Mugdha Manasa is an indie dyer who specializes in silks, linens, and blends. Her creations are gorgeous and remarkably affordable, and can be found in her Etsy shop, SunraysCreation. Read my interview with Mugdha to learn more about her yarn and color obsession, and how knitting has steadied her during a difficult transition period in her life.
What inspired you to start knitting?
I learned knitting as a child. My paternal grandmother used to knit, but she never lived with us, so I didn’t learn from her. My tuition teacher in high school, though, used to knit. So in the summer holidays when I was 14, I learned to knit from her. I did make a vest for my father and brother, but that’s it.
After I got married much much later, I happened to walk by a yarn store in a crowded market. The colours called out to me … and then next thing I knew was I had bought all the yarn I could with the money in my pocket, with some left over for a few needles and the fare back to the hotel I was staying at!
I haven’t stopped knitting since then.
Has knitting gotten you through a difficult time in your life? If so, how did it help?
Yes, it has been a life saver for me. I was between worlds at the time when I saw the yarn: I had quit my job after getting married so we could try for a kid immediately … but that wasn’t happening. I was in a sort of limbo without being able to make a decision about what I wanted to do. And I was spiralling into depression. The colours in the bright yarns while being worked on my needles steadied me through a lot going on in my mind and outside.
What keeps you obsessed?
More than knitting or crocheting, yarn by itself got me obsessed. The play of colours in so many different fibershare, how each one responds/reacts. How individual indie dyers and companies can make so many different colour combinations of so few colours. This obsession is what got me started on my indie dyeing journey.
What’s your favorite project that you’re working on right now?
I don’t honestly have a favourite. Favourite hate, yes … as in I’ll never make that again! But I love the process of knitting, so almost every project gives me joy and learning. And I rarely ever repeat a pattern that I’ve made once.
What project are you most proud of? Why?
I’m most proud of the Sumile Cardigan that I made for wwfy (will work for yarn) on Ravelry. I got a compliment that the fit was perfect for the lady in question … which is difficult at the best of times. And the lady was in Germany while I’m in India. So the compliment sure felt great.
What’s the best knitting advice you have received?
My teacher told me that I should knit so much that my fingers will never forget. My mind may, but my fingers shouldn’t. And that’s true!! I was able to get back to knitting with only the help of a couple of tutorials to help with cast-on. The knit stitch I managed just fine!
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