Melynda Bernardi, aka French Press Knits, lives in Michigan on the property where she grew up, across the street from her parents. She and her husband have a baby girl and are the high school youth leaders at their church. When Melynda herself was in high school, she performed in musical theater, the thought of which terrifies her now! She still loves to sing along to the car radio– especially when she’s alone. Her day job is in medical sales.
Melynda is a lifelong crafter–she doesn’t remember when she first learned to knit! She began knitting more frequently in college, and learned to read patterns five years ago when she became an aunt.
She began designing after opening an Etsy shop, where she sold felted slippers. Knitters began clamoring for the pattern and after some consideration, she wrote it up.
The resulting pattern is the runaway hit, French Press Slippers (shown at left). Constructed like shoes, the pieced slippers are felted for durability and perfect fit. The construction makes them an ideal project for knitters of any skill level. Their popularity soared after a mention on the Yarn Harlot’s blog, and altogether there are over 5,000 projects on Ravelry.
Melynda’s most recent patterns are the Lansing Cowl and Beret. Designed exclusively for the Lansing Area Shop Hop 2010, the Lansing Cowl & Beret combo is sure to keep you warm even through long Michigan Winters. The Lansing Cowl is shown at right.
We are thrilled to be debuting Melynda’s next pattern, Legacy, in Madelinetosh Pashmina. Look for it in our booth at Vogue Knitting Live!
Wondering what this is all about? Check out our blog post about our booth at Vogue Knitting Live and the amazing designs we’ll be debuting at the show.
Tags: french press knits, french press slippers, madeline tosh, madelinetosh, melynda bernardi, pashmina, tosh, vkl, vogue knitting live, vogue knitting live los angeles
