Hello!
My name is Maria, and I am almost always doing some kind of handicraft. Typically I knit, but I also like to crochet, embroider, needle bind, paint yarn, and spin. In the past, I have made laces and woven as well. I love yarn, foremost the ones made from natural materials, and wool is my all-time favorite. A locally produced rustic, scratchy and lanolin fat wool yarn can give me shivers of joy.
My professional background is mixed, I have, among other things, worked with chemistry, statistics, marketing, contract management, IT coordination, and project management. In 2006 I decided to realize my dream of “working with something that involves textiles” and opened the yarn store marias garn at S:t Paulsgatan in Stockholm. In the assortment there were only yarns made of natural materials, along with my own hand painted yarns and knitting patterns. I do no longer have the store, but work primarily with teaching classes and designing knitwear and crocheted to various yarn suppliers, weeklies and in my own name (marias garn).
For me it is a must to create my own models, even though I also knit according to other’s patterns. Already when I began knitting, I often combined parts from several patterns to create the garments I wanted. The only thing that can be said to be certain about my knitting is that I almost never knit the same thing twice, not even my own designs. Today I begin designing from the first stitch, and write down what I do so that others can knit the same, or similar, garments. I do not have a specialty, but create most items, using several different techniques. You can find my patterns on my website, in my Ravelry-shop and in selected yarn stores. All my models are available in Swedish and some are translated into English. Feel free to have a look!
I love to talk about knitting, and to teach yarn related classes as well as private lessons. I believe that it is fantastic to pass on the knowledge that I have and to see others grow in their handicraft. I hold most of my classes in Stockholm, but travel around the country to spread the stitch making at different knitting related events (for example Stickfest i Väst, Stickstämmor and Syfestivalen), in yarn stores and on my own. I teach everything from beginners classes to more advanced courses in, for example, two-ended knitting. My specialty is probably odd techniques that I have stumbled across on the net or in a book. The courses that I have planned at the moment can be found under the title “kurser.”
I am truly passionate about knitting and other yarn related techniques. You can read more about what happens when I am playing with yarn on my blog Marias garnhändelser, which is updated close to daily. Most posts area bout yarn in one way or another, primarily knitting, but also embroidery, spinning, crocheting, and other things.
You can also follow marias garn on facebook and on Instagram.