Meet Sarah Doyle | Knitwear Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Doyle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, which is where my passion for fiber art began. I wanted to knit my own pure wool hat to stay warm over the winter months, and that first project was what got me into creating my own hand knit clothing. Over time, my skills branched out into more and more difficult projects, including mittens, socks and sweaters. I learned a variety of new techniques and know I am an experienced knitter — and, I design my own knitting patterns! If you are not familiar with knitting, patterns are written knit and crochet designs.

Growing up in a dark and cold climate with long winters was extremely influential in guiding me toward the art of knitting. In the winter, there is only so much you can do to pass the time — there is winter sports and outdoor activities, but they are expensive and often hard to fit into life the day to day around work or school. Though Anchorage was the biggest city in Alaska, there still was not a lot of affordable activities in town, such as recreation centers. This lack of existing affordable enrichment opportunities for young people forces many to get creative about how they spend their time, and for me it led me to fiber art.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am excited about continuing to bring the art of knitting to a broader audience by creating approachable designs for all skill levels. My goal is to show people the value in hand making your own clothing and to design patterns that people want to include in their closet.

Something I continue to learn about this world of fiber artists is that they are everywhere and in so many countries — it is a craft that transcends culture, and steeped in heritage. For instance, the first known knitwear was discovered in Egypt and dated back to between 500 and 1200 A.D.. In the not so distant, past it was a craft dominated by men who knit clothing to sell. After the invention of machine knitting, it became a bourgeoisie art form, dominated by wealthy women. Now in the 21st century, the craft has become inclusive of all genders, races and backgrounds, and is a part of the slow fashion movement taking on the fast fashion industry. The COVID-19 pandemic really brought knitting as an artform to a larger audience, and I continue to be inspired by the creative knitwear breaking the stereotype of old ladies on rocking chairs (though we love them, too).

I launched my first free pattern this month, a hat pattern with color work called the Bright Bubble Beanie, available on Ravelry and on my website: theknitternextdoor.com. I am currently drafting my first sweater pattern, and look forward to launching a variety of approachable patterns for new and experienced knitters. You can follow my journey on Instagram @theknitternextdoor.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have lived in Denver for three years now, and I have come to love the art scene here. Ideally I would want a friend to visit during the first week of a summer month. We could start with a tour of Colfax, the longest main street in the United States, with some of the most incredible street art. I would have to take them to breakfast at Denver Biscuit Co., of course.

Another day, we could go downtown to Union Station and grab drinks at the Cooper Lounge. From there, you can see the 1920’s style molding on the walls that are the result of beautiful preservation work to restore the over 150-year old building.

We would try to make it to a free open lawn concert at Levitt Pavillion, and to a First Friday Art Walk in the Sante Fe district. Throughout the week, there are two authentic Mexican restaurants we would also go to: a burrito at Sabor Mexican Grill, and some street tacos at Taco Selene. And at some point, we would listen to free music and grab an alcohol-free cocktail at Awake Sober Bar and Coffee House.

We could play grass volleyball at Washington Park and take my dog to play at Chatfield. For a nice dinner, we would go to my favorite restaurant, Bon Ami. For a top-notch dessert, definitely would go the the Little Man Ice Cream Factory (not the stand downtown, the wait is too long.)

This is just a small selection of the awesome things in Denver we could do!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to the knitting community! There is a whole world of creatives in this space that deserve so much more credit for their artistic prowess. I want to definitely shout out Colorado-based hand died yarn artist Explorer Knits, their palette is beautiful and I hope everyone can check out their yarn. And to every knitter across the globe, thank you for reviving this age old art form and creating community within it.

Website: https://www.theknitternextdoor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theknitternextdoor/

Image Credits
Riley Doyle