Let’s Get to Coloring with Franklin Habit

Let’s Get to Coloring with Franklin Habit on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird! Why, yes, let’s do…

Franklin Habit

Franklin has been on Yarn Thing before, and we love getting caught up with him each time he can make room for us in his schedule. This time we get to hear first about Miss Rosamund Adelaide (aka Roz) who was rescued by It’s a Pittie, a 19-month old Blue Nose Pit Bull. Her history was that she came from an irresponsible breeding program, then picked up from a domestic violence situation. If you follow Franklin’s posts in social media, Roz is obviously in her forever home and well-loved. There has been lots of pictures in the short two months since she has been part of the household.

Busy as Franklin’s life at the moment. He’s doing a lot of traveling to teach. For instance, in mid-July, he will be at Yarn-a-Rama (Texas) and then Stitches Midwest August 4-7th. (PLEASE look at that link, aside from class opportunities with Franklin, there is also a presentation on Thursday night at the event called ‘B is for Purl: A Brief History of the Knitting Pattern‘ which is FREE to registered attendees.) Life can feel like you only come home to get clean laundry, when you’re that busy. In addition to his teaching schedule, Franklin writes for Lion Brand Yarn’s Notebook (link to most recent post) where he’s written for them for a few years, with an essay and a cartoon. Also, most recently for Skacel ‘Friday’s with Franklin’ which has already been moved from their website to the Maker’s Mercantile website. He’s written about what he’s playing with, weaving, knitting techniques, experiences in crochet (adventures in creating a Granny Square!). He loves that he has no limits but to play with yarn or fiber, which generates inspiration. It wasn’t mentioned by Franklin also writes articles elsewhere such as for Knitty.com 

Franklin has been doing a lot with Soho publishing (of Vogue Knitting) and sent them a note suggesting a book of illustrations of knitting and crochet for people to color. They liked the idea so much they fast-tracked it, so Franklin’s packet of ideas very quickly joined the currently popular market of adult coloring books as I Dream of Color, with images of familiar elements with of what we love about knitting and crochet with fantastical ideas of astronauts knitting, or hedgehogs or unicorns…. Clearly a wander through the places where Franklin’s mind wanders.

There is a family story that Franklin’s mother (who just passed away in January) found her little boy coloring on a wall. Initially upset, but on closer look seeing that he’d drawn a bunch of cats on a fence in a field, realizing her

pre-toddler (not quite two) could convey an idea, and grow to attend Harvard, become the knitter, photographer, cartoonist we know was probably never lost on her.

NOTE FROM TAMMY: The first time I’d ever heard mention of Franklin Habit, was with his book of cartoons, It Itches. I actually saw him present a copy to Mo Rocca in a video…. but that’s another story. The reason I point this out is Franklin has been drawing things to make knitters and, really, all yarn lovers smile for quite some time.

Franklin Habit can be followed through his website: www.the-panopticon.com, but he’s most active in Facebook or his Artist page, in addition to the other things we’ve mentioned. (That’s where I stole the charming picture of Roz from.) Here is the links to his previous visits to Yarn Thing with Marly Bird in 2013, and about a year ago.

If you missed getting to hear this visit live, it is available as an archived episode where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/28/lets-get-to-coloring-with-franklin-habit or in your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.