It’s a pleasure to meet you!
I am so glad that you’ve come to visit Tales of Knots, my cosy little corner of the web, and I hope that you will stay and have a look around. I know you’ll find something you love!
Sitting comfortably? Great, grab a hot drink and settle in! I’m Michelle, and I am the creative designer behind Tales of Knots. I’ve lived in at least 6 different countries, speak a few different languages and have been living in Michigan with my husband and our three little girls since mid-2019. We were having a great time exploring our new neighbourhood for a short while, until an unprecedented turn of events limited that exploration to no further than the bottom of the garden! (No fairies found as of yet though I’m sorry to report.)
However, after being confined to the vicinity of our house for a good few months I felt it was the right time to finally build a home for Tales of Knots here on the web. The place where I have made so many great friendships over the years (particularly in Facebook groups of fellow crafters – Click here to check out the Tales of Knots Community Facebook group)
My Favourite Things
Fav DRINK
Coffee
Fav TV Show
Schitt’s Creek
Fav aesthetic
Dark Academia
Fav season
Autumn
I’ve always loved reading about people who have learned their crafts at a young age from family members. But my story is a little different. One Christmas, just before my eldest was born, I decided that I wanted to learn how to crochet. And so for my present I asked for a book to learn from, (Crochet: the complete step by step guide on amazon), a hook, and some yarn. And to be perfectly honest? I cannot for the life of me remember why!
I love crafting and always have; at times creating scrapbook journals, hand-making everyone’s Christmas presents, sewing my own prom dresses or making wire jewellery. I probably saw a beautiful sweater on Pinterest and thought to myself “ooh, I wonder if I could make that?” (And I KNOW I’m not the only one guilty of that!)
The very first item I made was a three-colour kid’s sweater, straight from the book I learned from. May as well jump in at the deep end right?! Fortunately it was toddler sized, or at least, it was supposed to be. I knew next to nothing about gauge, my tension was uneven, and the neckline would barely fit over my little girl’s head, but I’m still proud of my first make!
Over the next few years I would pick up my hook for a season. But then life, kids, and moving to different countries would get in the way and I’d put it down again for a long time. So long, in fact, that I usually had to re-learn all the stitches again, and ‘frog’ whatever forgotten half-made pattern lay at the bottom of my project bag each time I decided to get it all out again.
In crochet, I found myself again. Crafting things solely because I wanted to, because a beautiful pattern appealed to me. I quickly learned new techniques and pushed myself out of my comfort zone at every opportunity.
I felt proud of everything I made with my own two hands, willing someone to comment on a hat just so that I could respond, beaming, that I made it myself. It’s a sense of accomplishment that feels like no other.
And not just that. In crochet, I found a whole community. My group, my people. (Thank you Instagram!) Some of the best friends I’d never met. Crafting is not just something to keep your hands busy while watching Netflix. It can be an amazing outlet for expression, and every maker I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know usually has their own story to tell of how it has helped them through specific times of difficulty.
Expressing myself through making I quickly realised wasn’t the end of my story, but rather just the beginning. Designing, from the original concept of an item through to its completion, was the direction my hands were leading me. Contributing something back to this online community that had become my second home.
I offer crochet designs and patterns for everything from home decor to garments. Something for everyone, to suit every ability, and with a story woven into each one.
And so, Tales of Knots began.
Michelle x
