small things

Sponsored Giveaway: Mamma 4 Earth

Today I am welcoming Linda, whom you may know from her blog, Natural Suburbia.  I am very pleased to be sharing her unique patterns and knitted toys here with all of you. I asked Linda to share a little about herself, how she learned to knit and write patterns, and also what led to the creation of her shop:

Knitted Swan Pattern(knitted swan pattern)

“I have always loved knitting, my mom taught me to knit when I was 5 years old. When she was younger she knitted cricket jerseys for all of her brothers. I used to often see her knitting when I was little.  She knitted us a variety of clothing including our royal blue jerseys for school.  These were the softest jerseys, so much softer than the shop bought ones. One day I asked her if she could show me how to knit and she did. She gave me two short, size 4mm knitting needles and a ball of blue double knitting wool. I can remember that day clearly. I was always encouraged to try and knit her projects that she was busy with, and this was wonderful because I managed to master some complicated patterns and knitting terminology at a young age and she always helped me along the way. I attended a Catholic convent school while growing up and knitting was a part of our curriculum, there were new projects to make for school each year and when I was older I started to knit more advanced items. The first jersey I knitted was a cabled design, I was 18 years old and I still have that jersey today.”

knitted whale pattern         (glider the whale knitting pattern)

“After my husband and I had children, I studied to be a Montessori preschool teacher, I taught for a few years and then after the birth of our fourth child, Kye, we decided that I would no longer work but rather homeschool our children. I discovered the wonderful world of Waldorf education with all its beautiful natural toys and this is when I started knitting toys. At first, I just knitted them because toy patterns were so adorable but then I felt a change developing. A few months later, Mamma4earth, our family business, was born and has been growing each year since 2008.”

 

knitted unicorn pattern(unicorn knitting pattern)

“I began to really start looking at animals.   I noticed that when I encountered an animal or bird I would often study its shape and see the curves and bulk of its body. I would watch its movement and grace. I would calculate the stitches in my mind and see the animal become a knitted creation in my mind’s eye. The design usually marinades within my consciousness for a few days and then I begin the pattern writing and designing process. When I start to write a pattern, I usually continue writing until I am finished, I seldom start designing and finish later, this tends to break the flow of my thoughts. Often I wake early in the morning and while my eyes are still closed, I think of a new design, this is one of the most exciting aspects of my creative process. I love how my thoughts eventually fall into place and a new creature takes form… My inspiration stems from my beautiful family and the wildlife that we are surrounded by in this lovely country of ours.”

 

Knitted Goat pattern

(knitted goat pattern)

“My family and I live in South Africa, we have a suburban homestead where we grow veggies and fruit and live a sustainable lifestyle. We have a whole troop of chickens, rabbits, cats, birds, fish and our newest pet that seems almost human at times… a Labrador called Sandy. I often write about our life on our blog called Natural Suburbia. You can find my patterns for sale on Etsy, my Craftsy Shop and my Ravelry Store.”

 

“Thank you so much Ginny, for hosting me on your lovely blog this weekend.”

“Thank you, Linda!“

knitted lion pattern

(knitted toy lion or pattern)

For today’s giveaway, Linda is offering 8 patterns, winners choice, to one Small Things reader.   For your chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post.  Comments will be closed on Monday March 19 and a winner will be announced within this post.

Comments are closed.  The winner is Taryn:

“Ooh! How exciting! I knitted my daughter an aardvark from Linda’s pattern and loved it!”

Congratulations!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I know a little girl who absolutely adores goats but cuddly ones are so hard to find! All of these patterns look so absolutely cute.

  4. Love, love these toys and your fabulous blog. As a stay at home mom, I often turn to your blog when I’ve had an especially trying day and need insipration. Thank you!

  6. I adore her patterns, and often drool over them. The detail she goes to is spot on, as is her eye for dimensions. Would love the chance to win.

  10. These are the most adorable patterns!! I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’m the winner. Thanks for sponsoring Linda. I follow her blog daily, she is such an inspiration.

  15. I have been eyeing her patterns for a while now….. thank you for the chance to win one! 🙂

  18. This is SUCH a cute idea! You are so creative and lovely 🙂 thank you for sharing your gift with us!

  26. Thank you so much for introducing me to her. She is truly talented in a magical way. Her whimsical creations have made me a faithful follower and hope to try out some of her patterns. I hope to win to create some for my daughter who loves animals and hope to teach her later on. Thanks again for this lovely giveaway and good luck to all!

  27. How precious! I’ve just recently learned to knit but haven’t made it to patterns yet. These are so cute!

  29. Oh! I would love to win. I hope the pattens would not be wasted on me…I don’t know how to knit, but I would LOVE to learn how. The animals she makes look so soft and wonderful. Just the kind of toys I would like for my daughter.

  31. I would love to win these wonderful patterns, I am a big fan of Natural Suburbia and have tried many of her free patterns.

  32. What amazing patterns! I’m not sure my knitting is up to standard, but I’d love to give them a go : )

  33. So cute! Please count me in – it’d be fun to knit these for my daughter when she’s older!

  39. I love knitting animals, and these look absolutely wonderful. Please include me in the drawing. Thanks, Donnell

  44. I’ve been eyeing Linda’s patterns for a while now, simply unique and wonderful. Thank you for a chance to win one of them!!

  47. What wonderful patterns!! My children would love a little friend from among these!

  48. I am a long time fan of Linda’s patterns. They knit up so quick and easy, with beautiful results! What a great giveaway!

  49. The toys are lovely. As a grandmother and a knitter I would really
    enjoy making these unique animals. Thank you for the opportunity
    to win.