Meet Michelle

Hey there!

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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!

Firstly, here are a few things about me…

Sitting comfortably? Great, grab a hot drink and settle in, this is a long one! My name is 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 last year (particularly with my ‘Crochetmous Crew’ encouragers! – Click here to check out the Crochetmous Crew Facebook group).

But let’s rewind a little further back…

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 it!

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.

Finally sticking with it

I am sure that there are many people who can identify with this feeling after having kids, but I was struggling to feel like myself for a period. In ‘mourning’ for the independent, care-free, younger, and more energetic, version of myself.

I realised I needed my own identity again (outside of sleep-deprived mum). To do something that was just for me. Rediscover what it was that I loved doing, and that which brought me joy. To have adult conversations that didn’t revolve around whether or not the kids were on track with their developmental milestones.

But with 3 small children in the middle of an old village in Bavaria, Germany, my options were decidedly limited. So I turned once again to crafting, picked up my hooks, and I haven’t put them down since!

The next chapter

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. Along the way I also discovered a love of photographing these gorgeous items too, styling flat-lays in particular.

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. And I realised that I wasn’t alone in feeling the way I had. 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.

And so, Tales of Knots was founded.

But what is Tales of Knots?

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.

If you ever feel overwhelmed by all the responsibilities of real life, I hope they help you to find what I did; a small dose of escapism and a little bit of peace and quiet as you experience the joy in creating.

(Unless of course someone tries to talk to you while you’re counting stitches. Then it’s perfectly acceptable to count increasingly loudly, gesture wildly, and/or glare at them until they stop.)

I hope you enjoy making these patterns and can feel the heart and passion that I have poured into every one of them!

Take a look at my latest free patterns here on the blog, and I’d love for you to join with me on this journey of rediscovering ourselves through our love of crafting! And don’t forget to leave me a comment below so I can get to know you better too!

Michelle x

Have an issue? Need pattern support? Simply want to connect? Send your question in my contact form here and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!