Knitimals
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 
The first Knitimal I ever made, I made for myself. I was a junior in college and missing home. His creation was spur of the moment. I didn't use a pattern or even have much of a plan; I just picked up my knitting needles & ran through ball after random ball of yarn until he was done. I stitched up his seams and stuffed him with the insides of an old pillow & shredded t-shirts I had been planning on getting rid of. The end result was a large, cuddly cat with crooked eyes and mismatched arms and I loved him.
Twelve years later, BeeCat still holds a special place in my life, as the mascot of my studio and as the reminder that things that are made with love, are the most special things of all.
It wasn't long before my classmates were ordering Knitimals, and not long after that that the demand had gotten significant enough for me to start seeking out shows and shops to help share my work. From the very beginning, it was important to me that the Knitimals be one of a kind, each time--- that a child could hold their Knitimal and know that there's not a single kid in the world that has a doll like theirs. In the climate of "stuff", its been a constant goal of my company to make art objects that can be loved and lived with. To date, I've made over 1,000 Knitimals, and have yet to repeat a pattern, design or color scheme. Each one is named & comes with a hand drawn name tag. Possibly most important, though--- each one comes with the potential for its own personality & story, the things a child brings to it.
Reader Comments (2)
Woooooo Dana! Your Knitimals have kept me company through all of my travels and new homes too. Everyone should have at least one, or two, or three, or four (like me...). Thanks for sharing your art and your story.
I love Dana's work! And I miss her illustrations, now that the Knitimals have taken over... One of our favorite books is still A DIFFERENT DRAGON! And I will regret forever not buying her "incognito" pin when it was still available.