A bit about me

“Welcome to my website!

As always, a huge thank you to all you toymakers who get in touch with such encouraging and flattering comments about my work.

Joining the online Alan Dart Group on Ravelry is one way to expand your interest in my patterns. Ravelry is a free online community, a place for ‘knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools, and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration.’ The Alan Dart Group currently has more than 4,500 members from all over the world, so not only can you share questions and thoughts about my patterns but you can post photos of your finished projects, see what others are making, find out about my new designs, and get help from fellow members (including the Alan Dart Rapid Response Team). Ravelry is free, and they are adding new members as quickly as they can from the invitation waiting list. Ravelry is a great place to share your interest in my patterns and make some new friends along the way.

The late Lesley Draper very kindly and generously set up and acted as admin on the Alan Dart Creations group for several years, and now her daughter-in-law, Joanne Lyon, has opened a new group called  Alan Dart’s Creations and Memories in memory of Lesley and to carry on her work. This is another great and friendly place to share photographs of your handiwork, discuss and compare what is currently on your needles, swap useful tips with one another and ask for advice. What better way to have a chat and make friends with other crafters from far and wide who share your interest in knitting my toys?

Jo-ann Larkins has very kindly interviewed me for her blog, and you can read this article by clicking here.

Hanneke ter Berg of Studio Minimini has created some delightful little stop-frame movies, using mice knitted from my patterns. You can look at these by clicking here

Andrea Doig of Fruity Knitting has also interviewed me for the  Fruity Knitting You Tube Channel (the interview is about one hour in from the beginning of the episode) and included me in the Fruity Knitting blog post, and you can see both by clicking on the links.

Here’s what I’ve done so far!”

Books (as co-author)

KID’S CLOTHES Co-author with Lynn Cardy (1982).
MATERNITY CLOTHES Co-author with Lynn Cardy (1983).
THE WITCH’S HANDBOOK by Malcolm Bird. Advisor on gardening, cookery and knitting chapters. (1984-2018, over 30 foreign language editions throughout the world).

Books (as author)

THE CHRISTMAS HANDBOOK illustrated by Malcolm Bird (1986-1989, twelve editions throughout the world).
THE PARTY HANDBOOK illustrated by Malcolm Bird (1990 UK Pavilion).
THE MAGIC HANDBOOK illustrated by Malcolm Bird (1992 UK Pavilion, USA Chronicle).
MAKING SOFT TOYS (UK Simon and Schuster, USA Chronicle Books).

Television

1984 TV AM – RUB A DUB TUB Children’s programme produced by Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions. Designed and demonstrated craft items on 36 programmes.
1985/6/7/9 CHANNEL FOUR – POB’S PROGRAMME. Children’s programme produced by Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions. Designed and demonstrated craft items on 52 programmes. There are two videos (POB AND FRIENDS and POB’S PLAYTIME) which include some of these. To accompany this series, three magazines (POB’S PLAYTIME, POB’S PAPER and POB’S NEWS) gave instructions for the craft makes in comic strip form illustrated by Malcolm Bird.

Visit this great webpage to read more about Pob.

Magazines and newspapers

Alan has contributed craft features (knitting, rugmaking, embroidery, toymaking, papercraft, fabric painting, soft sculpture, patchwork, applique, etc.) to a great many magazines including: BUSY NEEDLES, START TO FINISH, SHOW ME HOW and GET KNITTING (all published by Marshall Cavendish); CREATIVE HANDS and COUNTRY LOOK (published by Eaglemoss Publications); ESSENTIALS, FAMILY CIRCLE, HONEY, LIVING, LOOK NOW, MOTHER, WOMAN and WOMAN’S REALM (all published by IPC); JACKIE, BLUE JEANS and PATCHES (all published by D.C. Thomson); PRIMA (published by G and J). In each case he designed and made the item, and supplied patterns and full written instructions to appear in the magazine. For 18 years he was the resident toy designer for WOMAN’S WEEKLY, and had a knitted toy feature every month in SIMPLY KNITTING for 11 years.

Licensed toys

He has also designed knitting patterns of the following licensed character toy collections, all of which are now out of print and no longer available since the license for each has expired:

  • Flintstones
  • Paddington Bear
  • Beatrix Potter
  • Rupert Bear
  • Power Rangers
  • Magic Roundabout
  • Top Cat
  • Yogi Bear
  • Tom and Jerry
  • Scooby Doo
  • Pingu
  • Beano and Dandy
  • Wind in the Willows
  • Wallace and Gromit
  • Thomas the Tank Engine
  • Mr Men and Little Misses
  • Tots TV
  • Sooty
  • Barney
  • Noddy
  • Wombles
  • Postman Pat
  • Muffin the Mule
  • Brambly Hedge
  • Fireman Sam
  • Teletubbies
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Rugrats
  • Pudsey Bear
  • Bob the Builder

Free downloadable list of published work

Many people have requested a complete list of Alan’s published knitted toy patterns so, with thanks due to Malcolm Bird, John Asfour, and the members of the Alan Dart Group on Ravelry, you can now download a 30 page PDF of Alan Dart’s work by clicking here. The list will be updated regularly.