My mother and grandmother taught me how to knit almost before I can even remember. One of the first gifts I designed and made for my family was nose-warmers! Little cones with ties to go around the head seemed to be just what my brothers and I needed for playing outside in the Maine winters!  No one enjoyed wearing them as much as I enjoyed making them. They were good practice for increasing and decreasing stitches.  

I didn't knit much while my four children were young, but when they started high school, I got a job in a fabulous yarn shop. There, my creativity was stimulated and nurtured. I could attempt any knitting project, no matter how intricate, because there was always someone to ask for help and advice. Given the opportunity to knit any samples I chose, the shop became a terrific art gallery for my work. One of my favorite yarns to knit samples from became fingering-weight wool.  I love the intricate color work made possible by the fine yarn.  

As I began to learn more about knitting, it just seemed natural to start designing my own creations. Nature and things around me provide many interesting opportunities for inspiration. My designs are directly related to the environment I’m currently enjoying. 

The Mrs Knitter Designs name evolved from my long-standing email address mrsskr@gmail.com.  I chose this name because I love being Mrs. Stanley K. Ritchie.  Stan has become my encouragement and business manager.  

My logo includes an obvious snowflake and a subtle background spider web.  The snowflake was chosen because in the 1980s, I became known among my friends for the hundreds of stiffened thread snowflakes I crocheted as gifts and for sale. They called me the “snowflake lady”. The web expresses my appreciation and admiration for the first knitter, the industrious spider, and her lovely handiwork.