it as little as possible.

9. Great advice. Thank you for allowing me to shine my spotlight on you! How can my readers find you in this cyber world?

I can be found on Instagram and Ravelry as CorradoLark, and I repeat, my first ebook of 6 patterns, “Rado”, will be released March 4th on Ravelry 😄

Thank you so much, alright family tomorrow his pattern book drops on a Ravelry!

Knit on my fiber friends….knit on

GG