Hello, my name is Rhonda Black and I am the founder and principle designer of Elegant Knit Designs (EKD).

My philosophy in life, as well as my craft, is to:

• Inspire  Inspire in others their potential to create, explore, and appreciate all things.
• Educate  Promote knowledge and skills, in order to develop a true sense of self identity.
• Share  Encourage all of us to share in our good fortune, knowlege, and skills (whatever it may be), to further develop our communities, nations, and world around us.

I started EKD in 2010 when I found that I was designing one-of-a-kind knitwear and knitting them up for special occasions, birthdays, holidays, etc. for friends and family.  I also got very accustomed to amending patterns I loved for my figure. After thinking about it, I was convinced to start sharing my designs with others. Thus, the official EKD was electronically born in August 2012.

My family and I live in rural Illinois, where there is corn and bean fields as far as the eye can see. (lol). Just to give you perspective, I’m about 2 hours away from an independent Local Yarn Store (LYS). Naturally, I tend to use online shopping most of the time. It’s a bit inconvenient at times, but our small home town is just right for us.

I have a wonderfully supportive and loving husband. We’ve been through a lot of chronic physical challenges throughout our marriage (husband, with traumatic brain and other injuries; I, with Muliple Sclerosis), but wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world. After all these years, we still love to hang out together. We don’t even have to talk…just be together. He’s my best friend.

We have two handsome, grown sons, Michael and Stephen, both of whom are very talented artists. From the time they could hold a crayon, they were creating and it hasn’t ceased since.  Michael has his Bachelors in Fine Arts and Stephen does commission work in Canada. Stephen’s wife, Alicia is also talented and creates the cutest clothes by hand! We’re both very proud of them as sons/daughter, artists, and individuals.

One thing that I have found along the way is that knitters/crocheters are animal lovers. I guess it’s the whole “getting back to the basics’ that attracts us to knitting – the heritage we keep alive, the bond we all share as a community, and the concept of sharing the planet with, and protecting, the animals in our world.  We’ve had quite a few enter and exit our lives, but are grateful to currently share our home with dogs Ty (Yorkshire Terrier), Mya (Beagle-Terrier mix), Isabella (Silky Terrier), and two cats Ms. Tique (black long-hair), and Holly (gray tabby).  All are rescues except Ty.

As mentioned before, knitters are all heart and soul. We should be proud to carry on this special craft to pass on to future generations.  Yarn crafts can provide one with creative thinking skills, pride in one’s work, and a sense of accomplishment. When you have a chance, share your gift with others!

Best to everyone,

Rhonda

Inspire..Educate..Share!

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