Store Message
Thanks everyone for your support of our custom knits. We look forward to 2024 being a great year here at The Knit Tree. As Sharon Nani, owner, prepares for retirement, she is training her son, Ken to knit the items in the online store, plus the ones that were removed. Ken is going to take over The Knit Tree and its equipment so we can continue to offer these unique custom knits to our customers. Ken is not new to machine knitting - he earned his high school and college spending money by filling orders back in the 1990's, and has continued to help in maintaining the equipment. Ken is creative in his own rights with his "Custom Wood and Land Works" business where he falls the timber, prepares the lumber and creates unique wood items and projects: custom storage sheds, fences, decks ect. So we may add new catagories to this web site when the time arrives. SO LOOK FORWARD TO ADDING THE CAMO KNITS BACK INTO THE ONLINE STORE THIS YEAR.
Introduction of your Hostesses for the Blog Topic: Machine Knitting
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Sharon Nani has been involved with the knitting machine industry since 1970. She established her knit Studio. The Knit Tree, Redding, Ca in 1973. Her first venture was specializing in the production of ski wear and custom knits. Since that time, Sharon has been involved with developing programs and patterns for schools, cottage industries, and production companies. Sharon has had machine knit designs published in several knit magazines including the international magazines Passap Model Book and Duet International. Sharon wrote the “Knitting for Profit Series” for Machine Knit America , the “Mechanics of Knitting” Series for Machine Knitters Source and technical knitting articles with both machine and hand knitting patterns for Ink Knitters Magazine. Her experience of over 43 years as an educator, author, and designer is being shared with you through the posts to this blog. Also, go to The Knit Tree’s home web site to the Articles page, where Sharon will be posting all the magazine articles that she has written over the last 40 years. These articles must be formatted for the pdf. Format so Come back often and check to see which ones are online. Insert link to article page |
Read more about Sharon Nani and the history of The Knit Tree on the About Us page
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In 2009 another addition to the Knit Tree team was made. Danielle, known as “Crochet Critter” became a member of our family when she married Sharon’s grandson Andrew. Dani showed a keen interest in the machine knitting, so Sharon began teaching her the machine knitting techniques and how to read and knit the machine knitting patterns. Dani quickly learned how to knit the 3 generation slipper, and the knit items found in our online store listed under Little Knitters and Mountain High baby knits. In 2011, Dani was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer shortly after her 2nd daughter (we will affectionately call ‘Little Ninja” for the web blog) was born. It was about this same time that her one year old daughter (we will affectionately call ‘Little Princess” for the web blog) was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, a type of developmental disorder that is associated with Autism. With a special needs child and her own health issues, Dani decided to be a stay at home mom, and the machine knitting and developing her Crochet Corner in our online store would be her means of helping to support her family. Read Dani's (Crochet Critter) About Page. |
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As time went on it became more and more apparent that this was the right decision. In 2015, Little Ninja was diagnosed with PDD-NOS with signs of High Functioning Autism, formerly known as Aspergers Syndrome. Little Princess has been re-diagnosed with Classic Autism 1, non verbal, and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). Now, Dani knits not only to help support her family, but also Autism Awareness and Acceptance. She advocates for Early Interventions and Sensory Processing Integration.
Read more about how Dani balances the health issues of having cancer and two daughters on the autism spectrum with the everyday like of maintaining a home business to help support the family in our Blog Topics: “Machine Knitting”, “Crochet”, “Autism” and “Cancer”.
- sharon's blog
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Comments
Long time, no see
And I still have the knitting machines. One's going into garage storage....But if I try really hard maybe I'll get the hang of this machine knitting before retirement. Are you and the generations still available for advice, if not for lessons...and Oh Boy, yes I will look into your DVD's! Glad you all are going to still be here~~Regards, Gwen
Still Here with 'Jiggle Voice'
Hi Gwen yes, I am still here knitting. I do not do lessons or answer phone questions because I have developed Essential Tremor which is worse in the Voice Box so it is hard to talk. The medicine helps the hand and feet tremors but not the voice box. But I can still type . :) Time just gets away and every 'slow knit season time "May-July", when their are fewer web site orders to knit, I tell myself I need to get those magazine articles posted on my article page, but this is also the time I knit the family Christmas presents ---- guess which comes as first priority. But I am confident we will get their yet.