Knitting for Hollywood while Exploring the World: Meet Krista Ann of Explore with Knitsy

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Nomadic knitter Krista Ann (aka Knitsy) lives a fiber lifestyle that many dream about, but few get to live. While most of us knit and crochet from the comfort of home, she travels the world by truck and trailer with her husband and their cat, Phinny. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Above: Actress Mindy Kaling wears Krista Ann’s Heart on Her Sleeve sweater for the Hulu series The Mindy Project. | Photo credit: Hulu. www.hulu.com

From her travel trailer, Krista has built a thriving craft business that includes designing crochet and knitwear for the film industry. From TV commercials to sitcoms and horror films, it’s likely you’ve seen her stitchwork on screen. Her largest recent commission is Netflix’s popular series Stranger Things (2016- ). How does one get a gig designing knitwear for a company like Netflix? Today we’re talking with Krista about just that, and the answer you’ll discover is hard work, talent, and an Instagram tag.

Related: As Seen on Our Screens: The Projects We Can’t Stop Watching

Krista Ann’s Design Career

Krista’s design career began soon after she learned to knit. “I’ve never been good at coloring in the lines,” she shares. When working with patterns, she found herself wanting to change the gauge, the yarn, the sleeves, etc. The best way to do that was to start designing her own patterns.

Her career in film productions both large and small started with The Mindy Project (2012-2017) starring Mindy Kaling. She developed a relationship with head costume designer Salvador Perez, and Krista credits him as one of her favorite designers. She also credits her work on the show for making her a better maker. “When your handknit sweater is going to be worn with a Gucci skirt and a Prada bag, you can’t have nubby finishes. That hem needs to lay smoothly over the actor’s hip. So, I developed ways to achieve more professional-level finishing.”

 

Her work with Perez led to projects for commercials, other TV shows, and the horror film Annabelle Comes Home (2019). It was a tag in a photo posted by Salvador on Instagram that led Stranger Things’ head costume designer Amy Parris to Krista’s work.

Parris sent Krista an email in October 2019 asking if she was available. If so, Krista needed to sign and return a non-disclosure agreement ASAP so the two could talk. Krista recounts telling her husband to pull over on the side of the road so she could print and sign the form. From then on, project Tareco—the code name for everything related to that season’s work—was a go.  

The Design Process for Production Work

The creative process involved in working with production studios varies greatly from project to project. Sometimes a costume designer will request a garment needed for filming just a few days later, while others have longer lead times. Some pay by the hour while others pay a flat rate for the job.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Krista Ann (@explorewithknitsy)

 

For Stranger Things, Krista was called on to execute the costume department’s vision rather than designing from scratch. Through emails back and forth with Parris, Krista brought the team’s ideas to life with countless swatches and custom yarn selections.

“Amy would send me a photo of an idea or a physical sample, like Murray’s scarf, and I would replicate it,” she said. “I enjoyed the challenge of making things match.” In the case of Murray’s scarf, the perfect match was Cascade yarn in a retro combination of orange and bright white.

Krista further explains that she’s a process, not a product, knitter and crocheter which is important in production work. She likes the act of making, is extremely fast, is good at duplication, and isn’t sentimental about the finished items. For Stranger Things, she made several copies of each piece that appears on the screen. And each was custom made for the actor who wore it. All in all, she had four designs make it into the production: Murray’s scarf, Murray’s sweater, Nancy’s vest, and a collar for Joyce’s custom-made coat.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Krista Ann (@explorewithknitsy)

 

Nancy’s vest is a project that almost didn’t happen. For weeks while traveling, Krista tried and failed to find a particular shade of gray yarn. With things down to the wire, she decided to check one last store. She parked her RV outside a Walmart in a small town and Uber-ed to the local Hobby Lobby to see what they had in stock. With the Uber driver waiting outside, Krista found it. “I knew it the moment I saw it. After so many grays being the wrong shade, I just knew that this was going to be the one. So, I bought every skein they had.”

While enjoying the thrill of her work being streamed to audiences around the world, she confesses she doesn’t enjoy watching her own work. “It’s uncomfortable to watch your work on screen. I see the projects and want to tweak things rather than paying attention to the story.”

 

 

 

 

 

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What’s Next for Krista

Currently parked somewhere in Montana, Krista is continuing to work on a variety of projects. She’s created an online academy to teach knitters the finishing techniques she’s developed through her production work. And you’ll soon see her work in Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 (2022). Krista created the freeform crochet spider web sleeves for Sarah Jessica Parker’s costume.

As to whether we’ll see more Knitsy projects in season 5 of Stranger Things, all Krista would say is “I’m still in communication with Amy, and I’ll leave it at that.”

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If you’d like to learn more about Krista and see behind-the-scenes of her work, visit her at www.explorewithknitsy.com or on Instagram @explorewithknitsy.

Kerry Bogert
Content Manager, Yarn

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Get Krista Ann’s Interweave Patterns, including two patterns featured in The Mindy Project!