Skeinspotting

Erssie's Press

This is Erssie's press page and this is a list of publications in which Erssie Knits has had featured designs. See the very bottom of this page for links to gallery sets of photos if you wish to see pics of the finished designs.

Erssie Major

Knitting and Crochet Designer and Author of Patterns

Biography

Erssie Major has been knitting and crocheting on and off since she was four years old, and has been designing since childhood too. Her first officially published pattern appeared around 2005 for a well known UK children's charity. Erssie had been medically retired and wanting to feel useful again (after an operation and illness that left her partially disabled) she found knitting and crochet was key to her recovery and thoroughly enjoyable so is an advocate of knitting as therapy. She moved on quickly to author patterns for on line magazines and websites and thereafter to print magazines and books. Simultaneously to working as a designer, she has also worked as a pattern checker, a project manager, a tutor and a knitter/maker for other well known designers.

Her own designs have been mainly, but not limited to, accessories in a simple and quirky style ranging from the whimsical to the downright alternative. However, she has also produced some classic and timeless traditional pieces too and has a flair for being able to sketch and design to any specific brief required by publishers and then being able to realise that design as planned and following up with clear, well crafted patterns.

Erssie writes a blog/website entitled Skeinspotting: A World of Erssie Knits which features her own patterns as well as tutorials, yarn reviews, book reviews and other articles of interest to knitters. Linked to the blog, there is also a new YouTube channel where she collects videos from all over the YouTube website as well as makes videos in order to make Playlists that provide valuable resources to support both her self published and magazine published patterns. Her website provides self published patterns and tutorials to download and she is well established on Ravelry where she takes part as an active member of the knitting community as part of many groups. She is also a member of the knitting group Angel Knits which meets in Islington and has also been involved with Castoff the Knitting Club for Boys and Girls where she helped to run workshops at the Fashion and Textile Museum of London where she met and collaborated with Rachael Matthews (course head tutor) on a crochet book.

Her website http://www.erssieknits.com provides all the links that you need to be able to visit the Erssie Knits Gallery of previous works and various other sources of her work. However this cannot be absolutely up to date as there is still a lot of work yet to be revealed due to confidentiality of her clients' work. You may also find her on Ravelry as Erssie/When Erssie is not knitting or crocheting, which is hardly ever, she enjoys reading and looking after her two rescued greyhounds. Occasionally her interests collide, and there can be some amusing pictures of hounds modelling knitwear. Currently she strikes a balance between self published, and other publishers' work with most work being for herself (she is pursuing a self published book planned for 2009/2010) and so has the luxury of being able to cherry pick her jobs for other publishers and pursue only work she finds is worthwhile. So, if you are reading this, then Erssie is keen to work for you too.

List of Published Work

(Does not include self published patterns or other designers works/shared works)

2005

Name of Design/Publication

Christmas Pudding Baby Hat/The Children's Society website

Baby Santa Hat /The Children's Society website

Christmas Tree Decorations/The Children's Society website

Erssie's Easy (Fair Isle) Beanie / The Children's Society website

Baby Bee Hat & Booties /MagKnits on-line knitting magazine

2006

Name of Design/Publication

G8 Mother & Daughter Hats / MagKnits on line knitting magazine

A Maiden's Glory Headdress/ The Anticraft on line craft magazine

Beltane Flame /The Anticraft on line craft magazine

Under One Skein: Baby Socks /MagKnits on-line knitting magazine

Silvanus (bag) /MagKnits on-line knitting magazine

Lily of The Valley Crochet Flowers /Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

Carnations in Crochet / Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

Starflower in Crochet /Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

Daisies in Crochet / Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

5 Petal Flower / Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

8 Petal Flower /Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

10 Loops Daisy /Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

12 Loops Daisy /Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

Red Poppy in Crochet /Hookorama by Rachael Matthews

Baby Santa Hat /Simply Knitting UK print magazine

Christmas Tree Decorations /Simply Knitting UK print magazine

Erssie's Easy (Fair Isle) Beanie /Simply Knitting UK print magazine

2007

Name of Design/Publication

Baby Kimono /Yarn Forward

Cable Panel Hat /Knit Simple (Vogue pub. print magazine)

Soft Ribbed Cushion with flap (Blue) /The Art of Knitting part magazine

Soft Ribbed Cushion wraparound (Green) /The Art of Knitting part magazine

Belladonna Sleeves/ Anticraft: Knitting, Beading, Stitching for the Slightly Sinister

Gothic Glam Yule Hat /Anticraft: Knitting, Beading, Stitching for the Slightly Sinister

Pop Art Skulls /Anticraft: Knitting, Beading, Stitching for the Slightly Sinister

Dizzy Lily: A Snood for a Hound /Erssie Knits for Essex Greyhound Rescue

Ice Baby Beanie/ Hip Knits UK yarn company

Willow: Baby Beanie & Crochet Flowers/ For the Love of Yarn on-line magazine

2008

Name of Design Publication

Ondine: Sleeves for a Mermaid /The Inside Loop on-line magazine

Las Calacas Danzantes charts/socks /The Anticraft on-line magazine

Los Pequenos Arenas de Relojes socks /The Anticraft on-line magazine

La Calavera Naranja knitting chart /The Anticraft on-line magazine

Skull & Cherries knitting chart /The Anticraft on-line magazine

La Calaverita bag & knitting charts /The Anticraft on-line magazine

Under One Skein: Cinderella (Lace) and Skywatcher (Fair Isle) Booties/ Knotions on-line magazine (republish)

POW! Scarf with hood / Handknit Heroes by Mortaine Publishing

2009

Name of Design Publication

Three Toned Topper /Tops & Toes (House of White Birches Pub)

Pixie Hat and Booties /Tops & Toes (House of White Birches Pub)

Men’s Racing Ribbed Cap and Socks/ Tops & Toes (House of White Birches Pub)

Itty Bitty Buggy Preemie Caps /Tops & Toes (House of White Birches Pu

Anne Marie Stockings /Lorna’s Laces yarns

A List of Self Published Craft & Art Works

A Country Beret Knitting Pattern

Alice P Beanie Knitting Pattern

Another Country Beret Knitting Pattern

Baby Santa Hat Knitting Pattern

Baggy Beanie: Ocean, Sand, Rasta & Fiona Knitting Pattern

Buster Baby Beanies Knitting Pattern

Café Racer Newborn Baby Set Knitting Pattern

Carnations in Crochet Pattern

Christmas Pudding Baby Hat Knitting Pattern

Christmas Tree Decorations Knitting Pattern: Includes baubles, mini stockings (various) and tinsel

Clara Rose Beanie

Crochet Flower Collection: Includes 9 different patterns

Dancing Skeleton in Top Hat & Flowers needlecrafts chart

Dizzy Lily: A Snood for a Hound Knitting Pattern

Erssie's Easy (Fair Isle) Beanie Knitting Pattern

Ghostskulls: Beanie with Knitting Pattern

Hand Felted Baby Beanies Knitting Pattern includes Felting Instructions

Ice Baby Beanie Knitting Pattern

Little Mex Newborn Baby Set Knitting Pattern

Little Pink Newborn Baby Set Knitting Pattern

Little Skulls Newborn Baby Set Knitting Pattern

Pearmain: Beaded rib beanie

Poppy for Remembrance Crochet Pattern

Rubinette: Little Checks Stitch Hat Knitting Pattern

Simple Simons: Socks in Stockinette Knitting Pattern

Speke's Mouth Cove: Wavy Cable Baby Socks Knitting Pattern

Striped Baby Beanies in Cotton Silk Aran Knitting Pattern

Sweet Socks for Sugar Free Feet Knitting Pattern

Tessellating Skulls needlecrafts chart

Valentine Stitching Hearts Charts

Other Work

Erssie has worked for Collins & Brown publishers in London UK as a pattern checker, a knitter and project manager of knitters for the Harmony Stitch Guides. She has also worked for various designers knitting up their projects or collaborating in design work and has occasionally run workshops in knitting and crochet techniques. She is currently working with Zabet Stewart from the Anticraft on a co-authored book containing craft inspiration celebrating arts for art's sake which is due to be published later in 2009.

These are Erssie Knits designs which have been published in books, magazines and websites as knitting patterns. Many of the patterns in on line magazines are free to download for readers.