Dovetail Designs

Dovetail Designs

Val Love of Dovetail Designs can't remember when she couldn't knit, crochet or sew. She was taught by her mother, a dress designer, in London, and her grandmother, an artist, in Scotland.

She took to it all like a duck to water, and after working her way around the world and a design career in branding, her interest in knitting and crochet morfed into a small business in the 80's when she designed three Christmas Tree Decorations (Santa, snowman and stocking) which were made up by crafts people in Norfolk England and sold at Harrods.

When Val returned to the US she designed several more decorations and published her first book of illustrated knitting instructions for Christmas Tree Decorations; shortly followed by Holiday Decorations and Pocket Pals, now in their third printing.

Since 1998 she has added over 50 single sheet patterns to her growing knitting and crochet line.

Val is inspired by the yarn she finds, trends she sees on the street, window shopping in Manhattan and suggestions from fellow knitters and crocheters.

Her goal is to create stylish patterns that are easy to wear, and to find the simplest way to construct them. All her patterns are beginner, easy or intermediate. (Intermediate usually means that there are short rows, which are well worth while and mostly used for shoulder shaping, and are only a challenge the first time you try.) Nearly all her patterns are in 6 sizes.

Val lives in Manhattan with her husband, where they enjoy the theater, museums and occasional trips to their cottage in Rhode Island whenever their schedules allow, which is not often enough.