I was born and raised in the Connecticut suburbs of New York City to a family full of creatives on both sides. My two grandmothers inspired me greatly and taught me many things as a child from crochet to tarot reading.

After attending the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, I began teaching yoga. Nowadays, I am teaching online from my studio apartment in Brooklyn full of plants and one very cute rescue Frenchie.

How did you get into knitting & designing knitwear? I first learned crochet around age 4 from my grandmother. After many years of loving crochet as a child, I taught myself to knit in college from internet tutorials which were just beginning back then! For the last 15 years, I have always had many knitting projects going and have learned so many techniques from inspirational designers & patterns. During quarantine in 2020, I finally took a leap into creating and sharing my own patterns.

What designers do you admire & why? Ysolda Teague is one of the designers I’ve admired for a very long time. I think she’s been someone to look up to in the knitting community, on top of the beautiful patterns she creates. Gudrun Johnston is another that I really admire. Her designs are classic and timeless, but with interesting and unique details. Her textural patterns are my favorites. There are many others but I’ll lastly include Cookie A because her garment construction blows my mind & I love it.

What does your design process look like? My design process usually starts with yarn. I do a simple swatch with a yarn I want to use and then start sketching based on the fabric I create. Sometimes that step happens several times to flush out my idea before I cast on. I’m aspiring to do even more of this step. I’ve also been known to cast on early and re-work a sweater several times. I’m aspiring to do that less.

What type of project do you like to knit/crochet most? I am very much in love with garment knittng like sweaters and dresses. And socks!

What are your hobbies/interests outside of the fiber community? Yoga and Art, through and through. I spend a lot of time studying and reading, practicing and taking long walks, and creating in other ways. I love to paint, draw and embroider. I’m also learning to sew. And so that I don’t sound too wholesome, you can often find me playing video games in the evenings, too!

Is there anything else you’d like our knitters to know about you? Knittng to me is about love. Devoting yourself to creating a special garment for yourself or someone you care for is downright magical. The item you knit symbolizes so much time, I’ve found profound healing in giving myself the gift of time as a sweater or cozy pair of socks. That’s what I hope to share through my patterns, a blueprint for love.

Learn more about this fresh designer on her Ravelry designer’s page and on Instagram as @elizabeth.margaret.knits.