Hey there, can you introduce yourself?

I’m Rebecca, I like knitting, Paris, The Sopranos, my flat in the city, walks in the country, cats and anything that glistens gold.

Tell us a bit about the book?

The Knit Parade contains 12 statement sweater patterns for men and women. The projects are intentionally not too technical so that everyone can have a go.
I wanted to encourage people to create something unique to them so while the patterns are there as a guide I’d love it if people came up with their own colour combinations/put their own spin on each project. Alongside the jumper patterns there is a section at the back of the book with simple swatch designs to play with.

What was the inspiration behind it?

It’s an extension of my knitwear brand WMJ, we make bespoke sweaters - some make more of a statement than others! The brand name is a nod to the song Where’s Me Jumper by the Sultans of Ping so it seemed fitting to carry the musical theme through to the book.
I wanted to create something that felt young and fashionable and stood out from perhaps more traditional knitting books.

Which is your favourite project?

That’s tough – I love them all! I think perhaps Are ‘Friends’ Electric? And Bad Girls are my favourites.

What is your craft space like?

It depends how busy I am! It can be a bit chaotic with lots of projects running at once but it’s always busy, colourful and inspiring.

Have you always been creative?

I suppose it depends how you define creative! I remember when I was really young me and my mum used to make little picture books and sew them together, I had a Fashion Wheel in the ‘80s (who didn't?), I used to make clothes for my Sindy and Barbie dolls and my Nan taught me to knit before I was 10.

When did you first start crafting?

I never really think of myself as a crafter! The first thing I ever knitted was a jumper that my Nan helped me with – it was pink, blue and white stripes with little butterflies sewn in to it. I ‘modelled’ it at a fashion show at my school organised by the lady who ran the local wool shop. I am still scarred.

Who are your crafty heroes?

Patricia Roberts’ books are dreamy, I love Andrew Salomone, Olek, Lindsay Degen and Brooke Roberts.

Where do you find inspiration?

For personal projects, is it a cop out to say everywhere?! Sometimes I look back for inspiration, I have books and magazines that date back forever but still feel very relevant – to me, anyway. I just take inspiration from where it comes from – I can be inspired by nature as easily as popular culture.

What's next for you?

More jumpers, of course, more writing and I might just get a bit more crafty…