Handmadebyhafsa - A Story Maker

Meet our March Story Maker - Hafsa @ handmadebyhafsa.

Stitch & Story believes that every maker has a unique story to tell when it comes to their crafting journey. The richness built and woven into every stitch of their project tells a personal story that we want to highlight and share with our community.

1. Please tell us a little about yourself, your profession, where you are from and what's your life journey been.

I am a 35 year old British Bangladeshi Muslim knitter.

By profession I am a teacher. I find solace in knitting amidst the demands of my job. It can be a stressful and all consuming job at times and I have found that knitting really allows me to switch off. After a long day, there's nothing like a cup of tea, my favourite show, and a few rows of my latest project.

I studied maths a university and find that my maths skills lends itself to knitting. Whenever I come across a pattern with complex instructions, my maths skills prove to be invaluable when deciphering patterns. I’ve even used trigonometry to help calculate the perfect angle for a slanted edge!

While I mostly knit for myself, the arrival of my son four years ago expanded my knitting repertoire, although it's bittersweet watching him outgrow my creations almost as soon as they're finished.

2. Do you have a go-to craft choice or it's pretty evenly split?

I like to keep busy. I’ve explored numerous crafts from crochet to calligraphy but knitting is the only one that’s stuck. To me, knitting has endless possibilities and the more I develop as a knitter the more excited I get about exploring complex knitting techniques. Just when I believe I've mastered a technique, I stumble upon a new cast on method to make it even better. There really is a wealth of techniques and projects to do. I can get bored of a project, so I do find myself having multiple projects that I work on simultaneously.

3. When did you first learn to craft? How did you pick it up?

My knitting journey began about 7 years ago, at first making flat pieces like scarves and blankets. My sister made me a scarf and I loved it. She introduced me to knitting, a skill she inherited from my grandmother. Knowing knitting has been passed down the family resonates deeply with me. I can recall my early struggles, resorting to labelling my knitting needles with ‘k’ and ‘p’ so that I could remember when to knit or purl! I have since mastered various knitting techniques, including working with interchangeable needles, double-pointed needles and even tackling intricate lace and cable stitches.

4. What was your first Stitch & Story project?

For my first Stitch & Story project I bought the 10 skein bundle of The Chunky Yarn and made a self drafted jumper. The Chunky Yarn is a delight to knit with; soft to touch and the produces the quickest knits. I’ve even managed to make a cardigan with the same bundle so I certainly got my money’s worth!

5. Do you have any 2024 crafting resolution/intentions?

This year, I'm excited to venture into pattern writing, some of which will be incorporating the Stitch and Story yarns. I've delved into the intricate and wonderful world of lacework and intarsia, and I am eager to blend them into my knitwear. My long term goal is to knit a piece of clothing for each member of my family, fulfilling the numerous requests they've made.

6. Do you have any recommendation of inspiration source you'd like to share?

I mostly use instagram to get ideas. There’s lots of great knitwear designers with plenty of simple and modern designs. 

Hafsa's instagram is handmadebyhafsa, don't forget to give her a follow. If you also want to be featured on our monthly Story Maker feature, please get in touch with Cynthia on cynthia@stitchandstory.com. Remember to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and show us what you have been up to. Remember, you can also get in touch with our customer care team on hello@stitchandstory.com for any issues you are facing with your patterns and projects.