Because yarn should be a guilty pleasure, not a dirty secret.
I first met Kam at an event at Tricotine & Cie in 2014. If you’ve met Kam, you’ll know what I mean when I say that she is one of those people you just instantly like. She’s super friendly, quite expressive in her love of all things fiberarts, and a fantastic artist herself.
Best known for her unique shawl pins, Kam also creates intricate notions such as stitch markers & holders, and custom pieces on occasion. Everyday Peacocks pieces are absolutely stunning, and the process behind them is beautifully shared by Kam on her social media. You will definitely want this eye candy in your feeds, and those pieces on your crocheted FOs.
Kam keeps quite busy – as you’ll read below – so I’m thankful that she took the time to answer a few questions for us.
How did Everyday Peacocks come to be, and how did you choose the name?
Hah, hah! Well, one day my husband and I were discussing my returning to work after our youngest was born. He said (and I quote) “Why don’t you make stuff and sell it online?” I thought that was a great idea, About the same time, Mont Tricot was getting ready to open their doors in Sutton, Quebec. I contacted Lucinda (read my interview with Lucinda by clicking her name.) to see if she would like to offer my locally created Yarn Jewelry in her store—she did!—and the rest is history!
The name is actually kind of funny, I knew I wanted to create a Jewelry Line to sell online, and possibly in more stores later on, so I needed a catchy, recognizable name. I went through sooooo many possibilities but nothing felt right. In a moment of total delirium I looked up to see my vase of Peacock Feathers staring at me from across the room. The name “Everyday Peacocks” popped into my head and I laughed and laughed at the silliness of that. I went to bed that night still thinking about names—with Everyday Peacocks lingering in the background the whole time. At about 3AM I woke up and just knew that was the one! And I started working on my logo the very next day.
Describe EP’s mission in 3 words.
Fabulous Yarny Treasures!
Where or what do you draw your inspiration from?
Oh wow—anywhere and everywhere! It might be a color, or the nuances of a shadow… Generally I am drawn to organic figures more than man-made creations, but I am an equal opportunity inspirationee and try to keep my creative eye open. I reeeeeeeally like lines. The way they move and flow—I usually find my more abstract designs hiding in these!
I know for sure you get requests for custom items; have you ever received an odd request? Or one that stands out to you?
Hah, hah! There have been some really special ones, as well as some really different ones, for sure, Lol! I guess one that was super special to the artist in me was a request I received a couple of years ago. Someone asked me to create a very unique one-of-a-kind Shawl Pin for her mother as a Christmas Gift. Years before, her mother had been a professional artist and would sign all her works with a caricature of herself—I was asked if I could make a Shawl Pin to look like this signature! Wow, talk about a challenge! I wanted to get every angle and every line just perfect out of respect to the artist, and it was truly the most difficult piece I have worked with to this day—the finished Shawl Pin was about the size of a Toonie (Canadian $2 coin)! But I really love how she came out, and heard back that the mom absolutely loved it, so it was completely worth all the effort!
How did you learn to knit? What are your favorite fibers or projects?
Knitting has been an on-and-off relationship for me until about 5 years ago. I learned the basics from my grandmother when I was maybe 10 or 12. With the little ball of yarn and size US9 needles she sent me home with, I would knit little swatches mostly, then rip them back over and over again, For years I didn’t do much with it. I finally knit a simple sweater when I was in my early 20’s because I loved the yarn—still have it today—but packed the needles away again shortly after. About 6 years ago I discovered Ravelry when I was looking for crochet patterns to make some spa gift baskets—suddenly, the vast world of knitting possibilities opened up to me and my needles became my constant companions,
As for favorite fibers, I am a real softie… silks, tencel, bamboo, merino, cashmere, etc. If it feels snuggly on my neck then I want to knit with it! I find I am really drawn to intricate lace work, but I also enjoy knitting more substantial sweaters or cowls—just as long as the pattern is interesting because I get bored easily.
Tell us a little bit about your family, pets and where you’re from vs where you live?
I am a happily married mother of 3 kids spread out over 15 years (because I’m crazy.) My daughter has a little turtle she rescued, but other than that we don’t have any pets—although there is talk of another doggie joining us next summer… ♥
Currently we live in farm country in southern Quebec, but originally I am from Georgia. My husband is from Montreal, and I’ve always had a desire for adventure, so creating our life together here just made the most sense! (Kam adds as a side note that the fresh corn on the cob is AMAZING!)
What goes into the creation of an Everyday Peacocks piece, start to finish?
Oh goodness, so much more than most people imagine, Lol!
The first step is design—sketching the way I want it to look and getting the lines just right.
The second step is engineering—figuring out how to work the wire to make it look like the sketch (where does the pin open and close, where does this piece of wire begin and end, etc.)
The third step is beautification—bead selection is made and tested on the sketch to make sure it is just right.
The fourth step is finalizing—this is where I measure out my materials and estimate the time involved so that I can give an honest price for the piece.
The fifth step is testing—I cut the wire and create the piece to look like my sketch (keeping track of my time and any changes I need to make along the way.)
If it comes out well, then I continue in the process, if not I have to repeat steps 2-5 till I get it right, Lol!
The sixth and final step is making it available to the public—if it is a custom request I will inform the client it is ready for them; if it is part of an Everyday Peacocks Jewelry Collection, I will create a home for it in both my online stores.
What’s a classic Everyday Peacocks piece, and what’s something you love to make or that you love about this project?
Two Shawl Pins come to mind—one is my very simple Breezy Shawl Pin, and the other is my Copper Symphony Shawl Pin. The Breezy Shawl Pin is one of my most popular, and also my very first finalized design for Everyday Peacocks. One thing I love about it is the simple lines, but also the super low cost—this makes it a possibility for just about everyone!
The Copper Symphony Shawl Pin is also extremely popular and very uniquely Everyday Peacocks! It is one of my favorite designs because it really speaks to a part of my soul—music has always been a very important part of my life, and I just love having the chance to create it in my own artistic way with wire!
What is your favorite colour or stone? And your favorite metal to work with?
Oh goody! Favorite colors are in the range from blue-violet to deep emerald green! Any and all, mixed mingled, and blended! ♥ I don’t really have a favorite stone because I love the uniqueness I find in each one—Mother Nature really does know what she’s doing…
My favorite metal to work with has to be Sterling Silver. I love the smoothness of it, the color of it, and the properties of it—how it bends and shapes. It has just enough forgiveness that I don’t have to stress over messing up every bend, Lol!
And finally, tell me a secret… something people would never guess about you…!
I am right handed, but I knit left handed. My mother is left handed, but she knits right handed.
*scratching head*
Hahah, that’s awesome! Thanks Kam!
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Follow Kam at these social haunts :
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EverydayPeacocks
Ravelry ID: www.ravelry.com/people/PetiteTannante
Twitter: www.twitter.com/EverydayPcocks
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/EverydayPcocks
Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/EverydayPeacocks
Website: www.EverydayPeacocks.com
