Before I created Twisted Whiskers Designs, I hosted a successful knitting podcast and ran Cattail Knits where I sold hand dyed yarn and stitch markers. I was ready to move into designing after getting my feet wet with a few patterns.
It turns out, the road was more difficult than I imagined. Christmas week 2013, I suffered a traumatic wrist injury which left me unable to knit or spin for nearly there years. So, I closed up shop and stopped podcasting.
But then I discovered Portuguese knitting in the months leading up to my reconstructive wrist surgery. My world changed overnight and my passion for fiber arts was renewed. This technique allowed me to knit with minimal movement or strain on my joints.
In fact, Portuguese knitting is recommended for knitters with arthritis. Not only that, my knitting speed increased too! But I couldn’t find much information on the technique beyond the class I took and the options for knitting pins were few and far between.
I decided I set out to educate knitters about Portuguese knitting as I designed patterns that could bring them hours of enjoyment. But I was worried how I would do with all of this while I was still on my road to recovery.
My husband, as ever my biggest supporter, told me I needed to pursue my passion and live my dream. He could see how my world became brighter when I was knitting or spinning.
So I decided to dive in and make my way to the deep end one ball of yarn at a time. I found a mentor and began reading more about knitting design, pattern writing, and e-commerce.
Through it all, I’ve released my first products and the response has been pure love from everyone who sees the product. How could I expect any less from our wonderful world of fiber lovers?
Thank you for helping make my dream come true and I truly hope you get hours of joy from my patterns and knitting pins.