November 2026 - Park Williams aka Park N Knit
November’s Beanie Brigade is bringing all the moody autumn vibes! Meet Dusk at the Orchard, a delicious mix of berry and plum hues inspired by those last golden moments of the day when the sky turns pink and purple and you wish you could bottle it up forever. Dyed on a chunky Teddy Bear Bouclé base just for our Beanie Brigade friends, this colorway is basically a real life soft cloud at dusk that you can knit with.
Park Williams and her Ear Flap Cap pattern, the ultimate cold-weather companion. With its squishy texture, cozy ear flaps, and just the right amount of vintage charm, it’s giving woodland wanderer meets your coolest friend who always knows where to find the best yarn. Basically, the hat you’ll want to wear on repeat all season long.
So grab your needles, queue up your favorite fall playlist, and get ready to cast on. Your November knit is calling, and trust us, you’re going to want in on this one!
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Park Williams ~ Beanie Brigade Blog Interview Q's
Q1. For knitters who may be discovering your work for the first time, can you tell us a little about yourself and how Park & Knit came to be?
A1. I am Park Williams. I grew up in Idaho, but have now lived in Chicago for 10 years. I learned to knit at the age of 8 and never really stopped. When I moved to Chicago I started working at a yarn shop and that, as you can imagine, led to me accumulating a real stash. My first design was a big rainbow stash-buster cardigan with bubble sleeves called the ROY G BIV. I had all this stash, but not necessarily any sweater’s quantities, and all these scraps and leftovers from my other projects that I wanted to use, and so I wanted to design stash-buster patterns in a way that let me play/almost paint with my yarn. Because I learned to knit at age 8, I feel like that childlike curiosity and approach to the craft never left me. Park & Knit was born from that in 2018! Aside from knitting, I love reading, journaling, hanging out with my friends, traveling, going to beautiful cocktail bars and restaurants, being at home, skin care & getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
Q2. Your designs have such a distinctive blend of cozy, modern, and playful style. How would you describe your design aesthetic?
A2. Thank you for saying that! I would describe it similarly: colorful, bold, childlike, fun &, if i may, COOL!
Q3. What inspired the Ear Flap Cap design? Your version feels fresh and fashion-forward. How did you approach reimagining this classic silhouette?
A3. One of my main goals for this design was to have no piecing or sewing or any real finishing—so much so that the front flap is connected without getting out your tapestry needle! I was very pleased with that. I also just love the look of this type of hat and knew there were so many fun faux fur and bouclé yarns that would achieve the same vibe as the classic.
Q4. This month's Teddy Bear Bouclé yarn and colorway was inspired by your beautiful design. What was your first reaction when you saw the yarn?
A4. The color is so beautiful!!!! That perfect deep mulberry is a color that I almost forgot how much I love! I used to wear it all the time and so it felt almost nostalgic and extra cozy to open up the package. I also can’t wait to see how the boucle texture looks with the texture of the garter stitch in the Ear Flap Cap.
Q5. If you were knitting your own Ear Flap Cap in our Teddy Bear Bouclé, what would you style it with this fall and winter?
A5. I like to gild the lily, so I would probably pair it with an equally furry/fuzzy big coat in a bright complimentary color. Alternatively, I think it would be perfect with a jean or leather jacket for the fall weather that isn’t quite freezing yet.
A6. I try my darndest to live as creative a life as I can, despite how hard that can be because, you know, LIFE. But I am very fortunate that all my closest people are creative, vibrant and inspiring humans who prioritize art & pleasure & joy. They encourage me to look at the sky, listen to the birds, adorn myself in beautiful things, try delicious foods, pour into my community, take luxurious baths, lead with courage & curiosity, learn a new skill, go on an adventure, push my boundaries, have a signature scent, think critically, surround myself with color & art. My friends inspire me to imbue my life with intention and beauty and indulge my senses which in turn really fertilizes my creative soil.
Q7. What's currently on your needles?
A7. Right now I have 3 things on my needles: one pair of 100% cormo ribbed socks (YUM YUM)-- I knit them two-at-a-time toe up and am about to the heel, a stash-buster scarf + hood that is super colorful and I know I will wear all the time, and lastly, a design idea for a cardigan where I am knitting the whole cardigan and then going to pick up around the ENTIRE border to do a colorwork motif in the round. The cardigan uses a heathered deep gray with little flecks of primary colors and the colorwork is going to be in a BRIGHT cobalt blue. The cardigan is going to be so fun but has taken a lot of brainpower and R & D to get just right.
Q8. What's one knitting / design tool you can't live without?
A8. My first would be try-on cords/jewellry cords–the ones where you just stick them on the tips of your needles and you are good to go. THOSE CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!! I love trying on my knits often to make sure that they are fitting how I want and that my gauge is on track and all that good stuff. And then my fun knitting things I can’t live without are Oh WOW! Amsterdam project bags. Hand painted, canvas knitting project pouches that are SO DARLING and colorful and the different motifs make me so happy that I own 3 and counting…
Q9. Is there a specific design you've created that holds a special place in your heart, and why?
A9. My AquaMarline sweater holds thee most special place in my heart!!!! It is a cropped bubble sleeve stash-buster sweater and it completely changed my life by bringing me two of my BEST FRIENDS!!!! Jessie Mae Martinson signed up to test knit the design and I was immediately blown away by the beautiful aesthetic of her Instagram grid and we slowly and steadily became best friends. And another one of my AquaMarline posts received a highly complimentary comment that caught my eye by thee James N Watts and when I clicked on his profile, I was equally blown away by his entire vibe. These two have changed my life in ways I can’t even put into words and it is so special to have two best friends who also have the same job as you–it makes everything a little less lonely. So, yes, the AquaMarline will probably always be my most special design because of them!!!!
Q10. What tiny ritual makes you feel like the main character of your own life?
A10. My journaling. I have been a life-long journaller, writing in the mornings & using a bullet journal as my planner, but in recent years I added an art journal, media journal, and travel journal to my line-up. I write about my trips and print out pictures & include quotes, I draw little scenes or things from my days or whatever calls to me, and I track the books, movies, theatre, & tv shows I read/watch. It makes me feel more intentional & connected and reminds me that my life is special enough to keep a record of.
Q11. Looking ahead, is there anything you're working on or dreaming up that you'd like to share with the Beanie Brigade community?
A11. I have been having so much fun teaching my Stash & Scraps class online!!! If you want to look at your stash with fresh eyes and learn to play with different yarn weights and fibers in all new ways, you can sign up for my newsletter (www.parknknit.com/newsletter) to be the first to know when the next session of that class will be or visit the classes tab to learn more about it! I also have a fun and silly youtube webshow with my aforementioned bff, Jessie Mae Martinson, called Knit Knat Chit Chat (www.youtube.com/@knitknatchitchat) where we talk about knitting, crafting, books, video games, travels, etc. You can watch replays of past episodes or catch us live on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm CT.
Q12. What is a knitting trend you'd love to bring back and a trend you'd happily leave behind?
A12. I would love to do away with trends completely!!!! I am not immune to trends and I think honestly my designs could easily be described as “trendy”, BUT I have been really curious lately about exploring personal style and what calls to us and why it calls to us as opposed to outside entities telling us what is “in” and what is “out.” What colors make you feel most like YOU instead of what colors are trending this season? What sweater styles do you feel best in as opposed to what sweater styles society says you “should” be wearing? There is so much outside noise when it comes to fashion and dress and trends, but when we get introspective and prioritize our personal joy, I think it becomes easier to find what makes us feel most authentically ourselves and that is a gift to the whole world!
Q13. What are you most excited about in the knitting world right now?
A13. How many new people are turning to/discovering/trying handcrafts and specifically knitting! I feel like in this extremely fast-paced, tech-focused world, more people are feeling called to slower analog crafting and that makes my knitting heart so happy. Knitting can provide such comfort in these intense times and knowing more and more people are interested in a craft that has so many benefits, fills ME with hope and comfort. That is what I am most excited about— knitting continuing to provide comfort and community and a creative outlet to more and more people every day.
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Park's Socials