My Life In Yarn: Molly Margaret Sydnor

Molly Margaret Sydnor, raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin, schooled in Baltimore Maryland, and currently living in Dallas Texas

Weaver, painter, experimental fashion designer, and by day a rug designer

Molly is a featured artist in Intangible, a Craft Yarn Council fiber art installation taking place in Dallas, Texas. Created in collaboration with The Sweet Tooth Hotel, Intangible features the work of ten fiber artists and will benefit Warm Up America! to help the charity provide more warm items to people in need.⁠

@mollymargaretdesigner

What’s your favorite Lion Brand yarn?

I like all of the yarn I’ve ordered for my install because they each vary in color, texture, weight, and density. The majority of my work includes heavy texture and touch. I like to juxtapose these textures and colors to make things more unexpected and extraordinary. In a weaving, I like how the Go For Faux® Yarn sits next to a Perle 5/2 Cotton Yarn or the density of the Side Dish Yarn.  I’m super into the Re-Up Yarn because I enjoy the weight but also the sustainability of recycled cotton. Lots of my work deals with recycling concepts. Lately, I’ve also been enjoying the ZZ Twist Yarn as well as the Wool-Ease® Thick & Quick® Yarn. I like putting them on my shuttles together because they are very complimentary. 

What brought you to yarn?

I always fantasized about the yarn sections of JOANN stores and of Michaels stores. When I was young and would go with my mom I was always buying fabric because if I wasn’t drawing I was sewing. I never knew how to make things with yarn. College really began my exploration of fibers, textile, and experimental work. 

Do you remember who taught you how to knit/crochet? Tell us a bit about how you learned.

My mom taught me a little bit about knitting in high school. But I only made like one or two scarves. It was when I went to college that I was trying to impress a girl. She ended up being my roommate a year later, but when I first met her she was so intriguing. She was from Canada and invited me and a friend over to knit. She was drinking Bourbon out of a coffee mug and tea out of a mason jar (before it was cool like a true OG hipster). The three of us sat on a twin bed all side by side drinking cheap bourbon thinking we were classy as heck! She is the one who enhanced my knitting skills. I taught myself how to crochet for this project. I think I learned a month ago and have knit so much my fingers permanently have heartbeats! 

What is your favorite thing to make?

I’m a true weaver. I love a good tapestry weaving with fun bright pops of color. I enjoy turning these weavings into an experimental fashion as well. I go back and forth between crafts. I have also started adding yarn to my paintings and I’m really liking how playful they are becoming. 

Do you have a favorite stitch/pattern?

I’ve more or less made up a cool leaf pattern. I’m sure it exists already and has a name, but since I only just learned how I don’t know it. 

What’s the first project you finished?

My first yarn project was my first weaving in college on a handheld tapestry loom. I started doing the patterns we learned in class as I watched The Office. Before I knew it my weaving turned into a caricature of Dwight Schrute and its still my favorite thing to date. It hangs in the house and is a great party conversation starter! 

Did you enjoy working with Lion Brand products for Intangible?

ABSOLUTELY. I’m extremely thankful for the CYC Air residency and The Craft Yarn Council. They have sponsored the installation and literally made my dreams come true and more. I have so much freedom with this project using a wide variety of accessible yarn. I’m ALWAYS so limited and constrained with budget and projects turn into different things because of restrictions. I’ve been able to truly play, experiment, and create some of my wildest dreams. I’m thrilled to come home to all my yarn and have been touching and working with yarn every single day for the last three months. And that’s saying a lot considering my 9-5 also touches yarn all day! 

This Saturday, August 15, The Craft Yarn Council and Sweet Tooth Hotel are launching their first live virtual tour inside Intangible! 
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Tickets are Pay What You Can, starting at $2, and they’re donating $1 from each ticket to Warm Up America! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.showclix.com/event/intangible-live-stream-and-virtual-tour

Photo Credit: @ta_visuals