introducing jordan prouty

This week, we’re so excited to share another individual pattern release from our 11-piece Atelier collection: Enfilade by Jordan Prouty. Jordan’s elegant socks combine a clean, modern design with the softness and strength of Tern, a blend of American territory wool and tussah silk. Worked from the cuff-down, with a short row heel and toe, Enfilade features a mesmerizing twisted stitch cable panel that extends all the way across the toe in front and down the heel in back.

These socks are extra special, as they mark our team’s first-time collaboration with designer Jordan Prouty. In celebration of this week’s release, we wanted to share our recent interview with Jordan, where she talks about all things knitting—enjoy!

What was your first knitting project?

I grew up in a family of knitters, and loved the sweaters my grandma and aunts made for me, but for many years, I didn't feel the need to try it myself. One day, when my youngest child was a baby, I learned that it was possible to knit socks; that drew me in immediately! One of my aunts generously brought me all sorts of knitting supplies: a project bag, skeins of yarn, needles, and knitting books. So my very first project was a simple scarf for that aunt to say thank you for all her support. And then my second project was socks!

Above: Starting from the cuff down on the Enfilade socks.

What are your favorite Quince yarns and why?

I love all sorts of yarns, but I have a special fondness for fingering weight yarns, especially ones that are ideal for sock knitting. So my favorite Quince yarn is probably Tern. It's lovely to work with, so soft and round and bouncy. The silk contributes strength which is perfect for socks, but also adds a lovely sheen and drape for other projects.

Above: A closeup, work-in-progress photo of the Enfilade socks.

How long have you been knitting? How and when did you decide to get into designing your own patterns?

I first got interested in knitting in the autumn of 2010. Knitting quickly became my passion; I love how it can be relaxing and repetitive, or it can be complex and stimulating. I really enjoy both the technical and creative sides of knitting.

Six years after I learned how to knit, when I was just 37 years old, I had an ischemic stroke. Besides all the other challenges, it was months until my dexterity improved enough that I could knit again, and I hadn't realized just how important my knitting was to me until then. It took time and work, but eventually, my knitting skills got back to nearly where they were before my stroke, and I decided to try designing my own patterns. I'm always trying to learn and expand my skills, and designing has been such a fun adventure! 

Tell us a little about your creative process—where do your ideas come from?

I get ideas for my designs from many different places, but I think the two most common are creation and geometric shapes. The variety and beauty in creation constantly amazes me and frequently something I see, perhaps a plant, an animal, a rock, a cloud, etc. will spark an idea that will become a new design. The other things that really inspire me are geometric shapes. I love to take something simple like a triangle or a diamond and play with it until a colorwork chart or a lace or cable design emerges. 

Above: Jordan draws inspiration for her designs primarily from nature and geometric shapes.

Is there anything else you would like to say about creating your latest pattern, Enfilade, for Quince & Co.?

This pattern was so much fun to design! Socks are one of my favorite things to design and to knit, and Tern was just the perfect yarn for this pattern. Enfilade is an example of my love of taking simple geometric shapes and blending them into a design. The delicate cables flowed so beautifully that I never wanted them to end, so I had them travel all the way on to the heel and toe. I was thrilled when my design fit into their vision for this collection; working with Quince & Co. was such a lovely experience!

We hope you enjoyed this Q&A with Jordan! You can follow along on her knitting adventures on Instagram at @bluepointknits or on Ravelry at BluePointKnits. Find her latest design Enfilade, now available for individual purchase on Quince & Co.