q&a winter 2015 / from peppermint magazine

What’s the story behind your label?

Good Night, Day is a small independently run knitwear label, with an aesthetic

that emphasizes sustainability, ,incorporates traditional hand knitting skills with a modern & minimalist approach. The limited items are handcrafted in small exclusive batches, all out of Canada using  fairly  sourced South American wools.

When did you learn to knit, and what do you love about it?

I taught myself to knit as a way to channel my creativity, it was an immediate obsession. I love the empowerment that came with learning a traditional hands on skill. Knitting is really artistically & politically liberating for me.

What inspires your modern and minimalist designs?

I am deeply & personally invested in my designs, since each piece is hand knit, it all comes from that. I have a strong aesthetic for minimalism, so shape & structure is inspiring . I am also so inspired with textures, fibres, & colour palettes, also obviously a certain mood & emotion.

How do you source the wool used for each collection?

I am strongly drawn to textures that naturally hand spun fibres produce  & that really highlight what i love about hand knit garments. The South American wools I source are so much a part of Good Night Day's aesthetic, there is such attention to tradition & heritage , with these wools from Peru, Uruguay & Argentina, which are spun & hand dyed in small batches.

You make each and every one of your garments by hand. How much time do you spend knitting each day?

Each & everyday I spend knitting, hours on end, I don't actually keep track. I even bring my knitting on the go, I love knitting outdoors especially, I usually have many projects happening at once & I have certain projects that are easy to bring along. If I am not knitting, I am still very hands on, with some other related task.  I feel honestly that I am in some way never not knitting, since everything is so incorporated in this element.What are some of the challenges of running your own label?

Honestly, this label was founded from a personal obsession & had nothing to do with the business side of things, so obviously this has always been my struggle. I am constantly facing the financial challenges, as well as a workload that is always too overwhelming . I am often sold out  due to these issues, & all of my financial investment is truly just what i put in myself, i have no investors, & it is all just me. Since, it is such a literal personal & emotional investment, it can be quite a struggle with my sense of self, & I constantly just keeping my head above water sometimes. Of course, all of this really drives me, & I am keenly aware of sticking to my own integrity since I am my own boss., so that feels like an accomplishment, that I've been able to stick all out. I have such respect for anyone doing it on their own & their way. I hope to continue to meet other independent makers that are willing to share & support, its what I think makes it all happen for all of us.

Tell us about your ‘seamless knitting’ technique…

When I first started to knit, i was really intimidated & annoyed with tedious tasks of seaming, & many projects would be left unfinished due to the piecing together. Instead, I discovered I could design my own patterns in a way, that allowed me to avoid these hang-ups . I've passed these ideas of seamless knitting involving circular knitting patterns, I think they are a great tool especially for beginner knitters, & I feel it really helps in those early stages of learning when everything might seem so complicated. Of course, over time, I have found new appreciation for all aspects of knitting, including the more daunting techniques. But I still love a good seamless design, without all the fuss, there is something empowering about it all.

You also produced limited-edition knitting booklets, so that people can recreate GND designs in their own homes. How does it feel to see people making your garments?

although knitting is really a solitary activity & skill, & one that i personally crave sometimes for its ability to alleviate my own anxieties, stress & worries. I have really become aware of  the community of knitters, that really supports, encourages & inspires each other. I am so touched in an overwhelming way by the knitters that have reached out to me, & that use my patterns & pass on the love of knitting to their friends & family too. There is nothing as rewarding as hearing that my patterns inspired someone to learn to knit, because knitting empowers me & I know the positive effect it can continue to have. It was always really important that I self-publish the knitting patterns in booklets, as well as downloadable pdfs,  that would be easily accessible, & also share my passion for the printed word. Knitting can be for everyone.

What are your hopes and plans for the future of Good Night, Day?

I have so many hopes & plans for Good Night, Day, that I suppose I just aspire to see

most of them become a reality. I would love to continue to work alongside others in this community, to continue to stick to my own vision & to figure out how to expand in a way to make it works alongside my personally invested  hands on approach. I would love to focus even more on limited  & exclusive projects, while also having more specialty supplies for the makers.

(q&a c/o peppermint magazine)