Meet Courtney Flynn, the mind behind flynnknit, and the author of “The Art of Knitting Hats,” a name synonymous with innovative knitting designs and captivating poms. At 48, this knitwear designer, based in Grayslake, IL, USA, has a vibrant journey in the world of handicrafts and knitting to share.
Courtney's artistic journey traces back to her unwavering passion for art and nature. Around six years ago, destiny played its part when a friend's mother introduced her to knitting. Armed with a plastic and metal needle set, she learned to cast on and embarked on this adventure.
Love for hats and poms
Impatience may not be a virtue, but it turned out to be a catalyst for Courtney's love for knitting and designing hats. She realized hats were the perfect canvas for her creativity. They allowed her to experiment with colors, designs, and shapes without the commitment of larger projects.
“You start with a couple of balls of yarn, and just a few hours later, you have a finished piece! You can even knit up multiple versions of the same design using different color combos and get uniquely different pieces. So. Much. Fun!” she said.
Poms soon caught the designer’s attention. Initially, she started creating multi-colored poms to accentuate her hats. The thirst for more led her to experiment with intricate designs—circles, diamonds, hearts, and more—that complemented her knitting patterns.
As she explains, “I knit more than 200 hats each year and make poms for all of them. I started to get bored making plain old poms, so I began creating multi-colored poms using different strands of yarn. Then, I started experimenting with designing basic shapes in poms to match the patterns in hats I was knitting so I could pose them together for social media posts. My pom art really exploded from there!”
Notions and the quick favorites
To wrap all this amazing knowledge, Courtney leaves us with a pro tip for making our own unique poms, “a super-sharp pair of scissors, a good pom maker, and lots of practice!”
To conclude, here's a brief ping-pong interview with her, designed to delve even deeper into her knitting soul beyond what we already witness on Instagram.
Knitleaks: Favorite fiber?
Courtney: “Merino wool.”
Knitleaks: Favorite color?
Courtney: “Orange.”
Knitleaks: Favorite piece to knit?
Courtney: “Hats.”
Knitleaks: Least favorite piece to knit?
Courtney: “I truly can’t think of a least favorite—I love knitting all the things!”
Knitleaks: Least favorite fiber?
Courtney: “I really love knitting with all fibers—from acrylic and wool blends to alpaca, merino, and silk blends.”
Now, if your hands are itching to start a colorful chunk hat, check out the designer’s website.
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