The Artisan Within with Pointless Nostalgic

1. Where are you from?
Originally I'm from north central Illinois, a small farm just outside of Gridley. Currently I am from the San Luis Valley of Colorado and I'll be from here for about another year or so.

2. What do you create?
Oh I create lots of things. One thing that I don't share on Etsy is the food that I create, I just love to cook. For myself and for Etsy I create many knitted items, some earrings, and other random upcycled wonderfulness.

3. Tell us a little about yourself.
Currently I work as a full time volunteer at an immigrant resource center. We help folks get their paperwork in order as well as teach English as a Second Language courses, and citizenship class. I am married to my dear David. We will be married three years come October and we still think it is the greatest idea ever, marriage that is. Working as a volunteer with the organization I am in involves community living so though David and I have our own place we work to live in intentional community with the other five volunteers that are here in our program.

4. What or Who got you started doing what you do?
My Grandma Kirkton taught be how to crochet when I was very young, but within the past year I have taken strongly to knitting. I taught myself the basics of knitting from random internet sites and then I decided I wanted to learn something useful so I had a friend of a friend teach me how to knit socks and from there there was no stopping me! That was last August and I have since taught myself how to make hats, gloves, wallets, slippers, and even how to spin using a drop spindle.

5. What is a little known fact, or something unique about your work that is interesting?
In general I don't make things that I wouldn't use or wear. There have, of course, been a couple things that didn't turn out the way I thought they would, but overall I don't just make things to make them. I make them because I enjoy how they look or I value what they are used for so I want to share them with my customers.

6. If you could pick anyone famous that would purchase your work, who would they be?
The obvious people who may appreciate handmade somehow don't strike me, not that I wouldn't really like for Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, or Oprah to come strolling through my store. For some reason Janeane Garafalo stands out to me as a person who would appreciate handmade items and stand up for what they mean to our world and economy. I literally have nothing to base this belief on, but that is who I will choose - Janeane Garafalo.

7. Do you prefer to create in silence, or a room filled with music?
Since most of my work is knitting, I prefer to do that when I am hanging out with friends, watching a movie or whatever. For cooking I like to have music on or the TV in the other room.

8. When did you first discover you had a creative side?
I think it has always been evident. My mom wasn't "crafty", but she was more of a interior designer. So early on when I would create things she would always encourage me saying how she was never able to create, but I learned from her many great way to accomplish cool interior designs and think outside the box.



9. What's one thing that would surprise us about yourself?
Hmmm, maybe that I have also lived in Southern Africa and in Bolivia.

10. What's in your CD player?
Imogen Heap

11. What magazine would you love to be on the cover of?
I don't think they put people on the front, but maybe Real Simple because I feel like they need to get more involved in the handmade movement.

12. Favorite vacation spot?
Either the beaches of Vilanculos, Mozambique or anywhere that there is great camping and hiking.

13. Can you throw any advice about anything our way?
Live for the joy of others and your life will overflow with joy.


14. Links where we can find out more about your work.

http://emmylouhelmuth.etsy.com/

http://emmylouhelmuth.blogspot.com/