It was during her summer visits with her grandmother at just nine years old that Vanessa Coscarelli Black learned a skill that would forever impact the trajectory of her life; crocheting. “I learned to crochet first”, Vanessa reflects, “which I think a lot of people probably do since it’s one hook versus two knitting needles. Knitting came much later”. Nearly a decade passed, and while studying at Rutgers University as a Psychology major, Vanessa’s mother taught her to knit the basic garter stitch on straight needles.
Twenty years ago, there weren’t many yarn shops in Vanessa’s area, so she and her mother would shop at The Rag Shop. “They had an aisle of acrylic and novelty yarns”” she recalls, where she and her mom would purchase acrylic yarns, fun furs, and other novelty yarns to knit scarves together. Vanessa’s curiosity for the craft grew with every completed scarf, and she yearned to know more.
“How do you make that ‘V’ stitch?” Vanessa recalls wondering to herself. Turning to YouTube, she spent a great deal of time exploring far more than just purling; she dove into learning a variety of stitches and techniques. After a few years of straight knitting, her mother’s good friend, an adept lace-knitter, taught her to work on circular needles, expanding her knowledge of the craft even further.
When Vanessa became a mother in 2013, she left her rigorous financial job to devote her time to her newborn, Calvin. That same year, alongside her new baby, Vanessa Knits, LLC. was born. Vanessa describes her designs as “easy knits that are not overly complicated or fussy, and classic in style.” With a library of nearly 90 designs consisting of both knitwear and crochet pieces, Vanessa’s garments and accessories cover everything from scarves and shawls to blankets, cardigans, pullovers, cowls, beanies, ear warmers, and more. Vanessa continues to build her portfolio of designs with Yarnalia’s wide range of yarns.
What does Vanessa Love about Yarnalia?
“Between the quality and the price point, there’s nothing out there quite like it”, Vanessa gushes. With over thirty yarn shops that stock our yarns, and our online shop complete with our full line, our customers have the benefit of shopping the complete range of bases at very accessible prices. Vanessa recommends Yarnalia yarns for both newbie and seasoned knitters.
“Yarnalia’s price point is reminiscent of a big box store, but the quality is reminiscent of a local yarn store, so you really get the best of both.” – Vanessa Coscarelli Black
Vanessa’s Designs with Yarnalia
Whether you’re looking for a versatile shawl or a stylish geometric pullover knit in our 100% Superwash Merino worsted-weight Wooly, Vanessa’s classic, sophisticated designs are a perfect pairing that only looks complicated.
A close-up of the yoke of the Panacea Pullover, a free Yarnalia pattern designed by Vanessa.
Vanessa specializes in classic, creative designs with beautiful details. Below are some swatches for her upcoming patterns, designs in process, and images of the completed designs she’s crafted using Yarnalia yarns
Here you’ll see Vanessa swatching a lace stitch with Softy, our bulky-weight 100% merino wool. “It’s unexpected, yet beautiful because there’s this dramatic lace effect in bulky merino wool”, Vanessa explains.
Vanessa designed this free Yarnalia crochet Granny Square Headband in our sport weight superwash wool/acrylic/nylon blend, Marvel.
Here’s a sneak peek at Vanessa’s turtleneck sweater design progress using our worsted 100% Baby Alpaca yarn, Cozy.
A close-up of the details of Vanessa’s Fern Shawl, a free Yarnalia pattern.
Now through May 31st, you can enjoy 20% off our full line of yarns, and create Vanessa’s styles at a special discount!
“Hundreds of years ago it was grandmothers knitting. Now it’s about getting the younger generation to knit, which I just love.” -Vanessa Coscarelli Black
