If you're a knitter who's on Instagram or TikTok, you've probably seen at least one of Gotham Knits’ funny videos. The woman behind Gotham Knits is Olga F., a Ukrainian living in NYC.
Olga learned how to knit with her grandmothers when she was a kid in Ukraine. “[they] taught me pretty much everything there was to learn to do with your hands — from knitting, crocheting, and embroidery to milking cows, churning butter, shearing sheep, and spinning wool.”
Like many of us, she then abandoned the fiber arts for some time but picked them up again when she became a wife and mom. “After I got married and had two kids and basically was being a wife and a mom/cook/cleaning lady/driver 24/7, I needed an activity that would be just my own, just for me”, she says.
That's when she started volunteering for test knits. Later, she got into designing her own patterns and selling them on Ravelry. It all started when a friend who was about to travel to Alaska asked if she could borrow one of Olga's knits. “I stayed up late for a week to knit a shawl for her. I made up the pattern, she took photos, and I posted them on my Instagram,” she recalls. “Many people asked for a pattern, so I typed it up, and that’s how Flying Fox Shawl came to life.”
Olga says she accidentally became a content creator, “my husband complained that we missed the exit on a highway because I was knitting instead of paying attention to the road. We didn’t use the GPS because I said I knew where we were going […] I decided to make a funny reel out of it. And it took off.” Later, she made another reel about her husband trying to guess the price of her yarn, and it was a hit.
Olga believes her short videos do well because they're honest and relatable, and she defines her sense of humor as dark and sarcastic. “Basically, I just make videos about everything yarn related in my life. […] My life is a mess, and I’m so glad it’s relatable!”
When asked about what she thinks is the future of content creation on the internet, she said, “I hope that content creation will continue to grow as an industry for knitters and crocheters” and acknowledged that “part of this growth means that we’re treated with the same respect as other content creators, in that businesses pay for our services, with money and not just merchandise.” However, she recognizes that “this may be more challenging for smaller businesses; we must begin having these conversations in order to find a compromise that works for everyone.”
To wrap up, here are some quick questions we asked Olga about her knitting preferences.
Favorite fiber?
Cotton/wool mix is my absolute favorite these days. And then, of course, alpaca.
Least favorite fiber?
I think it's pure cotton. But mix it with anything, and I’ll love it.
Favorite color?
Black! When I knit something for myself, it’s almost always black. Otherwise, I choose other colors that will look better in photos/videos.
What's your favorite type of project?
Shawls. Always shawls.
What's your least favorite type of project?
From what I’ve knitted — socks. I’ve made exactly 3 socks in my knitting career, and I did not enjoy it. Not 3 pairs. 3 socks. From what I’ve never even tried to knit — pants. I just don’t get the whole idea of knitted pants.
We highly recommend you follow Gotham Knits on Instagram. And if you want to meet another interesting knitter, check out our article about the Chevyrell Podcast.
