About Us

TIAM & KNIT SAFARI

Hi!

My name is Tiam Safari, and I am a London-based yarn hoarder, cat lover, and general knitting enthusiast. I started KNIT SAFARI in 2014 as a way to share my chunky knitwear creations, and through this rediscovered my love of knitting, knotting and looping things to create beautiful and trend-inspired pieces. 

I’ve been knitting and crocheting for a long, loooong time. I remember watching my Mum creating beautiful things as a child, and when I was about 6, she taught me her tips and techniques, just as my Grandmother had taught her. As I got older, I wanted to learn more and try different techniques, (and because this was before the time of The School of YouTube) I would borrow as many books as I could from the local public library.

After finishing University, I spent my daylight hours in a stressful job, and I needed something creative to focus my attention on in the evenings. I found some vintage peach mohair in Mum’s yarn stash, and I decided to knit a sweater. I didn’t have a pattern because, despite trawling the internet for hours and hours, I could not find anything I liked! But, I did have some pretty pearly knitting needles and an idea. Fast-forward a few weeks and I had a large, round, and very scratchy sweater. I felt proud, but I didn’t like the shaping, so I unravelled the whole thing. If you’ve ever frogged mohair, you’ll know the pain I put myself through! (I still have that yarn in my stash, waiting for another project...)

MY CHUNKY KNITTING JOURNEY

I decided that I wanted to knit something chunky, but again, I couldn’t find a pattern I liked. So, I decided to create my own patterns - the things I liked, that I wanted to knit and more importantly, wanted to wear.

This set me on a journey to become a knitwear and crochet designer, and I’m glad to say that I’m so much less stressed than I was in those pre-knitting days. I do what I love and I love what I do, and I think that’s very special! Don’t you?

Now, I am a full-time knitwear and crochet designer, publishing patterns for KNIT SAFARI, and I also work as a freelance designer for craft brands, publications and yarn companies around the world. If you have any questions, or think we would be a match made in yarny heaven, click “contact me” and get in touch!