My name is Kate Lonsdale and I am Moon & Sixpence’s chief designer, knitter, stitcher, spinner of yarns, and jill-of-all-trades.

I have been knitting and doing almost all forms of needlework since I was a child, but several years ago, the "knitting renaissance" gave me the perfect opportunity to turn my hobbies into a second career. I have written knitting patterns for four top-selling knitting books by a well-known designer here in Los Angeles, as well as over a hundred hand-knits patterns for her boutique and line of yarns.

I was inspired to begin designing my own cross stitch patterns when I found myself constantly modifying the pieces I was stitching. I also wanted to see more patterns that reflected my "other life" as a reader and writer.

In this "other life," I am an English teacher and scholar of nineteenth-century British literature (think Jane Austen and Charles Dickens), but I am as much a lover of textiles as texts. I love cycling between the abstract world of ideas and the concreteness of crafting with fiber and floss.

Many of my knitting and needlework designs are inspired by characters, lines of dialogue, and scenes from classic works of literature. Also, I draw inspiration from the nineteenth-century Arts and Crafts movement which celebrated handmade objects in the face of an increasingly machine-made world. I am continually inspired by just about any paper, fabric or fiber craft you can think of. I believe in real-world crafts over virtual reality.