2017 NatCroMo Blog Tour, March 21: Donna Knox

A-Glamping We Will Go: 5th Annual National Crochet Month Blog Tour

Welcome to Crochetville’s fifth annual National Crochet Month (NatCroMo) blog tour, taking place each day of March 2017. Join us for a month of virtual glamping (aka glamorous camping), as we visit crochet designers, crochet-friendly local yarn stores, and yarn companies, as well as offer some fun giveaways.

Today’s Posts: Kathy Kelly | Tove Fevang | Donna Knox | Cascade Yarns

Want to Chat about the Tour?

Part of the fun of glamping is the daily round-up around the campfire, chatting and stitching with friends. We hope you’ll join us in our NatCroMo Facebook group, where we’ll be sharing daily camping recipes, campfire songs about crochet, and so much more! We’d also love to hear about your favorite things you’ve discovered on the tour and see photos of your current crochet projects. You’re invited to join us daily for virtual cocktails/appetizers and dinner. (We’ll be sharing links to some fabulous recipes!)

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Donna Knox, Articles of a Domestic Goddess

Crochetville is very proud to have designer Donna Knox of Articles of a Domestic Goddess with us today, March 21, as one of the featured designers on our 2017 Designer Blog Tour in honor of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo).

About Donna:

My name is Donna Knox, and I am the voice behind Articles of a Domestic Goddess. I have been blogging for close to three years now and designing for a year longer than that. I learned to crochet when I was about 8 or 9, but added more stitches and became immersed and enchanted with crochet when I was pregnant with my daughter. My children are my biggest inspiration for my designs as I love to see their faces light up when they see what mom is designing now! If they can’t wait to steal when I’m making I know I have a hit 🙂 On my blog I have a 7-lesson course listing for those trying to learn to crochet on their own, a plethora of free patterns and tutorials to help all levels of crocheters to learn and perfect the hobby. I also thoroughly enjoy helping beginners and do so as a moderator of the Crochet Beginners Group on Facebook. I consider my Ravelry store an extension of my own creativity and I am proud of each and every design up there. I have plans to move many of them to free patterns this year with the release of some of my more exciting designs to come this year!

Do you crochet in public? If so, when and where?

I do not crochet in public if I can help it. I consider my time as a mother more important than anything else that I do, and so, if I’m at karate class, I’m 100% there. I do spend a lot of time in the early morning and late at night when no one is there to bother me crocheting! I find I am best attentive to it when I am completely alone in my thoughts.

Do you have a special place at home where you crochet? Tell us about it.

I have a special corner of my living room set aside for all things crochet, much to my husband’s disapproval! 🙂 Annoyed though he is, he is my greatest supporter.

Share the story of your favorite thing you’ve ever crocheted or designed.

Donna Knox | Articles of a Domestic Goddess | Diamond Diva Fingerless Gloves

This is such a hard question to answer! I don’t think I can pick a favorite design as I consider them all special to me in some way. However, I think the Diamond Diva Fingerless gloves will always hold a special place in my heart! My daughter saw this yarn that was just TOO fabulous for her to not take with her. (Proud crocheter mommy moment right there) And she wouldn’t let me leave the store without purchasing it. I noticed it was comparable to Caron Simply Soft and so I racked my brain for days to design the perfect gloves for her. Being 2, she frequently would dress up in her favorite dresses and use socks as fashionable gloves… and so the Diamond Diva Fingerless Gloves were born! She cherishes those above all other play items in her room and every time she wears them I swell with pride!

Tell us about any other fiber-related hobbies you enjoy.

I have tried my hand at other hobbies and none are so endeared to my heart as crochet. In fact I feel like a sell out when I try. I do thoroughly enjoy collecting ribbon and jewelry making charms and supplies, however I rarely get a chance to use them. I do have dormant design projects for crocheting with raffia and twine among other things. Alternative to yarn items are interesting to me!

How do you decide what to name your patterns?

I use a thesaurus. 🙂 I find a mundane word to describe the item. Usually the first thing that pops into my head, and I go with that. Then I rifle through the thesaurus to find words that I feel are more interesting. Sometimes it comes without the thesaurus and I am inspired BY the words I find in the thesaurus to design something.

Tell us about your most popular pattern.

Donna Knox | Articles of a Domestic Goddess | Love is in the Air Wedding Veil

My most popular pattern is the Love is in the Air Wedding Veil. I designed it for the Battle of the Stitches for their Love is in the Air spring time challenge. I was very much out of my element as the Solomon’s Knot stitch was something new to me but I found that it was surprisingly easy once you understood the stitch and then I became enamored with it and created an entire wedding set including gloves and a ring bearer pillow. I have other solomon’s knot items as well which directly branch off of this design.

Tell us about your favorite camping location.

Donna Knox | Favorite Camping Location

My extended family spends 2 weeks a year, one in October and one in March camping as a family. I have 2 brothers who are close with me and between us we have 8 children. So it’s lots of fun for all! My favorite is a place in Spring, Texas. It’s a little camp site with a park and trails. I have a brother who was in the military and the children thoroughly enjoy walking through the trails with him and allowing him to teach them military tactics. They know how to conceal really well! 🙂

What is your favorite camping tip?

Don’t post your tent downwind of the fire, bring your own toilet paper, and invest in a really great blow up mattress! All of these are equally important!

What is your favorite camping snack/meal/recipe?

I am partial to sausage. I’m not sure why but I feel like it has a place in camping. My family makes fun of me because they can always be sure that Donna will bring the sausage!

Tell us about any crochet items you take to “glam up” your camping experience.

I have a really pretty crochet blanket that I made when I first started crocheting. The tension is terrible and I am constantly having to repair it since I didn’t know how to weave in ends properly, but it keeps me warm and it’s very soft.

Visit Donna’s Site: NatCroMo Specials

Donna Knox | Articles of a Domestic Goddess | NatCroMo Specials

On March 21st I will be releasing one of my paid patterns to be forever free on my blog. Then will begin a paid to forever free frenzy as I’ll be releasing many of my designs from paid to free on my blog. Click the link above to head on over to my blog for the free pattern.

Donna’s Designs:

If you’re not familiar with my work already, I’d like to share three of my designs with you.

Donna Knox | Articles of a Domestic Goddess | Puppy Travel Pal Seat Belt Cover

1. Puppy Travel Pal Seat Belt Cover, $4.99

The Puppy Travel Pal was an inspiration from my son. Once his little sister was born, he loved her so much he would want to sit in the middle, to watch over her and play with her during the car ride. While riding, he kept accidentally unbuckling his little sister’s seat belt that held her seat in, so as a safety precaution, I moved him from the middle of the backseat to his own window seat. He had anxiety about long car rides away from his sister in the backseat and grandma lives over an hour away. We would go every Friday. I asked him what would make him feel more comfortable and he said, maybe a pal I could ride with. And so, the Travel Pal was born! He made a list of preferences for animal types and puppy was on the top, along with penguin and dragon. All are available in my Ravelry store. Super fast and easy and the kids love them! I even attached one to my daughter’s carrier handle. Kid approved!

Donna Knox | Articles of a Domestic Goddess | Finley Fish Hat

2. Finley Fish Hat, $4.25

Finley the Fish hat transforms playtime to fun time! Super fun, super fast fishy hat. Play with color and stripe placement for a number of different fish types and styles. My children are becoming more and more interested in the Blue Planet Documentaries on netflix. We don’t have television so once homework is finished, we watch under sea documentaries as a family. We made a list of their favorite underwater animals. Can’t wait to show you my other projects in progress for their other favorites!

Donna Knox | Articles of a Domestic Goddess | Cotton Candy Wings Messy Bun Hat

3. Cotton Candy Wings Messy Bun Hat, $4.25

The Cotton Candy Wings Messy Bun Hat was my 100th pattern release on Ravelry! Options for a full topper, OR for the messy bun option. Big and small butterfly embellishment patterns, as well as big and small flower embellishment patterns are available in the pattern. Lots of options and a beautiful, lightweight hat for all sizes Newborn to Large Adult!