About Emmelina

 I have been knitting for as long as I can remember. Not because I liked it at first, but because it was one of the few activities to fill time with. I grew up in communist Romania, at a time when there weren't many children's games, toys, or TV programs. Often times we created our own.

 

I learned to knit sometime in third grade, during the equivalent of a home economics class. While I picked up the basics, my mother taught me more advanced techniques. In high-school, a couple of talented classmates and I would have friendly competitions for who can knit the most interesting item.

 

Sometime in the 1980's, while still living in Romania, I heard for the first time about an unusual contraption called a knitting machine. My mother, a math teacher at the time, had a pupil whose parents had recently returned from a work trip to Italy, where the pupil's mother purchased a knitting machine. She used this machine to make several lovely garments for my mother. All these years later, I still have them, as my mother passed them on to me. One of them is shown in the image below, a two-piece ensemble. I am amazed at how well it has preserved, more than 40 years later.

While I never saw the lady's machine, and didn't gain any knowledge about the concept for many years, I remained intrigued by the idea that you can create beautiful things without using long, even dangerous needles.

I purchased my first knitting machine in early 2000's, a simple plastic bed with 100 needles, called the Bond machine. I subsequently moved on to slightly more sophisticated machines, capable of handling fine yarns, but still have a soft spot for the machine I first learned to knit on. Sadly, I have recently learned that the Bond company has gone out of business.

I am also a former scientist and adjunct professor, having worked at an aerospace manufacturer and taught mathematics and chemistry at several colleges and universities in New Jersey. I do use geometry in some of my designs, as well as concepts from trigonometry for the round pieces.

For a time, my focus was on intarsia, or picture knitting, technique. I tried to create amusing pieces which will put a smile on your face. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.

More recently, I have begun making dresses and two-piece women ensembles, as well as dresses for girls. Mother/daughter "twin" ensembles are projects I will consider tackling in the near future. At times, part of my creative process includes sketching the design I envision, in black and white or color. It helps me to visualize the finished project. Here is an example.

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My desire is to create garments which will make women look feminine and lovely.

Testimonials:
"I have admired the knitted outfits Emmelina has created. They are definitely one of a kind. Her workmanship is superb. Her designs are unique, distinctive and very attractive. Her sense of color is very eye-catching. She has an excellent eye for color and design combinations. Her attention to detail is to be admired. I highly recommend her products."   (Sandie B. )