[ot-caption title=”Ms. Alexanderson is working on her new knitting project, a pair of socks. (via Sabine Katsoulos, senior)”]

Ms. Alexanderson teaches psychology here at Pine Crest. What you might not know about this PC teacher is that she is also a skilled knitter. Type One sat down with Ms. Alexanderson to talk about her hidden hobby, and found that knitting allows Ms. Alexanderson to express her creativity while also providing her with comfort and joy; it also allows her to keep calm and relieve stress, helping her balance her career. [spacer height=”20px”]

[ot-caption title=”Ms. Alexanderson always adds her own labels to her beautiful pieces . (via Sabine Katsoulos, senior)”]

T1: How old were you when you started knitting? [spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: I started knitting in my mid 20’s. My aunt was a knitter, so she taught me how to knit. [spacer height=”20px”]
T1: What’s your favorite type of knitting? Why?[spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: I really like doing lace work because it’s intricate and interesting. It creates a really nice illusion and interesting patterns.[spacer height=”20px”]
T1: Who’s your favorite seamstress/knitter?[spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: I don’t really have a favorite knitter, but the work that my friends and my aunt do is incredible and they inspire me.[spacer height=”20px”]
T1: How do you express yourself when you knit?[spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: I like to use a lot of vibrant colors, and I also like to make my own patterns. Ultimately, I think the fact that I get to choose the patterns and get to alter them and that is what allows me to express myself.[spacer height=”20px”]
T1: Why do you enjoy knitting? What’s your favorite thing about it?[spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: I like making things, so it’s rewarding in that sense. And you can just make so many things such as scarfs, leg warmers, and hats. The thing I like most is coming up with a pattern that I think someone is going to really enjoy and giving it to them as a gift. [spacer height=”20px”]

[ot-caption title=”Ms. Alexanderson enjoys using patterns, such as the houndstooth pattern shown above. (via Ms. Kerri-Anne Alexanderson)”]
T1: What is your favorite memory with knitting?[spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: I have sort of a funny story actually. When I first started knitting, I got a knitting book with a lot of different patterns, and I saw this really nice sweater, and I thought it would look great on my sister, so I decided to try and make it for her. I knitted my heart out all summer, but I messed up the pattern so when she put the sweater on the shoulders of the sweater fell off. It was a total mess, but it was so funny because it was one of the first big projects I set out to make, and it was a disaster, but now I could knit that sweater easily. It was definitely a learning experience.[spacer height=”20px”]
T1: What is a challenge you face when knitting? [spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: A challenge I face is memorizing all of the symbols when I read a pattern. It is also difficult to knit with multiple types of yarn. [spacer height=”20px”]
T1: What is some important knowledge you’ve gained from knitting? [spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: Patience, because sometimes when you’re working on a pattern or using a particular type of yarn it just doesn’t work out. You really have to pay attention and be patient with it so you can execute what you want to do. [spacer height=”20px”]
T1: How does knitting help your career? [spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: It helps keep me calm and relaxed after a long week, which helps me balance my career. [spacer height=”20px”]
T1: What is a goal you have?[spacer height=”20px”]
Ms. Alexanderson: Entrelac knitting looks like little triangles; it is very intricate, and I’ve always wanted to do a big project using this technique.