About Jem and Under the Olive Tree Knits
Hi, I'm Jem and I am a knitting designer, independent yarn dyer and owner of Under the Olive Tree Knits. My favourite thing to do is to create knitting patterns for hand dyed yarns.
I'm a big believer that knitting should be as relaxing and stress-free as possible so my aim is to provide you with patterns that are easy to follow, have been tested before publication and include links to video tutorials too.
I live in Huntingdon in the UK with my husband David and our 3 cats, Mr. Pea, Micicles and Colin Robinson. Our kitchen doubles up as my dye studio and is where I am often found dyeing up lots of lovely, colourful yarns.
My favourite things to design are shawls as they are versatile and easy to wear, you can have fun exploring new techniques through stitch patterns, colourwork or beading without it being too big of a project - and shawls always fit!
You can find my designs here on the website, on Ravelry, Lovecrafts and Payhip, and I have also had designs published in The Knitter, Simply Knitting and Knit Now magazines.
Why the name 'Under the Olive Tree Knits'?
Many of my patterns and yarn colourways are inspired by small Greek Island called Alonnissos. We visit every Summer and it's our favourite place to be.
Alonissos provides the backdrop to quite a few of my pattern photos and I do bank quite a few FO's up before we go so I can take advantage of the stunning scenery!
For me, there is no happier place to be than in Alonnisos, in the warm summer sun, surrounded by the olive trees and knitting to the sound of cicadas.
What is Patreon?
Patreon offers an easy way to see behind-the-scenes content and recieve updates about what is happening at Under the Olive Tree Knits. It's also your chance to ask any questions or have your say on new designs or colourways.
Here's what's on offer as a Patron!
- A monthly update on what's on and off the needles
- A monthly chat thread
- A pattern of your choice from my catalogue of self-published patterns every quarter
- Fortnightly behind-the-scenes videos
- A monthly chat thread
- Test Knitting Priority
- 10% off all website orders
- A monthly Zoom Knit and Natter
- Access to the Patreon-Only Facebook Group
So if you enjoy my designs, yarns and knitty bits, or want to know more about what goes into creating a knitting design. dyeing a skein of yarn or running a knitting business, by becoming a Patron you will get access to everything that goes on behind-the-scenes!
There are 3 membership tiers available, from as little £2.50 a month and no matter which one you sign up for you will automatically become part of my exclusive Patreon community and recieve a free pattern of your choice every quarter (or monthly if you sign up to the Lace Tier).
You can cancel your subscription at any time and there are no ties, so if you don't want to keep recieving updates or patterns you can easily unsubscribe.
How Does Patron Support Help?
Patreon support helps me with the costs involved in running my business. From tech editing, running KAL's and Giveaways, buying supplies and paying taxes. They say every little helps and this is so true when you are running a small business - every single penny counts!
But aside from the finiancial support it's also a way for me to connect with you. I have met some fantastic people through Patreon and I always look forward to our monthly Knit and Natter calls. It would be great if you could join us too!
And I love to hear feedback - so as a Patron, if there is something you would like to see, such as a specific video tutorial, or if you would like to see more patterns for cowls for example then my Patron community is the perfect place for you to come and have your say.
So, for the price of a virtual coffee a month why not join this journey with me and let's get to know each other!