Hey there, can you introduce yourself?

Im Stephanie Dosen, I live in the Rocky Mountains with my spinning wheels, my puffy cat and my sweet family. I create knitting patterns under the name Tiny Owl Knits. Designing is the thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. Well, that and coffee.

Tell us a bit about the book?

Woodland Knits is really a collection of all of the forest-y bits I’ve been creating over the past several years.

What was the inspiration behind it?

I wasn’t really trying to create a themed collection, it just sort of happened. Apparently I was thinking about foxes and bears, woodland capes and fairy wings a lot, because that’s what I made. I think I can sum up the book by saying that it is a collection fit for Snow White, and maybe a few of the Seven Dwarves too, I hear they need some gloves to keep their hands tidy.

Which is your favourite project?

My favorite pattern is definitely the faerie wings. I’d wanted to knit wings for a long time but just couldn’t come up with a way to make them really really easy. I didn’t want to mess with cutting up wire hangers or any sewing whatsoever. These wings are really a snap. They are so light and easy to wear, I can drive around in my Jeep and forget I even have them on! That’s the secret to great wings you know, you need to be able to drive without them getting in the way.

What is your craft space like?

I have a huge comfy chair with a giant overstuffed ottoman sitting on a Persian rug next to a fireplace. There are bookshelves full of old books and painted cabinets. I have tapestries and tiny lights strung from tip to tip. Old lamps, wooden boxes, topiaries, stuffed crows, baskets of wool, lots of knitting needles, my spinning wheels, magic stones, incense burners, candles, and my purring white cat tops it off.

Have you always been creative?

I guess so. I used to come up with some pretty creative ways to sneak out of the house when I was in high school.

When did you first start crafting?

I started crocheting when I was 3 years old. My mom taught me how to make a chain and I promptly tried to make a chain that went around the house. The first thing I remember making is a crocheted sleeping bag for one of my stuffed animals. It was hot pink and a hot mess.

Who are your crafty heroes?

Ooh I have lots. The person who got me started on the idea of magical knitting was Cat Bordhi. I had a chance to meet her at TNNA last year and she was every bit of amazing I thought she would be. (Which isn’t always the case when you meet your heroes!) She was riding around the convention center on a bicycle and ringing a little bell. She came to my booth and squeed over the fairy castles I’d designed. She kept picking up the roofs and popping them back down and giggling. That was a super fun moment for me.

Where do you find inspiration?

I love to wander flea markets and find vintage trinkets.  The colors, the fabrics and shapes I see, inspire me.  I get inspired by films, music, books, shapes in nature, forests, oceans, animals, fairy tales and dreamy illustrators like Aurthur Rackham.   I think I might want to knit everything I see including tables, chairs and animals.

What's next for you?

I’ve got the first draft of my novel sitting waiting for me to review and revise. I promised myself that after the knitting book came out I would go to work full time on the novel. I hope that can happen! Yes there most definitely is a character that knits! Other than that, my new album is coming out in February this year. The band is called Snowbird and the music is sort of like a dreamy fairy tale. I’m really excited about it and I hope it will be good knitting music!