MILLAMIA BLOG - Official Launch

Why now . . . .?
If you are one of our loyal customers or have met us at any of the many knitting shows, you will probably already know something about my sister and I. You may know that my sister Helena has a background in fashion design and that I had a successful career in banking before having my children and embarking on setting up the MillaMia business. You will definitely know that we are Swedish! But there is a great deal more about us as people, our knitting, MillaMia behind the scenes, new and exciting design developments as well as our fabulous team that you may not know. Interested? then read on . . .

Helena and I found ourselves living in many different parts of the world as we were growing up from Singapore to the USA and as such we experienced life in a variety of cultures. The one constant amidst our seemingly ever changing location was spending every summer in Sweden. I look back on those summers warmly now, remembering the many hours we spent learning traditional crafts such as knitting, baking, running around in the woods. As a teenager however I have to admit I had a different perception! Our love of knitting, and a very evident gap in the market for stylish, modern knitting patterns for babies and children presented us with the perfect opportunity to start a business - and so MillaMia was born.

It has been an exciting and challenging few years since we began MillaMia back in 2009, but we are growing and still learning what it means to be a part of the knitting community in these modern times. I know that knitters are passionate about their craft and their yarn. I know too that our customers have always shown a real interest in what we do as a company - not only about new products and offers, but about us, as people and as knitters.

And that's really why we decided to start a Blog. We have so much more to share about many different aspects of MillaMia, from sneak previews of new designs to behind the scenes at photo shoots, reports from   some of the amazing knitting events that we attend, to yarn shop and MillaMia people profiles. We have a wonderful team - from Kirsten who manages MillaMia in Australia, Max working with our stockists here in the UK and moderating the Ravelry Group as well as our intern, office manager and the lovely Caroline who helps us out when she can.

All that, and not forgetting the knitting! We have always got something on the needles, and lots of new ideas from Helena as well as other designers and patterns that are perfect for using our Naturally Soft Merino.

I'm picking up my needles to start knitting tiny items for my third baby, due in February. I'm hoping the MillaMia team will help out with knitting a layette for my exciting arrival - more on that in the coming months!

(posted by Katarina)

KNITTING AND STITCHING AT THE PALACE

I count myself truly lucky that my job is also my passion. Working as the UK Accounts Manager for MillaMia means that I am in contact with the amazing people that run our favourite yarn shops all over the country.  As you’ll know if you’ve ever met me at one of the many knitting related shows we attend, I love to talk . . . A LOT! And my favourite thing to talk about is all things knitting – my knitting, your knitting, past present and future knitting – I’m ever eager to discuss its immeasurable merits! So, the hugely popular Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexander Palace is just the sort of event I love to be at. It's a really satisfying part of my job to be able to meet with the yarn shop owners at shows like this, but also the best possible way to meet all of our customers.

This year saw me in a particularly happy position in that I attended both as an exhibitor and a shopper. I helped out on the MillaMia stand on Thursday and Friday with Katarina which was really good fun in a busy-hard-on-the-feet kind of way. We met so many returning customers who had visited us last year and who were eager to see the samples of the new collection, or choose an exciting new project – it really was so thrilling to see their enthusiasm.

Of course, meeting with new customers who discover us at these shows is also an incredible experience – they invariably ooh and aah over Emil and always fall in love with Cecilia!

Our lovely colour-inspired cushion, Tivoli in two great colourways.

Caroline and Helena on the Saturday of the Show before the crowds of yarn hungry knitters descend!

The Sunday shopping experience was very different. I've been a good many times before and it’s always busy – there is so much to see and such a vast distance to cover in a few short hours. Some ladies from my knitting group, my Mum and my two textile-mad teenagers were with me which made for a rather large group – it did feel a lot like travelling on a very slow train which stopped at every station!

For me though, seeing this incredible Show through the eyes of my teenage children gave me an entirely new perspective. Where else can you find such a concentration of people dedicated to our wonderful craft in one place? My textileaholics were suddenly transported into the centre of an amazing community – and felt right at home!

(posted by Max)

WE LOVE WOOL WEEK

For us knitters, there is no better opportunity to celebrate the amazing versatility and beauty of wool than during Wool Week. The annual highlight of The Campaign for Wool takes place every Autumn with global events focusing on our favourite fibre, from fashion shows and design competitions to exhibitions and madcap stunts. Remember the parade of sheep trotting down a grassy Saville Row in the UK last year? That was all part of the woolly celebrations, and this year the fashionable London department store Harvey Nichols has had its very own spectacular makeover.

So when we at MillaMia HQ first talked about how we could support Wool Week we almost instantly decided that we needed sheep! A FREE pattern to make a super cute sheep with heaps of charisma, and so Milly The Sheep was born.

And once we’d made one Milly, we found she was so irresistible that we had to make a whole flock!

Milly has become rather a celebrity in the UK and is currently making a special appearance in John Lewis (a well-established chain of department stores here in the UK) at the Milton Keynes and Oxford Street branches – go and check out the lovely Milly bunting in the haberdashery department.

The motto for The Campaign for Wool is – ‘live naturally and choose wool’ and this inspired our second FREE pattern, the Mia Tablerunner. The pattern pictures show the Mia knitted in our signature brights and in a more muted, tonal colourway but we think you could have great fun choosing your own colours and making something truly unique.

I know it seems a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but I just love the idea of a tablerunner using moss, grass, claret, scarlet, snow and fawn - a riot of festive colours for my Christmas dinner table!

(posted by Max)