Page 14 of Close Knit

“You’re right. The only thing that matters is that you were safe and that you had fun.”

When I was a kid, Juni appointed herself as my first line of defense. Middle and high school weren’t easy for me, both socially and emotionally. Fitting in when you’re born to stand out isn’t a concept kids grasp while navigating puberty and pool party invitations.

My sister and our moms became vigilant protectors, driving me to therapy twice a week and ensuring I made the best of my teenage years. I’m forever in their debt for that. Now, as a functioning adult—who, yes, still lives with her sister and lacks dental insurance or a 401k—I hoped Juni would ease up on her big sister duties, but she never has.

It’s another reason this Yes Year is the most important thing in my life. I need to prove to myself and to my family that I’m not afraid of the big world out there and that I want to carve out a bigger place for myself in it.

“If my one-night stand is any indication of how my Yes Year will go, then I’m looking forward to it.”

“However potentially illegal that hookup was, I’m happy for you.”

My phone buzzes with a notification.

10:00 a.m. Video Interview - Stone Times x Influencer Daphne Quinn (@wooly.duck)

“Crap! Juni, how could I forget? My interview is today.” That leaves me only a few hours to catch a nap and prep for what might be one of the most exciting moments of my knitting influencer career.

“With theStone Times?”

“I’m freaking out!”

“Don’t. If you survived the impaling, this will be a piece of cake. Just be yourself, and they’ll love you.”

Just be yourself, and they’ll love you.I repeat the words on a loop before exiting the taxi and rushing up the stairs to our apartment.

I can do this. I can do anything.

Liv Parker:Hi, Daphne, or as some of our readers may know you, Wooly Duck. I am so excited to speak with you today about your charitable work for the UCSF Medical Center.

Daphne Quinn:Thank you for having me. I have to be honest, this is my first interview with a real newspaper, so I’m a little nervous.

Liv Parker:Let’s start with the basics. Tell me about yourself. Where does influencer Daphne Quinn come from?

Daphne Quinn:I grew up in Santa Cruz, in a cozy beach bungalow with my sister, Juniper, and my moms, Prim and Dani. Prim is a wedding portrait painter from London, and Dani is an accountant from San Francisco, making our household a mix of artistry and practicality. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of digging up outrageous eighties and nineties pieces from my parents’ closets. I was the odd kid covered in glitter, trying to make bedazzled Uggs happen. Spoiler: they didn’t, even when I tried again in college at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco.

Liv Parker:Clearly, a lot of that influence has carried over into your knitting. But I’d love to know when the hobby began.

Daphne Quinn:I started knitting in middle school. Being a tween or a teenager wasn’t easy for me. I was relentlessly bullied, and the way I coped with that led to my generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis. I tried various coping mechanisms, like painting, swimming, and juggling, but nothing clicked until I saw an older gentleman knitting on a bench at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. That same day, I asked my mom to take me to the yarn store. The rest is history. I still visit that bench whenever I’m in town; the sunsets are gorgeous.

Liv Parker:You speak about your mental health so openly, I can see how you’ve managed to gain over a hundred thousand followers and build such a tightly woven community online.

Daphne Quinn:Thank you. Knitting gives me a sense of control. In knitting, you can make all the mistakes you want, and you get to undo them. Where else can you do that in real life? Plus, I get to focus all of my energy on creating something beautiful that has a purpose. When I’m knitting, it’s one of the few times my mind is free of any worries or concerns. Just me and my needles.

Liv Parker:So, how did you start your page, Wooly Duck? What made you want to take a comforting hobby and turn it into a career?

Daphne Quinn:I started Wooly Duck in college, when one of my professors asked for the pattern of a midi dress I made out of upcycled yarn. She insisted that others would want to re-create my dress, and it all took off from there.

Liv Parker:When did your charitable projects begin?

Daphne Quinn:My sister works at UCSF, and the hospital was looking for donations for the cancer center, to comfort patients and their families. Instantly, I knew that I had to get to work. The beanie pattern I used is beginner-friendly and available for free on my Instagram page. The pattern made it simple for me to get the project done rather quickly.

Liv Parker:You’re telling me you knitted one thousand beanies all by yourself?

Daphne Quinn:Yes! Most of them I made during knitathons with my community online.

Liv Parker:Have you always used your knitting needles for good?

Daphne Quinn:No, but moving forward, I want to. The project was meaningful, and getting to make that kind of impact is something I want to pursue in the future. One day, I’d love to run a knitting retreat where people who have dealt with mental health struggles like me can find community through knitting.

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