Search Results for: designer

Meet Alena Ruman, our new IDP Program Administrator

Hello everyone! My name is Alena Ruman and I am so excited to introduce myself as the IDP Program Administrator!

In case you do not know, the Independent Designer Partnership is a platform where Knit Picks and We Crochet host patterns from independent designers that showcase the gorgeous yarns under our brands. Designers retain all rights to their patterns as well as receive all revenue from pattern sales. I have been a designer in the IDP program for many years and I’m excited to now work on the other end to make it even better for our designers and customers.

I grew up as a crafty kid in northeast Ohio and knitting was one of the …

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Holiday Season Inspiration starts now

Surprise! It’s the end of September. Well, technically that’s not the surprise. No, the surprise is this—our annual 12 Weeks of Gifting series has begun!

Each week from now until the middle of December, we’ll be offering a brand new designer pattern to you as a FREE download! Be sure to grab it quickly and get started on new gifts.

If you are feeling the cozy weather, be sure to check out this week’s special pattern we’re “gifting” to you.

The Rainchain Blanket by Kalurah Hudson, available as a free download.

Kalurah is a prolific designer, whose wimsy and sense of humor, in her pattern names and beyond, will make you smile. She spearheads …

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Meet Zoey Baggins, our new Influencer Marketing Outreach Coordinator

I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the incredible Digital Team at Knit Picks. For decades, I’ve been passionate about fiber arts and am constantly seeking out new skills, supplies, and epic adventures. Depending on the season and my interests at any given moment, I knit, crochet, and sew! 

I spend my evenings and weekends crafting as much as I can muster. I’ll grab onto any opportunity to discuss new fabrics or yarns and love to help others find their confidence with craft supplies. 

Rarely found without my Corgi by my side, the two of us fully utilize any bits of free time leftover to hike …

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Unfinished Objects: Celebrating Worldwide UFO Day

Worldwide UFO Day is coming up (celebrated on June 24th or July 2nd), and to celebrate (with a fiber arts twist), we are sharing our own UFOs, or Unfinished Objects! Find out when we consider a project a UFO, what our UFOs are, and what is standing in the way of finishing them.

Monster Rattles: Knitted rattles with monster facesMonster Rattles pattern by Emily Kintigh

What is an Unfinished Object (UFO)?

First, our staff had to haggle over the exact definition of an unfinished object. When do we consider a project a UFO, versus a Work in Progress?

Lee wearing a sweater she made in teal, orange, coral, white, and mustard. Read more »



Knit Picks Podcast Episode 341 – Get Published With Tian!

In this episode of the Knit Picks Podcast Lee and Stacey check in on their latest projects and Sara interviews Tian Connaughton about her latest course, Get Published.

First Lee and Stacey discuss returning to old projects and finding new inspiration from past work. It’s never too late to pick up a half-finished afghan and begin moving forward once more. 

Sara Dudek interviews Tian Connaughton, an expert knit and crochet designer, technical editor, author, and course creator. Since leaving the corporate world behind, she’s built a business around creativity, craft, and helping women build their own businesses that are profitable and sustainable. 

By asserting a goal-oriented attitude, Tian discusses the best ways to keep motivated after rejection and how to avoid taking disappointments …

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High Desert: An American Wool Story

As we set out to create High Desert, Crafts Group’s first all-American-made yarn, esteemed Rancher, Jeanne Carver of the historic Imperial Stock Ranch and now, her newly launched Shaniko Wool Company, was also looking for an American brand to join forces with and use Shaniko’s certified Textile Exchange’s Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)* wool bounty.

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Recent Collection and Pattern Claims and Communications

We recently released a collection and have received several communications and are aware of the Instagram posts regarding the similarities of two of our designs in our newest collection, Vertex, and designs that have been previously published.

Often, inspiration strikes in similar ways. And, any resemblance between the two projects was unintentional and entirely coincidental. Knit Picks does not knowingly copy an indie designer’s original work.

Our collection development begins a year in advance of our publication dates. Additionally, when we accept designs for our collections, we do research in an attempt to make sure designs do not look exactly like another design already published.

At the time of the commission of the designs in question, we were not aware of any similar designs and have only become aware of these similarities after the collection was published on March 25, 2021.

Our commissioned designers (indie designers in their own right) created these designs in …

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Knit Picks Podcast Episode 339 – Yarn Substitutions

Whether you’re a process knitter or a project knitter, if you’re like us you’ve experienced the challenge of finding a pattern you’re really excited about but not having the exact yarn that the designer suggests. You could wing it and embraces the beautiful chaos that might occur or you can use one of our favorite resources, YarnSub dot com. If you don’t already know, YarnSub is a website to help you with yarn substitutions. Everyone needs a friend in crafts and we at the Knit Picks Podcast are happy to be your yarn and knitting buddy, and as a friend, we’re telling you to check out YarnSub.Today on the podcast Heather Mann interview Wendy Peterson, creator of YarnSub.com. They chat all …

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Knit Picks Podcast Episode 338 – Emani and Her Yarn Vending Machine

Here at Knit Picks we love all things yarn. We love pattern designs, tools, the craft and really seeing what everyone makes. As a yarn company we also love seeing what other yarn companies and people in the industry are doing.

Today we’re sharing an interview from the WeCrochet Podcast that aired last fall, where Heather Mann interviewed Emani Outterbridge, an entrepreneur who launched her own yarn line as well as the world’s first yarn vending machines. Emani has been crocheting since she was 12 years old and has navigated through different sides of the craft industry as a crochet designer and now a yarntrepreneur. Emani has even sold apparel to entertainers like Cardi B.

Emani’s yarn line, Needles, offers unique colors in …

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Knit Picks Podcast Episode 337 – Knitting and Crochet with Briana K.

Every knitter has their own path to take and follow. On today’s episode of the Knit Picks Podcast, we’re sharing a special interview. Heather Mann from the WeCrochet Podcast interviews Briana Kepner of Briana K Designs. Briana is a knit and crochet designer and one of the founders of Crochet Foundry, a quarterly publication of modern crochet designs. Briana (and the Crochet Foundry team) was recently featured on the WeCrochet Podcast but she stuck around our virtual recording studio for an extra chat to talk all about her knit designing journey. From making knits for newborn babies to having published over 300 of her designs, Briana shares some of her favorite yarns she’s found along the way.

So grab your needles and …

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