Member Spotlight: Meet Kim!

Kim in her Umpqua Sweater

Our latest Member Spotlight is on Kim Winter, our Board Volunteer Coordinator. As a joyful and passionate sweater knitter, Kim "knits about 10-12 sweaters a year," she states, "with the addition of about 3-4 shawls, and an occasional hat or pair of mitts." Now, that's awesome!

Tell us a bit about yourself:
​My enthusiasm for knitting grew following the introduction of Ravelry and I have spent countless hours chatting, participating in online and in-house KALs, testing designs, and posting pictures.
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As a speech language pathologist specializing in birth to age 5, my enthusiasm grew even more when I retired from work about a year ago. But I am not tired! Over the past year, my fervor for knitwear has grown exponentially and I plan to teach sweater knitting classes and have a pattern for a video tutorial planned for the future.

What got you started knitting?
I learned to knit about 26 years ago after moving to Portland and getting married. Prior to that, I was an accomplished sewist. I learned to knit from a wonderful knitter named Kathryn Creswell at a little shop called Spindleshanks in NW Portland.

Kim in her Tegna top with Caitlin Hunter, a.k.a. Boyland Knitworks

Favorite place to knit:
​I am an avid OSU Beaver football fan and during the season I love to knit in front of the TV or at Reser stadium and knit while I yell.

What’s your biggest knitting victory?
My biggest knitting accomplishment has been learning how to change the gauge from recent PKG speaker Nele Redweik. I did the math from “The Easy One” designed by Joji Locatelli and knit a beautiful orange (my favorite color) pullover in DK weight yarn. (Check it out here.)

I have been over the moon meeting different designers at workshops this year including Thea Coleman a.k.a. Babycocktails and Caitlin Hunter a.k.a. Boylandknits (Check out Kim's Tegna top here). Being in their presence has been awe-inspiring.
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What do you want to learn more about in knitting?
I am tinkering with knitwear design and have a couple of sweaters in mind and on paper for the future.

Kim's version of "The Easy One" she adapted from Nele Redweik's program "Change the Gauge"

What other hobbies do you have?
I am an accomplished sewer. I have taken more sewing classes this past summer and have sewn a canvas/leather backpack, an easy top, a modified dress, and I made leather sandals.

Find Kim on Ravelry and Instagram as Dreamknitgirl. 

If you want to be featured in our Member Spotlight, email us at [email protected]!