Designers’ Dogs: Kira Dulaney and Dash

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Kira Dulaney…

Kira Dulaney is the designer behind K Designs, a line of original knitting and crochet patterns with a streamlined and eminently wearable aesthetic. Kira’s designs include garments and accessories in a wide size range, featuring clean lines and intriguing details that are both interesting to make and easy to wear. Kira has been teaching fiber arts classes and hosting crafty events in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 2002.

DASH’S GOTCHA STORY:

Dash has a mysterious past, and came to us with skills of standing on his hind legs for remarkable amounts of time, running like a racehorse, and happily eating anything (and everything) that might possibly be edible. He joined our family when we decided that our dog Friday wanted a playmate and they wrestle together most days, although Friday isn’t very interested in him at other times. He’s quite oblivious of that and enjoys cuddling with her whenever he can, leading to many adorable photos that I post on Instagram.

Designers’ Dogs: Lisa Carney-Fenton and Luna

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Lisa Carney-Fenton…

Lisa Carney-Fenton was born & raised and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Her patterns have been published by knitty.com, Brooklyn Tweed and by The Yarnery, as part of their Wearwithall Pattern Collection. To learn more about Lisa’s pattern designs, her Studio Knitting class offerings, knitting business and related endeavors, visit: www.handworksnw.com and/or IG #HandWorksNW. 

LUNA’S GOTCHA STORY:

Luna is a sweet, large, Shepard-mix rescue dog and the inspiration for the Designer’s Dogs collaboration with Knitted Wit yarns. Neglected and caged for most of her 4-month start– a submissive, fearful and very shy puppy when rescued in 2018. Luna has since blossomed into a loving, loyal and gentle giant who loves every human, canine and feline friend. 

Designers’ Dogs: Scott Rohr and Rowan

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Scott Rohr…

Scott Rohr is the co-owner of The Yarnery, St. Paul, Minnesota. He also likes to design simple accessories, and has an unhealthy obsession with short rows. In addition to his independent work, Scott’s designs have been published by Brooklyn Tweed, Shibui Knits, Wearwithall (The Yarnery’s in-house brand), and Woolfolk. Scott lives in St. Paul with partner Mark and dog Rowan. Follow @rohrknits to see pictures of knitting, houseplants, and food.

ROWAN’S GOTCHA STORY:

Rowan is a sweet, spoiled Italian Greyhound mix. He can jump incredibly high from a sit, which is disconcerting when you’re standing at the kitchen counter and all of the sudden Rowan is staring at you at eye level. Rowan is named after the British yarn company: Scott adopted him nine years ago and their first stop was The Yarnery. You can follow Rowan on IG (@rowanrohr) where you’ll see him looking more chill than he is in real life.

Designers’ Dogs: Shannon Squire and Bowie

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Shannon Squire…

Shannon Squire loves to design simple designs that showcase texture and lots of colorplay. She never (and I mean NEVER) thought of herself as a dog person; she’s been allergic to dogs and cats since she was a wee child, and never really understood why people would want to share their homes with a furry animal. Until she had kids, and those kids dreamed about having a pet. Shannon and her mister started researching hypoallergenic dogs and started visiting potential pets at the humane society, where Shannon would bury her face in the dog’s fur, to see if she could live side-by-side with one. Turns out she could (if the dog was a very specific kind), so they surprised their kiddos with a Snorkie pup for Xmas one year. Frida was the best little friend a family could have, but she was tragically hit by a car last summer. The family mourned and through their mourning, realized they were actually now people who needed a dog in their lives. They found Bowie at a local humane society, and he fit so perfectly into their lives that they can’t imagine life without him. He is a very good boy, curious and snuggly and pretty much perfect, and Shannon’s family feels complete.

BOWIE’S GOTCHA STORY:

After the tragic loss of their first pup, Frida, Shannon’s family wasn’t sure what to do with all of the love they had for their little Fri-Fri. They found that what seemed like the perfect pup had been surrendered to a local humane society, so they headed out to meet said pup first thing on the first morning it was available for adoption. The girls and the pup fell madly in love, and he went home with them that night. As Shannon was setting up a crate for pup to sleep in, she realized he had already found a place to sleep: in her 8-year-old’s bed. That’s when they all knew it was meant to be.

Designers’ Dogs: Lorajean Kelley and Luna

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Lorajean Kelley…

Lorajean Kelley is the fearless leader of Knitted Wit, an indie dye company with an eye for color and a heart for social justice. She loves the following things (although not necessarily in this order): her family, her puppy Luna, chocolate, any food, tattoos, sewing, knitting, reading romance novels. She hates the following (again, not necessarily in this order): racism, misogyny, intolerance, mixing yarn bases, neutral pants.

LUNA’S GOTCHA STORY:

A few years ago, I started really wanting a dog. It just so happened that a friend of mine in the Bay Area found a pregnant mama pup and was looking to rehome the puppies. Their rehoming time coincided with a Beyonce concert I really wanted to go to in San Francisco, so it really felt meant to be. Luna is my wee shadow, and she loves nothing more than crawling into my hood and laying on the back of my neck, which she can easily do, because she’s less than 6 pounds!

Designers’ Dogs: Jami Brynildson and Lyla

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Jami Brynildson…

Jami Brynildson learned to knit in 2003 and became instantly obsessed, opening Knitting Bee in her hometown suburbs of Portland, Oregon the following year. Her proudest moment as a designer came when a contestant on the tv show Jeopardy! competed while wearing one of her shawl designs. Jami can also be found watching bad television, enjoying good food & drink, and hanging out with friends & family … usually with her knitting bag by her side.

LYLA’S GOTCHA STORY

Originally from Texas, Lyla found me at an adoption event at a Petsmart in Portland, Oregon. She was only three months old and a little shaky from a long road trip, but she immediately rolled over for a belly rub and stole my heart. The event was organized by Mutts & Meows, a private, foster-based group that rescues animals from shelters in the Houston, TX area and sometimes brings them to Oregon for adoption events. They told me that Lyla’s mom was rescued from a kill shelter and gave birth just two days later to Lyla and her litter mates, so Lyla almost didn’t make it into this world. Lyla enjoys removing the squeaker from dog toys, smelling all the smells, and going for walks with her big sis Addi.

Designers’ Dogs: Rebecca McKenzie and Maybee

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Rebecca McKenzie…

Rebecca is the knitwear designer behind Raging Purlwind Knits. She enjoys designing colorful, whimsical, and vintage-inspired knitwear that can be a staple in your everyday wardrobe. 

MAYBEE’S GOTCHA STORY:

Maybee is the most snuggly toy poodle you will ever meet.  Sometimes she seems more like a stuffed animal than dog. Her favorite things to do are nap, play with her green dog  toy, get rubs and snuggle with people. 

Designers’ Dogs: Anne Hanson and Cardigan

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Anne Hanson…

Knitspot owner and designer Anne Hanson, a life-long knitter with a background in the fashion and graphic design fields, teaches and writes about knitting, spinning, and designing at her blog, knitspot.com. Anne lives and works in Ohio with David, who loves wool, too; together they are the owners and creators of the renowned Knitspot yarn clubs and the Bare Naked Wools yarn label.

Anne’s design work has been featured in Interweave Knits, Brooklyn Tweed Wool People, Knitty, Sock Knitting Master Class, The Knitter’s Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters, The Knitter, Twist Collective, Sock Club, Brave New Knits, and My Grandmother’s Knitting. She has produced popular instructional videos with both Craftsy and Interweave Knits. Anne’s complete catalog of patterns is available for purchase in the Knitspot Pattern Shop and on Ravelry.com.

CARDIGAN’S GOTCHA STORY (click here for complete blog post):

I first saw Cardigan two days after Christmas in 2016 during a snowstorm; as I was returning home, she ran out from behind our garage, where she had taken up residence atop our compost pile, probably dumped there by a previous owner or breeder. While curious to check out all activity in our busy back alley, she did NOT like to be approached, and refused all invitations to come in from the the wet and cold. Over the next three months, we befriended her from a distance; I put a blanket on the leaf pile and left food each day, luring her closer and closer to the house; she watched me carefully as well. We set up a video cam to record her frequent visits to our yard, all the while trying to entice her inside. Each day she roamed the neighborhood and each night she curled up in her compost burrow, safe with us. By spring, we were very close; she was eating food tossed from a short distance and considering the open back door.Then the dog warden got her on St Patrick’s Day and a series of unfortunate events landed her in a rural town 20 miles away, once again running scared—this time in completely unfamiliar surroundings. I volunteered to help search for her and enlisted a local rescue expert to help. It took 10 days to locate and rescue her, though a humane trap was necessary. FINALLY this dog was coming home—and the real work began. Rehabilitating a feral, completely unsocialized dog has been an incredible experience—the mutual trust and respect required is both intense and heart-swelling. It has been the honor of my life to work alongside this beautiful dog, opening our worlds one step at a time. March 27th will be the anniversary of the day she came home.

Designers’ Dogs: Adrienne Torrey and Emma

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We are so excited to be sharing our Designers’ Dogs collaboration with you today! Please check out all of the posts here: https://knittedwit.com/category/designers-dogs/.

The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer. 

10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet Adrienne Torrey…

Adrienne is a knitting instructor who lives in Portland Oregon with her husband, kids, 4 dogs and 2 cats. She is dedicated to learning and teaching knitting skills and techniques. Whether it’s in the classroom, at a workshop or knitting event, on YouTube, or on Instagram, she always has a lot of knitting to do. 🙂

EMMA’S GOTCHA STORY:

Emma came to us as a rescue over 6 years ago. She was 4, overweight, and could not chase a ball. But oooh she was a sweetie and even though we were only fostering her she won our hearts. She has trimmed up, sped up, and is a perfect part of our family.

HerStory March 2020: Libby Riddles

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Every year in early March, teams of people and dogs race across the Alaskan landscape for upwards of 1,000 miles, each trying to best the other in the annual Iditarod Dog Sled Race. It began in 1967 as a short race, and was a commemoration of the emergency dog sledding treks to Nome to help battle a diptheria outbreak in 1925. In 1973, the race that has evolved into the current-day Iditarod was first run. Teams consist of a musher (driver) and 12-16 dogs, and, depending on weather and other factors, the Iditarod can take 10-20 days to complete.  

In 1985, Libby Riddles, a 28-year old Alaskan originally from Wisconsin, became the first woman to win the Iditarod, pushing herself and her dogs to drive through absolutely awful conditions to triumph. While many of her fellow mushers hunkered down at a checkpoint to wait out the worst of a massive storm, Libby set out on her trail to victory, and kept up her lead throughout the rest of the race. Her win was so inspiring, not only because she was the first woman to do so, but because she came out on top by being the most courageous musher on the field. Her win catapulted dog sled racing into the mainstream, and inspired countless young women to pursue dreams in the once-typically-male domain. 

Not only a consummate musher, Libby is also an animal-rights activist in the dog-sledding circuit. She won Humanitarian Awards for Best Treatment of Dogs in the Iditarod, the Kusko 300, and the John Beargrease Races (three big dog sled races). She continues to raise and train dogs (her kennel is called Blazing Kennels, and hosts 20-40 dogs at any one time), and she’s written three books about her career: one memoir and two children’s books. She is a public/motivational speaker, and continues to inspire young women with her story of strength and perseverance. 

Our Mush colorway is inspired by the varied colors of the coats on the dogs that pulled Libby to victory all those years ago. Working as a seamless team, musher and dogs traverse unforgiving landscapes over the course of a long and lonely 2-3 weeks. This skein is an homage to those dogs and the woman who pushed them to victory, paving the way for more equity in the sport. We hope you give the sweet doggos in your life behind-the-ear scritches as you knit your Mush socks, and think about the perseverance it took for this brave team of pups and their fearless leader, Libby Riddles, to ride through the storm and win that race.