About
Hey friends,
I’m so glad you made it here!
About Me
I’m Janine, a 30-year-old knitwear designer and author from Winnipeg, Canada. I’m a University of Manitoba graduate (go Food Science!) who accidentally became an entrepreneur when I learned to knit and crochet in 2016 on YouTube, and I’ve been completely obsessed ever since. I live with my partner Matt, our new baby Jack, and our 2 huskies – Pancake and Hudson. We are about to welcome our second baby boy in June, 2025.
I’m a happy-go-lucky kind of person who is obsessed with design of all kinds. I love fashion, interior design, plants, DIY, photography, and all things creative. I loved knitwear even before I was introduced to the yarn world because it’s that perfect mix of casual and sophisticated. I always wanted to be a fashion designer, so having this unexpected career in knitwear design feels like my stars have aligned. You can usually find me workin’ away on the couch with my pups and a glass of red, probably re-watching Friends or The Office for the 827th time.
It’s important to me to be #sizeinclusive in my work, so I design both knit and crochet garments with a size range from XS-5XL, or to suit a range of bust sizes from 28-62″. I specialize in size-inclusive garment design with customization tips included in each and every pattern to achieve the best possible fit for your unique body measurements. My designs are subtle and understated, intended to become closet-staples that seamlessly blend in with your existing wardrobe.
If you crochet, you know that it’s harder to make crochet look as neat and store-bought as knitting can look, but I’m on a mission to show you it can be done!
The Business
I started Knits ‘N Knots in 2016, before I even knew how to crochet or knit with knitting needles. True story! I learned to knit on a circular knitting loom, and started my business with loom-knit hats as my only product. Soon after, I learned to knit with the knitting sticks, then learned to crochet. Although I still love to do both, crochet has my heart.
My business started simply as an Instagram account, then an Etsy shop, then as a website, then as a blog, then a YouTube channel, and then a book (!!) and now it’s all of the above. You can find my finished product/patterns on Etsy, Ravelry, LoveCrafts, my website, and my blog.
I started off by selling hats, scarves, and the odd item of clothing. I was a vendor at a lot of markets in Winnipeg, and sold product online and in-person, and sold wholesale to a few dozen local retail shops. In 2017, after graduating from the University of Manitoba with a B.Sc in Food Science, I decided to make my design business my primary focus and I have worked Knits ‘N Knots full-time ever since. One fun little blip in my Knits ‘N Knots timeline was when I rented a studio space in Downtown Winnipeg for about a year where I stored my finished product and even opened the studio up to local customers once a week. It was really nice to have a space devoted to my work that was outside of my home, but as my business transitioned from finished product to designing, the 600 square foot studio space simply wasn’t needed anymore.
Today looks a little different; I design full-time now. This includes blogging, designing my own patterns under my own brand, or designing commissioned patterns for yarn companies. I also wrote a couple of crochet books! The first one is called Modern Crochet Sweaters and you can read all about it here. Book number two, called Summer Crochet, is available at these retailers!
My First Book: Modern Crochet Sweaters
Modern Crochet Sweaters: 20 Chic Designs for Everyday Wear includes 20 size-inclusive garment patterns using a variety of techniques and construction methods to ensure there is something of value for every skill level. Each pattern is written in 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and each size has been thoroughly tested! We had over 500+ crochet pattern testers for this book to make sure that each size fits its intended wearer in a way that makes them feel beautiful. You can buy this book with confidence, knowing that each pattern was written for you and your unique body measurements.
You can read more about my experience getting a book deal here.
Shop Modern Crochet Sweaters here!
My Second Book: Summer Crochet
My goal with Summer Crochet was to design timeless warm-weather pieces with a sophisticated, store-bought look that you would not expect to be handmade. This book includes a variety of cover-ups, hats, bags and other accessories that will complete any swimsuit ensemble. Like all of my patterns, the garments in Summer Crochet are size-inclusive, designed with a size range of XS-5X, intended to be worn on any body, any shape, any size. Just as we did in my first book, Summer Crochet had hundreds of pattern testers to help fine-tune each design to be as crystal clear as we could possibly make them. Each pattern also had a minimum of three different tech editors before we even hit the copyediting or proofreading phase. There have been so many critical eyes on these patterns that you can crochet each one with confidence, knowing each pattern is accurate, thorough, and correct.
Each garment design has comprehensive sizing charts, schematics and supplementary stitch (symbol) charts in addition to the written instructions. I respect your time and energy that will be spent creating each item, so I set out to write the most clear, easy-to-follow patterns that I possibly could, chock-full of tips and tricks, helpful stitch charts and customization ideas.
Summer Crochet was shot in LA by my incredible photographer, Stephanie Lauren, who also shot my first book. This time, we flew to another country, and I even brought my partner and our one-year-old along for the ride. We used models and shot each piece in several locations throughout the state of California: Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, Pal Springs and Joshua Tree National Park. These diverse California landscapes allowed us to perfectly capture the essence of each design and bring my vision to life.
I hope that I can help you find your own creative spark through my knit and crochet patterns, or inspire you to spend some time every day doing what you love.
So, where should you start?
You can read through some of my blog posts here or shop patterns here.
Feel free to follow along on Instagram at @knitsnknotswpg and don’t forget to say hi!
xx
Janine
