My Story
In the beginning…
Hello, my name is Joan. I started Laws of Knitting to help the new and the not so new knitter develop their knitting skills. My love of working with yarn along with designing patterns of warm wooly items for my family and friends is what propelled me into this venture. When I think about it this may have all started when I was in my early teens. As a young girl, I had two open heart surgeries due to a congenital malformation. Being an active child it was not easy to lay quiet so the nurses found it necessary to strap me down to “help me” lay still and not pull out any stitches or tubing. Of course, this was frightening only being able to move your head from side to side. When I would start to do this my mom would gently say, “It’s ok honey, I’m right here”. Her words would settle me down and then I would begin to hear click-click-click. This familiar sound I knew was her knitting needles working up a project for one of my eight siblings. Yup, you read that correctly, there were nine of us altogether and mom and dad.
The Teen Years
Fast forwarding to my teen years and still being under my doctor’s and my mom’s scrutinizing eyes I was required to rest every afternoon. Can you imagine that – a teenager resting every afternoon? My mom, being the brilliant woman she was, used this afternoon rest period to teach me how to knit. This way she was able to “make me” sit still and rest. These were great times for the two of us and my love of knitting grew and developed into designing my own patterns. It is such a thrill seeing the smiling faces of those you love when they receive your handmade work of love.
Laws Of Knitting Is Born
Since that time I have designed and knitted up items for my siblings and many nieces and nephews. One day my niece Faith said; “Aunt Joanie, why don’t you sell the patterns that you design for all of us”? I told her I’d never thought about that. One evening as I sat on the couch watching an Agatha Christi movie, and was putting my thoughts down on paper for the next knitting pattern I decided to take my messy notes, clean them up and create a pattern others could read. The rest is history. I now sell all the knitting patterns that I design for my family for others to knit up and enjoy.
To make a long story short, for me it’s all about a love of family and friends. I’m here in Southern Nevada and they are spread all across the country, most in the northern U.S. Keeping them warm and bundled up during the cold winter months keeps my heart warm and beating with love.
Much love ~
Joan