My name is Carla Meijsen, I live in the Netherlands and I love to knit. Since I learned to knit when I was seven years old, the technique of knitting intrigued and inspired me. What began as a mere hobby, soon became hobby and work. Since then it has only gotten better and more interesting and fulfilling. Knitting plays an increasing central role in my life. Not a day without knitting...

I'm the owner of the company The Dutch Knitters that has been founded in January 2009. In the capacity of The Dutch Knitters I give classes on North European knitting and knitting techniques in The Netherlands and abroad. The course Advanced Knitting (Het Betere Breiwerk), a serious 8-lesson course for advanced knitters is given at least twice a year in Amsterdam and/or Utrecht, elsewhere in the Netherlands and abroad (Belgium). Soon the follow-up course Het Hogere Breiwerk will start.

I'm trained as Textile Arts teacher. On 5 November 2016 I successfully completed the certification process to become a Master Knitters at The Knitting Guild Association (TKGA).

From 2010 I made I make study trips with my knitting friends to including Estonia, Sweden, Latvia, Norway and Great Britain to participate in knitting courses and to study the local knitting culture. In 2016 and 2017 I was Artist in Residence in Shetland. In December 2018 and January 2019 I was Artist in Residence in Scalloway in Shetland and in November 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia.

Magic Motifs, Knitting with a Secret Message (Magische Motieven), was publiced in October 2018.

On 24 October 2014 I published Lekker Warm! Twijnend Breien / So Warm! – Twined Knitting, the first bilingual book (English and Dutch) on twined knitting.

In October 2011 The Dutch Knitters published their first book Warm Hands – Estonian Mittens and Wrist Warmers. The book contains designs for eleven mittens and two wrist warmers.

On Thursday I work at the best yarn shop in the Netherlands de Afstap in Amsterdam.

In 2006 en 2007 The Dutch Knitters organised The Dutch Stitch 'n Bitch-Dag in the Van Nelle Fabriek in Rotterdam in cooperation with Second Events.

You can find me on Ravelry as CarlaM and Thedutchknitters and on Facebook as Carla and Thedutchknitters.

Publications The Dutch Knitters

• July – August 2013 – pattern Windmills (Haapsalu shawl) in The Knitter issue no. 61
• July – August 2013 – article about Estonian lace knitting (The Art of Haapsalu Shawls) in The Knitter issue no. 61
• June – July 2013 – article about Anu Raud and the Heimtali Muuseum in Estonia in Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no. 177
• February 2013 – article about the knitting traditions in Estonia in The Knitter issue no. 60 (A Love Affair with Colour)
• November 2012 – pattern Annika in The Knitter issue no. 51 (Focus on... Twined Knitting)
• November 2012 – article about twined knitting in The Knitter issue no. 51 (Focus on... Twined Knitting)
• October 2012 – pattern Geen Geintje in The Knitter issue no. 50
• June 2012 – article on Dutch knitting history in The Knitter issue no. 46 (Focus on... Dutch Knitting)
• February – April 2012 – Member Bonus Pattern Groot Geluk in Cast On (The Knitting Guild of America magazine)
• December – January 2012 – Estonian mittens Groot Geluk in Dutch magazine Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no. 174
• January 2011 – article about Grolse wanten (Groenlo mittens) including pattern in Dutch/German magazine Anna
• October 2011 – publication Warme Handen - Estlandse wanten en polswarmers (Warm Hands - Estonian mittens and wrist warmers)
  
• August-October 2011 – article and pattern Grolse wanten (Groenlo mittens) in Cast On (The Knitting Guild of America magazine)
• September 2008 – article in Dutch newspaper in knitting and design duo pattern wedding shawls
  

February 2013 - article on The Dutch Knitters and Warm Hands in Baltisch Dagboek (Baltic Diary)

Since 2006 I wrote articles and designs patterns for among others the Dutch magazine Handwerken zonder Grenzen.

• 2012 – Simply Breien nr 5 (December) pattern Warm Heart
• 2011 – chapter about SamplerM knitting sampler in the book Knitting around the World by Lela Nargi
• 2009 – My design of a knitted skirt (de Norok) is included in Debbie Stoller's book Superstar Knitting
• February – March 2009 Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no. 151
  Bohus Stickning - Zweeds breiwerk met internationale allure
  (Swedish knitwear with international allure)
• October – November 2008 issue no. 149
  Twijnend Breien - Antieke Zweedse breitechniek met een moderne twist (Twined Knitting – Traditional Swedish knitting technique with a modern twist)
• February – March 2008 Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no.145
  Breien met Stokjes – Knitting from Japanese knitting books
• March 2007 Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no.140
  Kaffe Fassett, grootmeester van de kleur - interview with Kaffe Fassett in Paris at L’Aiguille en Fête
  Tot volgend jaar? (Till next year?)– an account of Stitch ’n Bitch-Dag 2006 in Rotterdam
• November 2006 Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no.138
  Van Edward tot Jade - interview with Alice Starmore, article on Fair Isle technique and history and design of a Fair Isle cardigan
  
• September 2006 Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no.137
  Klaar voor de start… – interview with Miriam Tegels and article on faster methods for knitting.
• March 2006 Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no.135
  Om door een ringetje te halen – article about traditional Shetland shawls and design for a lace wedding ring shawl
  
• January 2006 Handwerken zonder Grenzen issue no.134
  Traditional cardigans in a new style – design two children’s cardigans using the designs of two cardigans from an Ariadne of 1963 (project by 5 Stitch n’ Bitch-Utrecht members).

Sites/groups

• 2005 SamplerM
• 2007 Knitting in Japan
• 2008 Twined Knitting
• 2009 Knitting in Estonia
• Startpagina Haken
• Startpagina StitchnBitch
• Startpagina Wolspinnen
• Startpagina Wolverven
• Startpagina Weven
• Startpagina Vilten
• Startpagina Brei-Sokken
• chemocaps.nl
• Stitch 'n Bitch Nederland
  

Carla M's Knitting knitblog Life 'n Knitting.