Fiber Artist Valentina Devine knits in her studio during a recent interview with the Los Alamos Daily Post. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
Nationally known designer and fiber artist Valentina Devine will open her studio to visitors during the Fabulous Trunk Show 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 20 and 21. Devine’s studio is at 1222 Big Rock Loop in Los Alamos.
“The show is the same weekend as the Los Alamos Arts Council Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair at the Middle School,” Devine said. “I’m just up the road on North Mesa, so it will be easy for shoppers to stop by both on Saturday. This is an opportunity for people to visit my studio and see where I work, as well as make purchases.”
Devine will be selling her garments, wall-hangings and throws, as well as hand-dyed and commercial yarn during the Fabulous Trunk Show. Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase your holiday gifts from one of the top fiber artists in the U.S.
Devine had to cancel the show in 2020 because of the pandemic.
“COVID has forced all of us to slow down,” she said. “I got a lot of knitting done. I knit very quickly using the continental knitting method. It’s faster than the way most people in the U.S. knit. I created a lot of pieces. I enjoy knitting while listening to audio books. That’s a slice of heaven for me.”
Born in Russia and raised in Germany, Devine endured wartime Berlin. Knitting was a survival skill for her then.
“Everyone around me was knitting and doing needlework,” she said. “I like to say I learned to knit in the womb.”
Devine had a long career in institutional food services and could always be found knitting during her lunch break.
“I did a lot of knitting for people before I realized I could charge money for it,” she said. “One of my coworkers was involved in the Brigade of the American Revolution. They recreate 17th century life and have to wear authentic clothing. She asked me if I could knit the over-the-knee stockings soldiers wore during the Revolutionary War. She gave me the original pattern!”
This project led Devine to search for hand spun wool and linen that were a requirement. She finally found the yarn at Niddy-Knoddy, the famous five story yarn shop owned and run by Irene Miller in Croton-on- Hudson, N.Y.
“I showed her the socks I made for the Brigand and she offered me a job,” Devine said. “This is where my knowledge of the yarn business started. She taught me how to present my work among many other things. I loved it all. I got to meet the biggest names in fiber.”
By the time she moved to Washington DC, Devine was a successful designer. In DC, she was chosen to be part of the Torpedo Factory Art Complex. She also began to move toward creating large public art pieces. When her husband took a job at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the couple moved to Los Alamos.
Teaching and sharing her craft are important to Devine. She’s taught all over the U.S. and in Europe, including teaching at the Smithsonian Institute.
“Share what you enjoy,” Devine said. “I’ve been doing that for years.”
Now that she no longer travels to show and teach, Devine shares her skills with area residents. In addition to her regular Thursday knitting sessions at her studio, she’s currently getting ready to teach a class in hand dying. In September 2022, she will display her work and answer questions at On Higher Ground IV, a 4-day event featuring classes and inspiration at El Monte Sagrado Resort.
“My aim is to show knitters that there are ways to create other than following a pattern,” Devine said. “I want to show them the joy of creating something unique themselves. Just reach into your stash without looking at the yarn. What you land on will be used to create a work of art. Don’t worry about color. All colors go together. Just look at nature!”
