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MEET YOUR HOSTESS: ASHLEIGH WEMPE

Ashleigh WEmpe Designs, Founder The Tinking Circle (She/Her)

No More UFO’s: Your Roadmap to Actually Finishing Projects

Hi! I’m Ashleigh, and I’m obsessed with helping knitters conquer their creative challenges.

My knitting journey? Full of dropped stitches and frogging fails, just like yours. But my background as an Air Force Intelligence Officer and Process Engineer taught me to tackle problems head-on and find no-BS ways to fix things.

My mission is simple: to empower knitters like you to ditch the dread and knit with unshakeable confidence. I wrote the best-selling Mosaic Knitting Workshop and have designed over 55 patterns, but what truly lights me up is seeing other knitters find their creative stride.

Welcome to the Knit Your Own Adventure Summit! I’m so happy you’re here to connect with our knitting community and find your confidence, one stitch at a time.

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Meet Your Speakers

(In alphabetical order by last name)

GABRIELLE AUGUSTINE

Knitwear designer, Whimsical Woolies (She/Her)

Braving Brioche Blunders: How to Tink and Fix Your Squishy Knitting

While Gabrielle Augustine is a museum curator by day, knitting has brought her joy since her grandmother taught her to knit as a pre-teen.

For years, Gabrielle has created her own designs but finally writing them as patterns began while developing projects to teach new techniques and stitch patterns at her LYS, Sybil’s Yarn Shop in Milford, NY. Designing for classes challenged her to think about clarity, accessibility, and how to break down complex techniques into achievable steps that empower knitters to learn and grow.

Gabrielle’s goal for her designs, found on Ravelry as Whimsical Woolies, is to reflect this teaching approach—thoughtfully constructed and approachable patterns that always have a focus on building skills while creating something beautiful.

Ravelry Instagram

JESSICA AYS

Knitwear Designer & Instructor, Double the Stitches (She/Her)

Lifelines for the Win: Your Secret Weapon for Stress-Free Knitting

Jessica Ays is the passionate Knitwear Designer and Instructor behind Double the Stitches. She is also the host of the Stitch Society Membership and the Knit Happy Summit.

Her mission is to make this timeless craft accessible to knitters of all skill levels by providing resources, support, and a sense of community. She empowers knitters to explore the world of knitting with confidence and joy!

Jessica began her design journey by creating patterns for a wonderful community of knitters at her Local Yarn Store, which sparked her passion and creativity. Her unique teaching approach, combined with her friendly, supportive, and calming nature, has attracted a loyal following of knitters eager to expand their knowledge and skills so they can confidently tackle new challenges and projects.

She is committed to fostering an environment where everyone, regardless of their skill level, feels valued and empowered to express their creativity through knitting.

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RUTH BRASCH

Technical Editor & Pattern Designer, Orchard House Editing (She/Her)

Cut It To Save It

I am a technical editor and pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, and Tunisian crochet. As an editor, I help designers refine their patterns so makers can enjoy a smooth, successful experience with a clear and engaging pattern that showcases a designer’s unique voice and vision. As a designer, I create vibrant, tactile patterns that combine color, texture, and thoughtful construction to engage makers at every skill level.

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Jessica Brist

Knitting Pattern Designer, Snickerdoodle Knits (She/Her)

Knitter’s Math: The Secret to Customizing Any Pattern (and Loving the Fit & Fabric Every Time)

Jessica is the knitwear designer and educator behind Snickerdoodle Knits, where she creates meaningful, approachable knitting patterns for adventurous beginners and beyond. She’s passionate about helping knitters grow their skills, confidence, and creativity through patterns that blend storytelling with beautiful texture.

In addition to her thoughtful designs, Jessica offers video tutorials on YouTube and teaches online knitting classes that support knitters wherever they are in their journey. Her gentle, empowering approach helps crafters feel inspired—not overwhelmed—so they can enjoy every step of the process.

Whether you’re picking up your needles for the first time or looking to try something new, Jessica is here to help you connect with your craft and create something truly meaningful.

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Kerry Bullock-Ozkan

Knitting Pattern Designer and Tech Editor, Bullock-Ozkan Designs (She/Her)

Making Your Colorwork Pop

Kerry Bullock-Ozkan is a knitting pattern designer, author, teacher, and TKGA-certified tech editor living in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Her work has appeared in Interweave Knits, Stripes: Making Stories, Cast On, Spin Off, and Farm and Fiber Knits.
When not knitting, Kerry can be found exploring rare wool breeds and her local environment through spinning, weaving and natural dyeing, and she loves to showcase the beauty of wool and other natural fibers through her designs.

You can follow all her fiber adventures at bullockozkandesigns.com. 

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Katie Burk

Content Creator, Knitlifeoils (She/Her)

Fixing Dropped Cast On Stitches

Hi, I’m Katie—the knitter behind KnitLifeOils. 🧶 I believe knitting should feel fun, creative, and never too serious (because let’s be real—mistakes happen, and that’s okay!). I love sharing approachable tips, playful projects, and a little encouragement to help makers feel confident in their stitches. Whether it’s trying a new cast on, fixing a dropped stitch, or just celebrating the love of knitting, I’m here to cheer you on every row of the way 💕

Instagram

Tania Dejoie

Knitwear Designer, Hiver Dejoie Designs (She/Her)

Oopsie Daisy- Lace mistakes and how to fix them

I am a first generation Haitian American from Queens, NY. I work full time as a Veterinarian, but I love designing knitting patterns exploring new techniques and interesting stitch patterns. While most of my day is spent using the science side of my brain, I enjoy coming home to create, express myself and unravel a puzzle of needles and a ball of yarn. 

Ravelry Instagram

Ciara Doyle

Owner, The Fairy Thorn (She/Her or They/Them)

Understanding sweater shaping – get confident with sleeves

Ciara designs crochet and knitting patterns for kids and adults. She is passionate about creating designs for well shaped, flattering garments that are much better fitting than anything available in the shops. Ciara believes in using natural yarns and writing patterns in inclusive sizes and using easy to read layouts that are accessible to everyone.

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LYNETTE ELLIOTT

Owner, Artist and Instructor, Creative Causes, LLC (She/Her)

Navigating Corporate Culture as a Creative

Lynette is an artist, fiber craft instructor, and professional sewist. She lives in Dallas, TX with her husband Dan and their menagerie of rescued animals. Her mother taught her to sew when she was 7 years old and she has been crafting ever since. She tutors private students and teaches knitting, sewing and jewelry making classes across the DFW metroplex. Her love for color has recently drawn her to hand dyeing, and she currently has a collection of upcycled wearable art available.

Lynette is also a singer, so you may periodically find her recording vocal tracks in Dan’s production studio. Her deepest love lies in teaching, inspiring, and encouraging makers of all ages so they can feed their own souls with the best kinds of fiber.

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JOANNE FOWLER

Owner, Made with Love and Fibres (She/Her)

Find Your Perfect Pattern Using Ravelry’s Search Features

I love to create patterns for shapely, colourful, crocheted and knitted wearables with eye-catching details that are interesting and enjoyable to make. Having some training in garment pattern cutting and a non-standard figure, I preferred to work to my own designs since first setting hook to yarn and was thrilled to find I could make a career out of creating patterns both for independent publication under my brand name Made with Love and Fibres and for craft publications worldwide.

I live in London with my husband and two sons and in my spare time I enjoy growing and cooking food for my family and trying new crafts.

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Bronwyn Hahn

Designer and Technical Editor, Bronwyn the Brave Designs (She/Her)

Unlock Your Knitting Superpowers: Pro Tips and Memory Tricks to Tackle Any Pattern

Bronwyn Hahn is the designer, technical editor, and fearless maker behind Bronwyn the Brave Designs. She creates clever knitting and crochet patterns for curious crafters who love a challenge and crave those “a-ha!” moments.

Her origin story? A twisted sweater. A moment of doubt. And then—a heroic comeback! Bronwyn emerged with a mission: to help makers turn missteps into momentum and tackle their next project with confidence.

She designs with intention—patterns with thoughtful details, clear instructions, and teachable moments—so makers feel like they have a trusty sidekick on their crafting quest. Whether you’re decoding a lace chart or stitching a first toy, Bronwyn is ready to lend a hand.

When she’s not saving the day with designs and tech edits, she’s holding down the fort in Washington, Illinois, as a wife, mom, and notorious handmade gift-maker.

Begin bravely. Finish fearlessly.

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Kristen Jancuk

Knitwear designer, MediaPeruana Knits (She/Her)

Ankles and Armpits: Fixing Pesky Holes in Your Knitting

Kristen is the knitter, instructor, podcaster, and pattern designer behind MediaPeruana Knits. In addition to being an all-around knitting and yarn enthusiast, she also works as a freelance writer and editor, and is mom to two boys, one dog and three cats and resides in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.

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KiRsten Joel

Designer, Kirsten Joel Designs (She/Her)

Sip & Shawl: Practical skills to maximize your shawl knitting

Originally from Los Angeles, Kirsten moved to Charleston, SC with her husband Jason and quickly planted roots with a group of girlfriends and started her family. She strongly believes in taking moments back for yourself and being intentional about putting yourself first, for you and your craft. Her designs allow you to be present for all of life’s little moments and create finished pieces that will quickly become wardrobe staples. She loves working with wool, silk, cotton, and linen in classic, neutral colors.

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MARY BETH KELSO

Designer / Teacher (She/Her)

Weaving in Ends: A Perfect Finish for Every Knit

I’m so happy to be back for another year of the Knit Your Own Adventure Summit!

My knitting journey started in college and I jumped right in with sweaters. They weren’t perfect–and most of them didn’t fit that well–but I kept trying. Fast forward some years and I started working at a yarn store, where my favorite part was helping customers with their projects. Now with summits like this, I can help so many more people! I especially love breaking down the finer points of construction to help you achieve a beautiful finish to your work.

In addition to teaching, I design for yarn companies and publications. I love to take inspiration from a design call, puzzle out a design, then convert it to clear pattern language. I also have fun filming short technique videos that I put on my YouTube and Instagram.

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JOANNA LANDGREBE

Owner & Artisan, Silver Key Stitches (She/Her)

Chart Quest: Level Up your Knitting Game

Hello! I’m Joanna and I’m the person behind Silver Key Stitches. I’ve been making for most of my life. The women in my mother’s family have always sewn, knit and crocheted—my great-grandmother was an amazing seamstress and dressmaker and many (although sadly, not all) of these skills were passed down through my mother to me). When I was young, my grandmother taught me how to knit and I discovered fine fibers when I picked up knitting again before my two boys were born. I was drawn to the colors and textures of the yarns of indie dyers as well as the textures of Merino, Alpaca, Silk, Bluefaced Leicester and Bamboo. I love creating products that are unique and useful—and I love creating new colors that you won’t find anywhere else. I’ve also been teaching for over 25 years and I love to help people grow their skills!

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Michele Lee Bernstein

Designer & Teacher, PDXKnitterati (She/Her)

Fearless Frogging: Getting Back on Track

Michele Lee Bernstein designs and teaches from her home base in Portland, Oregon. She’s fond of texture (brioche, lace, entrelac, elongated stitches, assigned pooling), and loves using interesting techniques to make accessories sing.

Michele loves teaching knitters to be the boss of their knitting! She teaches at fiber festivals (Vogue Knitting Live, Red Alder Fiber Arts Festival, Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival), guild meetings, retreats, and local yarn shops. Her book, Brioche Knit Love: 21 Skill Building Projects from Simple to Sublime combines her love for teaching and designing, using simple accessories to take knitters from the easiest one color brioche through more complex brioche techniques.

Michele blogs at PDXKnitterati.com. You can also find her as PDXKnitterati on Instagram, Facebook, Ravelry, YouTube, and Threads.

Website Instagram

HorteNSE Maskens

Designer & CEO, Knitting With Chopsticks (She/Her)

The Clues Hiding in Your Knitting Fabric That Make Counting (Almost) Unnecessary

Hey! I’m Hortense! My mom taught me to knit, one summer when I was bored on the beach at age 10. From there my love (some would say obsession) of yarn was born and I never stopped stitching.

Years later, I discovered the online world of yarn and realized just how many techniques, constructions, and ideas were out there. I drifted away from following patterns, and in 2018 I launched my blog, Knitting with Chopsticks, where I share my easy knitting and crochet designs.

My goal is to break down knitting and crochet so they become simple enough for you to create exactly what you want, the way you want it through my patterns, blog, ebooks, courses, the Stitching Squad and events like this one.

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CHANTAL MIYAGISHIMA

Owner & Designer, Knitatude (She/Her)

How to choose your size by taking the right measurements

Chantal is the purple-haired, potty-mouthed knitwear designer behind Knitatude. She writes modern, size-inclusive, beginner-friendly and easy-to-read knitting patterns (with a special love for garments). Whether you’ve knit a sweater before or you just need a mindless pattern to knit in front of the TV, you are sure to find a timeless classic with one of Chantal’s designs. When she’s not stitching, you can find her curled up with a romance book and her two wiener dogs Kurt Russel and Spinelli.

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Rachel Moutrie

Owner, Skein Queen (She/Her)

Substitute Yarns with Confidence

Hi, I’m Rachel, the owner of Skein Queen, a hand dyed yarn company based in Berkshire in the UK. I’ve been knitting for around 20 years and dyeing yarn for the last seven. Before I started dyeing and running a business, I also learned to spin – although I’ve had less time for it since! More recently, I’ve begun designing my own knitting patterns, mainly socks and shawls.


I love experimenting with different yarns and bases and finding ways to combine them so they look beautifully intentional. Most of my work is with animal fibres, and I’ve dyed blends containing everything from alpaca to yak.


I’m really looking forward to sharing my hints and tips to help you substitute yarns with confidence – and to feel delighted with your finished projects.

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Galaxy Nova Salo

Owner & Designer, Galaxy Knits (They/Them)

Knit Like a Scientist: How To Turn Mistakes Into Confidence-Boosting Discoveries

Galaxy has been an adventurous knitter for over 18 years, exploring various techniques and teaching many others along the way. Being a self-taught knitter, they have learned many lessons the hard way and want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. They write a knitting blog and recently published their book, Unraveling the Math for Non-Mathy Yarn Enthusiasts. Their goal is to share their passion for knitting and make it accessible to as many people as possible!

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Yvonne Poon

Knitting Pattern Designer, Technical Editor, Publisher, Gamer Babe Designs (She/Her)

Loosen the Knots: Caring for Your Creative Body

Yvonne is a knitting pattern designer, technical editor, and publisher.

After years of sitting for long stretches while designing, editing, publishing, knitting, and doing other crafts, she could no longer ignore the signals her body was sending about the toll her creative hobbies and work was taking on her body.

She began paying attention to the stiffness and tension and started educating herself about mobility, stretching, and sustainable movement habits. She learned how to make small, consistent changes to care for her body so that she could continue enjoying the creative work and hobbies she loves.

Now, Yvonne helps knitters and other makers do the same – by integrating intentional movement into your day so that you can support your body to create and craft comfortably and with ease for years to come.

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ZARA POWTER

Designer, Lily Purl Design (She/Her)

Petals Over Problems: Fixing Knit Mistakes With Embroidery

I’m Zara, the Christian maker behind Lily Purl! I’m passionate about knitting, crochet and the environment, and created Lily Purl to bring more awareness about slow fashion and sustainable living.

I have always loved craft, and learned to knit and crochet from my Granma in 2016. I came to love design during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a testament of how beauty can come from hard times. Spending time in lockdown allowed me to focus on my creativity.

My designs are modern, innovative and encourage you to find the beauty in and around you.

I am inspired by nature and strive to create size inclusive patterns for everyone to enjoy making and wearing! My favourite colours are pale pink and cloudy blue, and when I’m not crafting, you can find me travelling, experimenting in the kitchen, or snuggling up with a cup of tea and a good book!

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Ethan Pyle

Owner, Dyer, & Designer, Refracted Fiber Arts (He/Him)

Become a Bolder and Faster Cable Knitter by Cabling without a Cable Needle

Ethan Pyle is a natural dyer and knitwear designer based in Southeast Wisconsin who pours his heart into helping other people be creative.

He’s dedicated to careful stewardship of natural resources by crafting with renewable materials, and this is why all his yarns are dyed only with natural dyes.

He has a pattern library of over 20 self-published patterns on Ravelry, many of them inspired by his favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien. He loves spending time outside with his wife and children, is an avid reader, and hopes to one day grow all his own dyestuffs on a family homestead.

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Lauren Rad

Knitting Pattern Designer and Educator, A Bee In The Bonnet (She/Her)

Reading Yarn Labels with Confidence

Lauren Rad is a former lawyer turned knitwear designer who focuses on soft, romantic designs for knitters who want to escape the everyday. She took up knitting in law school to cope with stress and found deep comfort in the rhythmic repetition of stitching. That sense of peace drives her design philosophy, which centers on patterns that are just interesting enough to be engaging but not so complex that they lead to frequent mistakes.

Lauren lives in California with her husband and elementary schooler. When she’s not knitting, you can usually find her puttering about in her rose garden or collecting sea glass at the beach.

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MELANIE ROUNTREE

Knitwear Designer, Rountree Stitchery (She/Her)

Cable-tastrophe? No problem. Fix Cabling Errors without Frogging!

Melanie is the knitwear designer behind Rountree Stitchery. She has been knitting for over twenty years now, and has come a long way from her very first project–a bright purple scarf knit with eyelash yarn and LOTS of holes from dropped stitches.

She now loves to design motifs that incorporate two color cables—these add a bit of whimsy to more practical garments and accessories. Melanie believes nothing in knitting is too hard for the ambitious learner and approaches complicated stitch patterns as “knit by number” projects.

She loves literature-inspired designs, and anything with a leaf motif is destined to be an instant hit with her!

Melanie lives in North Central West Virginia with her husband and two kiddos.

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Lisa Toppin

Teacher (She/Her)

Smooth Sailing: Beating Rowing Out

I became a self taught knitter in 2007. As the first knitter in a crochet family, I was considered a bit of a knit sheep.I’ve been clicking along for more than a decade. Now, I share what I’ve learned in my fiber journey as a teacher and content creator.

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Johnny Vasquez

Founder & Head Honcho, Yarnist Media (He/Him)

5 Keys to Knitting Without Fear

Johnny Vasquez’s knitting journey started with a $10 kit from Wal-Mart and a desire to make a sweater, but it quickly grew into a lifelong passion.

Since then, he has dedicated himself to the craft, teaching knitting and crochet since 2011 and working on his Master Knitter Certification.

A natural storyteller, he uses his content to help knitters on their emotional journey from problem to solution, and is the host of The Fearless Knitter Summit and the mastermind behind Yarnist.co

When he’s not busy with all things fiber arts, he loves watching movies, playing games with his family, and helping other people build their small businesses.

Website  Youtube

Natalie WArner

APPAREL DESIGNER, Natalie in Stitches (She/Her)

Keeping Your Eye(lets) On It: How to Fix Missed Yarn-Overs In Lace Knitting

Natalie Warner, aka Natalie in Stitches, is an apparel designer and educator from the UK. She sells knitting patterns for her designs in her online shop and teaches courses on knitwear design, creative pattern cutting, and garment construction. Her garment patterns feature her signature blend of dart manipulation, surface design and fully-fashioned shaping, because she believes that all knitters should be able to customise patterns to look and feel beautiful regardless of their shape or size.

Natalie writes a weekly newsletter, Between the Seams. This features one tip or story per week on apparel design, fit, and construction, from the perspective of seeing clothes making as an act of self-care, self-acceptance, and self-love. Not to mention lifelong learning!

When not designing or making clothes, Natalie can usually be found in her beloved garden or traipsing around south London parks with a battered DSLR camera.

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