About KittyBea Knitting
As a Sarasota native and graduate of Ringling College of Art + Design, Sarasota and her surrounding communities have always been very special to me. Which is why I decided to highlight this beautiful coast by naming each yarn base after a beach, key or bay found in Southwest Florida. My patterns are all named after important, pioneering and/or founding individuals of Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Two of my favorite resources for referencing Sarasota's History are Newtown Alive and The Historical Society of Sarasota County.
I've chosen some tried and true yarn blends (considered staples), along with some that are even more luxurious and unique. I also recently added cotton and linen yarns. I hope you find a yarn that inspires your next project. Or maybe your new yarn will be a fabulous addition to your existing stash. I certainly understand and practice the art of stash-building!
I earned the nickname "Cat" while at RCAD and it has often morphed into "Kitty". I combined Kitty with my daughter's name, Beatrice, when deciding on a company name. KittyBea Knitting was created in 2013 as a small Etsy shop, providing handmade, knitted accessories and children's items. As my love for knitting evolved, so did my interest in the materials I used. I have found that understanding color and the qualities of different fibers are an important part of having a treasured finished project. I have used my research and knowledge to select yarns based on their individual and unique properties. At Ringling, I earned a BFA in Interior Design, worked in Commercial Design, and have been a Registered (Licensed) Florida Interior Designer for 14 years. I feel my education from the prestigious RCAD has been an important component in the process of learning to dye yarn, the various techniques and color interactions & interpretations. My degree and subsequent work experience have also been invaluable in my newest venture, knitwear design.
I self-published my first pattern in July of 2017. Since then, I have published a total of 35 patterns. Knitwear design uses my entire Interior Design skill set. It is my favorite combo of left and right brain cooperation: Designing by sketch, using established design principles, then deciding on the methods of construction. I have written about that process in my Blog here.
I am the former dyer for A Good Yarn Sarasota's Purl Diver Collection and founded their Beachcomber series. We are accepting new LYS accounts, please email inquiries to KittyBeaKnitting@gmail.com.
You can also use the above email to send me pics of your completed projects using KittyBea yarn or patterns. I love seeing FO's from our maker community and would love to include them in our upcoming Newsletter.
Thank you for visiting our site,
Cat Buchmueller
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