For our May 2025 Member Spotlight, prepare to be impressed. Martha Owusuwaah Appiah learned to knit in grade school, then promptly forgot about it. Only last year did she take up needles again, and, boy, has she made up for lost time! Not happy making almost perfect garments, Martha patiently learns and practises unfamiliar techniques. As a result, she both loves and wears what she makes.
What prompted you to take up knitting and how long ago did you do so?
Decades ago, my older sister tried to teach me how to knit after she picked up the skills at summer camp. I dabbled in knitting but didn’t take it too seriously, and I forgot all about it once I headed to high school.
It wasn’t until 2024, when my younger sister started knitting again, that I considered intentionally diving into this hobby. So, this is my first year as a TKG member, and what I’ve enjoyed the most is the variety of topics in the monthly community meetings, and the subject experts that we’ve had over the year (and in previous years thanks to the repository) that I can learn from!
Do you feel you have an aptitude for knitting or is it something you have to “work at?”
There are definitely techniques that I have to work at, but I’ve always been one to tinker and experiment with new things, and I often surprise myself with what I can accomplish. That’s been the beauty of knitting for me. Despite the frustration that comes when something isn’t going well, I love researching or connecting with other knitters to find a solution. I see them as tiny quests in the bigger project.
The level of information and support available in the fibre arts community is way more accessible and widespread than it used to be, which helps me learn more easily with each knitting project. Right now, for instance, my knitting lifesavers would have to be VeryPinkKnits and Roxanne Richardson—both on YouTube—because I have yet to face a problem or a concept that one of these two (if not both) have not already created content on how to resolve or learn it. They really come to the rescue when I need a visual to complement what’s written in a pattern or book.
Give us an example of how you “work at” a knitting project.
Recently, I turned to Roxanne Richardson’s channel to learn how to properly pick up stitches for a neckline. I’d already made three knitted sweaters, but this was my first where the collar was knitted continuously into the body.
I was in the final stretch of this sweater and eager to finally wear it, but didn’t want to rush and end up with an almost perfect piece. Easier said than done! When I just want to “wing it” with an unfamiliar technique, my sister reminds me (and I’ll remind her when the tables turn) that the thirty minutes it takes to watch a video and learn to do something correctly is a drop in the bucket given how long it takes to knit a garment. If you rush but never wear the item or are constantly reminded of what you should have done, then you’ve learned nothing and have wasted countless hours. So, I’d put the choice this way: spend an extra thirty minutes or flush away one-hundred hours.
And now, I absolutely LOVE and WEAR my finished piece.
What is your professional and/or academic background? How, if at all, does knitting fit with that?
I work for a management consultant firm in a client account strategy role. It’s been interesting to see how much of a conversation starter knitting is or how many of my colleagues and clients knit/have knit before. And smaller projects like socks are a great way of “fidgeting” without being too distracting to others on video calls. But most importantly, knitting, along with my other hobbies (tennis, Pilates, and weightlifting) gives me something to think about other than my work as well as access to new communities and people.
Being able to (figuratively) turn off my work brain and focus on other goals has helped me recognize that (1) my career is not all that I am, especially in our hyperconnected world where lines between work and home get blurred, and (2) in order to be the analytical thinker and problem solver that my paid work requires, I need to be able to disconnect and recharge.
In my view, having hobbies and passion projects, especially as an adult, is key to a healthy and fulfilling life.
Are there other fibre arts that you practise? Can you imagine yourself making your living through knitting or other fibre arts?
I also crochet, but I don’t practise that as much as I do knitting, mostly because I knit or crochet based on what vision I have for the finished object. If the idea favours crochet, then I’ll crochet, and if the idea favours knitting, then I’ll knit. It’s that intuitive nature that I love about casting on a new project. I get to bring an idea to life for me! That pleasure and satisfaction is likely what keeps me from trying to monetize knitting or make a living through it.
To me, fibre arts are my way of expressing myself creatively. They also serve as a meditative element, keeping me calm after a long day or when I need to slow down and reflect.
Which weights and fibres do you prefer and what do you like to knit?
When I first started to knit, I only wanted to work with worsted weight yarn because it was easier to hold onto. But I learned how to hold the working yarn without a death grip, and since then I’ve loved working with thinner gauge yarns (even lace weight merino). My favourite weights to work with now are anything between a heavy-fingering and a light DK weight.
In terms of fibres, I want to try as many different yarns as I can in order to build my understanding of how fabrics of a single fibre or a fibre blend act. So far, I’ve been enjoying working with different breeds of non-superwash and superwash sheep’s wool.
Most of my ideas are inspired by what I see in fashion and what I see in general life. Typically, I knit garments, though more recently I’ve really been enjoying sock making!
Tell us more about your sock knitting.
Socks are an amazing way to learn new techniques and stitch patterns.
My first pair of socks, were also my first stranded colour work piece called the Rhubarb and Custard Socks, a pattern by Zanete Knits. I love when I can make a connection with the items I knit and, for me, these socks remind me of baking strawberry-rhubarb pies in late-spring or eating the traditional strawberries and cream during Wimbledon. These socks are knit from the toe to the cuff with the gusset increases positioned below the heel and an incredibly squishy honeycomb brioche heel flap. And while my execution of these socks can be improved, (e.g. I bound off the cuff one sock ever so slightly tighter than the other), I plan to knit a few more of these.
For this year’s summer solstice, I’ll be knitting the inverse of the Rhubarb and Custard Socks pattern—that is if I can find a new pink speckled yarn; the one I used in this project is no longer available.
I recently completed my second pair of socks, which were the Seafarer socks from Summer Lee Knits’ book—a cuff-down, cable knit pattern to learn how to work with cables on a smaller scale.
I’m still learning how to better customize socks to my foot measurements but the process of continuous improvement has been great to document.
Are you a process knitter or a product knitter?
I’m a bit of both, but to choose one, I would say I’m more of a product knitter mostly because I like the idea of seeing an accomplishment. For me, it’s the difference between running on a treadmill and running on a trail. Yes, they’re the same actions at the end of the day, but the latter allows you to see the process as a bigger picture.
I do enjoy the process of knitting as it gives me something to do with my hands and helps me stay present. But knitting for the sake of knitting wouldn’t provide me with the sense of fulfillment and pride that a finished object does.
How inclined are you to follow standard practices, pattern instructions, and rules? Do you have any unconventional knitting practices?
I haven’t taken the training wheels off yet, but I’m certain that in time, I’ll pick up my own style or a technique that better suits how I want garments to fit my body. Right now, as a novice knitter, I think it’s important to understand the fundamentals and the why behind knitting before you can get creative with adding your own flair.
To date, I’ve knit a small handful of items, and I like each project that I take on to teach me something new. Whether it’s a colour work item or custom measured garment, I want to learn something from each product.
I keep every project that I knit, even if it turns out less than ideal. My notion is that the piece will act as a base line for me to reflect on, as I improve on my knitting proficiency.
If you could tell the world at large one thing about knitting, what would it be?
There’s no age or gender requirement to knit. If you’re even a bit interested, give it a go! You might be surprised by how fun and calming it is. Besides, the world could use some more chill people!
