Carolina Damonte

When and how did the idea of creating Knitting Sheep Handmade come about?

Like everything in life, sometimes it happens by chance. I had just been laid off after becoming a mother: a premature daughter born at 32 weeks, and your boss invites you to a toast at the Christmas dinner, and on January 2nd, he fires you. What to do? Well, knit as if there were no tomorrow. While taking care of Little Giulia, I knitted hats, scarves, coats for her... The mothers at the park would ask me: Where did you buy that? Can you make a set for my son? Then I thought: why not? If there's a demand in the market for handmade products, I can meet it while raising my daughter. And, as one thing leads to another,

I started selling a line of clothing for babies and mothers on the Etsy marketplace, teaching classes in schools and associations, and designing.

I believe it's very important to adapt to adversity: Be water, my friend; as Bruce Lee says. We are not a title or a lifelong job. We must adapt, because everything changes, and increasingly faster.

What do you like most about dedicating yourself to design?

The possibility of creating without limits, of turning a thread into a piece that will then be knitted or used anywhere in the world. It's an enormous satisfaction to receive a message from a client in New York confessing that they are in love with their cardigan and that it has become their favorite garment. For me, emotional compensation is fundamental in this profession. If you want to create with love, you need love. I try to convey that in all my pieces. Each design is unique, special, and I dedicate all the necessary time to it, even if I have to go to bed at 4 in the morning. For me, the most important thing is always the result, and when there's affection, it shows.

What inspires you when creating new products?

I can be inspired by a color, a city... I always carry a notebook and jot down ideas. What's clear is that I never design something that I wouldn't wear myself or wouldn't put on my daughters. For me, the raw material is also essential. I always look for organic yarns that don't contain acrylic. I like wooden or mother-of-pearl buttons; soft wools like merino, cashmere, alpaca. My style is very vintage. My father was a collector and taught us to love antique handmade pieces, crafted with noble materials. After creation comes family approval. Daily, I contact my mother via video call to ask for her opinion. I'm not at ease without her approval. Knitting Sheep is a family where everyone contributes something.

What is your next challenge?

I don't know if it's the next challenge; I still have a lot to grow as a designer. I do dream and would like to publish a book with baby clothing patterns.

An anecdote?

I am a person who, when involved in a project, gives it everything. When I started knitting 6 years ago, I read a lot about knitting and the importance of choosing suitable materials. At that time, there was talk of circular needles. And so I rushed out to get my first pair of cables. I went into a haberdashery in my town and asked the owner, a man on the verge of retirement, for them. He looked at me in astonishment and said: You South Americans are into stranger things. Yes, he said that and was quite content with himself. Since then (and not because of his comment), I usually use them a lot for the TOP-DOWN technique, because they produce perfect pieces: seamless and very neat, so much so that the right side is indistinguishable from the wrong side.

And, for me, those details are what make the difference.