Who's Who: Young Knitter Has Flair for the Creative

Name: Quynh Gallagher

Age: 11

Tell me about your hat. First I took an interest in making a weird different fish hat, and I thought how ridiculous it would look if I saw someone walking down the street with a jellyfish on their head. I knew I wanted little tentacles, so I could pull them to the front and tie them, but it wasn't long enough. But it's versatile. You can wear it as a sun hat. What I love about knitting is you can make as many mistakes as you want, and it'll all come out well, as long as you know what you're doing. Weird things can be beautiful too.

So you're a knitter. How did you get started with that? Like any other girl, I always wanted to be a fashion designer. My grandma used to be a pattern maker for Barbie dolls. In 2007, I felt like I didn't spend enough time with my grandmas. One of them is full Vietnamese, so there's a language barrier. I decided to learn how to knit. That way I could spend time with both of my grandmas. 

How did they teach you? There are two different knit stitches (knit and purl). One grandma taught me one stitch, and one taught me the other. My grandma told me that the purl stitches look like little pearls, the bumps. We had moved to Orange County, and knitting became my way of spending time because I didn't really have any friends. I'm kind of a person who doesn't spend too much time with people. I sit with my odd little knits, and knit during lunch and recess. It got people's attention.

Were people curious about what you were doing? I ended up started a knitting craze at my new school in fifth grade. All the girls in my class started knitting, and I didn't feel alone. It was probably the first time this had ever happened to me.

When did you move to Albany? About a year ago. I go to . I'm very proud because I've gotten some of my friends up here to start knitting. That makes me happy, that I can teach my friends how to do things. They kept asking me to make them stuff, but I want to teach them how to do it. People can also buy what I make at the , and I'm going to start an Etsy page.

Have you been to the knitting store in Albany, ? It's the best knitting store I have ever seen. Before I moved up here, I had never touched alpaca. I had never touched real wool. I was living off the bare minimum of acrylics that you can get at Jo-Anne (Fabric & Craft Store). k2tog is the biggest knitting store I've been in. There are five different rooms of yarn, and everyone there is just so friendly. They let me help out on Tuesdays teaching kids how to knit. 

How does that work? At first I just went to the classes, and a teacher offered for me to help her. During the school year, there are about 10 kids who are there. The kids are amazing. One girl will always come to class with beautiful handmade yarns. I always admire those yarns from afar. They're starting a middle school group on Thursdays so kids can get individual attention. 

Do you make other things? I try to explore different things, so I make jewelry out of wire and beads. Mostly I just come up with them at random. I just see how I can bend the wire and fit the beads. I just explore coiling and wrapping my wires in different ways. 

How do you come up with your own designs for knitting? I spend at least an hour a day online looking at knitting websites, Knitty and Ravelry. Some chefs just sit and read about cooking and recipes. I'm like the knitter's version of that. I'll find a base for something I want to make, and then I'll experiment with it to come up with my own design. 

What are some of the other items you've made? I made this bear's head hat, and a dead fish hat for my dad. There's this little pig, and some fingerless gloves. I've never exactly fit in and I'm used to people thinking I'm slightly odd, so I just always wear what I want to wear. 

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.