Profiles of Influential Knitters and Crocheters: Leaders in the Yarn Community
Knitting and Crocheting have both generated an extensive following throughout the years. It is a flourishing community dedicated to creating for numerous causes. It is no surprise that this community has inspired dedicated leaders who have crafted innovative designs, new methods of stitching to help crafters around the world, and smaller communities devoted to niche crocheting or knitting. Here are the profiles of 11 influential knitters and crocheters:
Knitting Pioneers
With an extensive portfolio of knitted works and new approaches to knitting, these “knitting pioneers” have created revolutionary tools to help crafters around the world with their garments.
- 1. Elizabeth Zimmermann
Founder of “Schoolhouse Press,” Elizabeth Zimmerman (1010-1999) is known for the Elizabeth Percentage System (EPS). EPS is a way for knitters to calculate the size of a project and it works well for calculating the number of stitches per inch of a sweater. She is the author to many books that encourage just about anyone to pick up needles and get knitting. You can find her most popular pattern, Surprise Jacket, on the website for her company.
"Baby Surprise Jacket" by dani0010 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
- 2. Kaffe Fassett
Kaffe Fassett is an artist based in London who originally began with other crafts as a student of fine arts at The Boston Museum of Fine Arts School. His love of art transferred to his incredible skill in knitting large tapestries, costumes, and other works. He used his creativity and good eye for color to create vibrant hand-knit pieces of art. These are exhibited in art museums around the world. You can create works like his with patterns in his published books.
- 3. Stephen West
The recognition for his creative knitting designs by magazines like Vogue Knitting is a testament to the incredible talent of Stephen West. His ventures began with a yarn obsession, a suitcase full of yarn, and a trip to Amsterdam. Through his passion for knitting, he jumpstarted a career of travelling for workshops, selling his beautiful designs, and numerous published patterns. Currently, West co-owns the brand West Wool dedicated to selling colorful high-quality yarns.
- 4. Amy Herzog
CustomFit is a pattern calculator created by Amy Herzog that helps knitters create personalized sweaters. This revolutionary customization web tool has helped knitters craft sweaters to their liking by helping determine gauge size, neckline patterns, and sleeve length. Not limited to her web tool, Herzog has also created incredible designs featured in Vogue Knitting, Rowan, Knitscene, and other fashion collections. She has published numerous books and has been seen on TV showing off her talents. You can find her works on the Amy Herzog Designs website.
Social Media Mavens
These entrepreneurs have established a following on social media because of their expression through knitting and crochet. Many have built up a collection of knitting patterns available on their websites or through their publications.
- 5. Chantal Miyagishima (Knitatude)
Founder of Knitatude (est. 2012) and self-taught knitter, Chantal Miyagishima has the goal of sharing her knowledge with new knitters by developing “beginner-friendly” patterns. Her patterns are a testament to the frustrations she faced when she was beginning to learn and are made to help beginners test their boundaries to create beautiful wearables. You can find garments ranging from sweaters to V-neck blouses on the Knitatude website.
- 6. Toni Lipsey (TL Yarn Crafts)
Toni set out on a journey to find the perfect crocheted beanie pattern. When she couldn’t find any to suit her needs, she frustratingly made one herself. From there, her journey into creating and selling patterns began. You can find incredible free and paid patterns on her website ranging from blankets to sweaters and cardigans.
- 7. Gaye Glasspie (GGmadeit)
After losing her mother, father and job in the span of a year, Gaye Glasspie (GG) refused to let life beat her down. She picked up a pair of knitting needles and got to work. From there she built up a legacy of knit works dedicated solely to the color orange. Her website is covered in different shades of the color, from merchandise in her name to her knit works. Everything is orange, or what she calls “Oh My GG.”
- 8. Dora Ohrenstein
With multiple published works on crochet, Dora Ohrenstein has developed an extensive portfolio. From work included in Vogue Knitting, Crochet, and Crochet Today, she is a veteran in the industry and has created her own online crochet magazine, Crochet Insider. Before working on her publications, she was an active performer in New York. Currently she continues to teach aspiring singers and sell her crochet patterns. You can find her profile on Ravelry with many published designs available.
Craftivists & Educators
Through their knitting and crochet projects, these “craftivists” and educators help inform their communities about political issues through their works.
- 9. Shannon Downey (Badass Cross Stitch)
A highly political crocheter, Shannon Downey has created a webpage with over 70 patterns that are attributed to some form of activism. She created these in hopes that crafters who visit her page will be encouraged to engage in political topics and craft change in the world. While her works are mainly embroidery, you can find some of her knitted and crocheted artworks on her Instagram page.
- 10. Betsan Corkhill
As a mental health professional, Betsan Corkhill advocates knitting for mental health. Her work has been acknowledged by scientists throughout the world as an innovative way to help harness the health benefits of knitting. Her book, Knit for Health and Wellness: How to Knit a Flexible Mind and More, provides tutorials for using the repetitive motions of knitting to ease your mind. You can find her book on Amazon and more information about the science behind knitting and mental health on her website.
- 11. Bristol Ivy
Bristol Ivy is a knitting educator that has developed new methods for “knitting outside the box.” This is also the title of one of her published books which sports innovative designs for knitting cowls, shawls, and other garments. Her book helps knitters create their own personalized garments with foundational patterns that can be manipulated into different types of knitted wearables.
With so many incredible artists dedicated to sharing their methods, you can enrich your own crafting experience and learn new ways to create. Let these talented crafters influence your work by using their tools and systems to make your own knitted or crocheted works. There is a world of inspiration waiting to be discovered. Just click the links in this article to learn more about each artist!
