Meet the designer: Kelly Menzies

Name: Kelly Menzies

Speciality: Accessories and garments

Website or blog: kydelmakes.wordpress.com

Favourite yarn: Artesano Superwash Merino. It has such a beautiful range of colours, is super soft and gives lovely stitch definition.

What’s your favourite pattern designed for Let’s Knit, and what’s the story behind it? I would have to say Kelsey, my little girls’ tunic. I really wanted to start garment design, instead of just making accessories all the time. The design for Kelsey was in my head for a long time so I decided I had to get out of my comfort zone and go for it. I knitted up a very tiny version, sketched it out and sent it to Let’s Knit. When it got accepted I was frozen in terror! I don’t know how I managed to do it, but making Kelsey was a massive learning curve and I’m so glad I did it, plus it is still one of my most popular patterns.

The pattern for Kelly’s Kelsey dress is available to download for FREE! Just click here!

What’s your best knitting memory? Knitting with my Nana. We would sit doing our own projects and I would watch her in awe, she knitted so fast. She always had a look of pride on her face when she watched me knit.

What’s the best knitting tip you’ve ever been given? To pass the last cast-on stitch over the first one when starting to knit in the round. It stops the unsightly gap on the first row and makes it much neater.

Favourite dessert? Sticky toffee pudding and custard. Yum!

Favourite colour? Plum

Favourite television show to knit to? I tend to watch things on Netflix while I knit and go through lots of seasons of something in one go. Currently I am getting myself through Mad Men.

Would you rather knit lace, cables or colourwork? Lace but only on 3mm or larger needles. I can’t knit on the tiny needles with less than 3ply yarn. It’s far too fiddly for me. I envy those who can!

What’s your favourite gift to knit for others? Socks. Everyone needs them and it’s nice to have a comfy hand knitted pair. They always put a smile on a face.

If you could knit for anyone (dead, alive, fictional or not) who would it be, and what would you knit for them? I’d love to knit a silly bobble hat for Han Solo! It gets cold in space.

Can you remember the first thing you knitted? (And what was it?) After knitting basic squares for a blanket my mam sewed together (it was extremely holey and misshapen) I made dolls. The first one I really remember was a Jean Greenhowe doll with a pretty yellow dress. She was quite good, considering I was about 7 or 8 years old. No idea what happened to her, which is a shame. I’d like to look her over now and see how well I actually did!

Have you ever had a knitting disaster? I have had lots of disastrous projects in the past. Too many to name and none that really stand out. The most recent disaster I had was when our large Akita-cross puppy got into my craft space while we were out. I came home to her wrapped in a hundred different colours of yarn and a couple of hats with large holes in. I was not exactly impressed to say the least!