A pretty layering piece for the ‘tween seasons, featuring bespoke vertical dart shaping so that you can fit the pattern to your body as you work from the top down.
Hello! I’m Natalie Warner, independent knitwear designer and 4th generation dressmaker. I sell modern knitting patterns and offer courses and consultancy on knitwear design.
Which Knitwear Option Suits You Best?
For Knitters
I want to knit sweaters and accessories customised exactly as I want them
For Businesses
I want professional design support and insight into my design practice
For Designers
I want to design my own knitwear line with intention, artistry, and technical rigour
In an era of formulaic pattern drafting and cookie-cutter production, I refuse to compromise on solid pattern cutting principles.
Body shape and comfort are at the heart of my world as an apparel designer.
That way, you can trust in beautiful knitwear that fits AND lasts a lifetime. My patterns provide deep technical rigour that turns knitting into a true intellectual investment.
Natalie is an experienced designer and a brilliant teacher, so if you’ve been thinking about making any of her designs or doing any of her classes – just do it!
becci pamely-bast, riverknits
Knit a Beautiful Sweater that Actually Fits! Master the Structure to Suit Your Style. Modern, Tailored Knitting Patterns for the Intentional Maker.
Are you a knitter who appreciates little details and shaping techniques, and likes modern knitting patterns that tell you EXACTLY where and how to make adjustments? Good! You’re in the right place.
Knitwear is super cosy, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise on fit or settle for oversized styles. Making fabric from a length of string = plenty of shaping opportunities for you to fit your body beautifully. You’ll love my designs — from the thoughtful detailing to the clear construction, they are engineered for successful knitting.
You’ll enjoy my knitwear designs even more if you’re also a fan of texture, lace, and cable stitch patterns. The sizing ranges from an 80cm/31in chest to a 165cm/65in chest.
What knitters say about my patterns:
This is #AneetaCardigan by the wonderful designer @natalieinstitches! Love love love everything about this pattern! It kept me engaged throughout the project, had interesting details and thoughtful design elements!
Knitwear Design Consultancy, Collaboration, and Guest Speaking
My expertise is in design development, garment structural integrity and fit proportionality. I translate creative vision into flawless technical specifications for production, and love working with small brands and vertical businesses committed to ethical practices and supply chain alignment.
Technical Excellence for Brands
For small brands and established Ready-to-Wear (RTW) businesses, pattern integrity is the foundation of product quality and profit.
The valuable time you spend on size validation, complex grading issues, and technical revisions is better spent on design innovation. Leverage my background in 4th generation dressmaking and garment construction to ensure your knitwear is engineered for the production environment.
I specialise in developing robust technical specifications, standardised size charts, and precision grading that scales seamlessly, ensuring every garment maintains its intended fit and integrity across your entire size range.
Thought Leadership and Guest Speaking
But I don’t keep this all to myself! I have always loved sharing my knowledge and experience with others, and am as equally committed to education and writing as I am to consultancy projects.
Some organisations I have worked with include the University of Glasgow, Vogue Knitting, and Raise the Roof Productions.
What my industry partners say:
“Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us” – Patty Lyons, AffiKNITy 2025
A particularly excellent teacher – we had some very interesting body types in the group and she had the gift of making everyone feel beautiful. Brilliant!
I learned so much about the shape of my body. Also, because the women in my group were shaped so differently, I learned about body shapes in general. So valuable!
Photo credit: Francesca Russell
Learn to Design High-Quality Knitwear
Professional development courses for knitters and crocheters who plan to publish their own patterns or sell ready-to-wear knits are hard to come by. So I’ve been building my own!
Taster courses begin from £50 are 60-90 minutes, and the full option, Knitwear Design Initiation, is self-paced with a yearly intake, designed to complete in roughly 12 months. There are preview videos on each course page.
If you like the sound of fully fashioned shaping, size and shape inclusivity (my own sizing ranges from an 80cm/31in chest to a 165cm/65in chest), silhouette and surface pattern design and a sound technical foundation, let me tell you more about my flagship course, Knitwear Design Initation.
What knitters say about my teaching:
Thank you Natalie for your incredible patience and for sharing your extensive knowledge. I have been terrified of set-in sleeve design for years, and you’ve taken a lot of the mystery out of it. Thank you!
anon, vogue knitting live
Hi, I’m Natalie.
I’m an independent knitting pattern designer, 4th generation dressmaker, and consult and educate on knitwear design.
With a solid professional and family background in creative pattern cutting, garment construction, and surface pattern design for knits, you’re in safe hands.
So, what’s your best fit: Education, Consultancy, or Patterns?
Knitwear Design Courses
My knitwear design courses are for conscientious people who believe that beautiful size- and shape-inclusive garments are the best kind of clothing. Your original ideas deserve a place in someone’s wardrobe, worn with love and pride.
Consultancy Projects
Collaboration is always welcome in my world! My offers include knitwear design consultancy, guest speaking and teaching, and feature writing. If you think we’d work beautifully together on an event or project, please step this way.
Knitting Patterns
If you’re a knitter who loves classic lines and stitch texture, you’ll enjoy looking around my shop. Discover modern knitting patterns that actually fit your body, designs that adapt to your style, and garments engineered for the long haul.
Stay in touch | Get Between the Seams
I also have a weekly newsletter written from the perspective of designing, making, and wearing clothes as an act of self-care, self-acceptance, and self love. Every Friday you’ll receive a clothes making tip related to design, garment construction, fitting and altering patterns
That’s how it began for me, as a little girl twirling in dresses and cardigans made by Mum and Grandma – and I want the same for you, too. I bake this philosophy into every pattern, course, and resource I create.
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