Hi, my name is Ann! I live in East Sussex, UK and you can find me on Instagram and Ravelry as annrawdonsmith. 

Do you have any knitting superpowers?

Technique is work-in-progress! But, I have a profound passion for color and combinations of color, how those will work together when transformed into a design or pattern. I am a classical musician by training and, in many ways, color is like music - you can ‘harmonise’ the shades and tones together almost like notes on a score. And I get inspiration from the world around me - a landscape, a plant, a sunset etc. It’s all chromatic!

What is your favorite color? 

It changes according to mood, fashion trends and the time of year, but I always yearn for a pop of orange in all its glorious variations, from the brightest of citrus oranges to the warmer rusts and burnt sienna end of the colour spectrum. 

What’s your dream knitting destination?

Amsterdam and a trip to Stephen and Penelope! I will travel with an empty suitcase and fill it full of beautiful, colorful wool! A visit is most definitely on the cards in the not too-distant future!

How many Westknits projects have you made and which is your favorite? 

I have made 11 hats (10 of which were gifts) and 11 shawls (2 gifted to friends). Next stop socks! It’s an impossible task to choose just one favorite, but I absolutely adore the shawls: anything with chevrons and/or crazy borders with rows so long your fingers drop off!! I also love the designs with a variety of stitches and techniques.

How do you store your yarn stash? 

My (extensive) yarn collection is biding its time in a cupboard concealed from the prying eyes of my one year old dachshund, Daphne; she has yet to learn the difference between a ball of wool and a toy! One day I will display my yarn in all its majestic glory in an elegant French armoire or antique glass- fronted cabinet.

Do you knit one project at a time or do you have several WIP's on your needles? 

I only have one thing on my needles at any one time..... oh wait, apart from the five other WIPs (Shawl Smorgasbord, Shawl Party, Painting Stripes, Painting Honeycombs and Briochevron Wrap)!!

What’s your favorite knitting moment?

A favorite moment has to be when I sit back in a comfortable chair clutching a fancy project bag that is bursting to the seams with an irresistible collection of colorful yarn, needles at the ready and cast on. You never know where a Westknits adventure will take you. And of course the MKALs are particularly special.