About the Designer: Judy Sumner

I am married and have two daughters and twin granddaughters. I graduated from the University of Michigan and then got my M.A. from Wayne State University in Developmental Psychology and certification as a Gerontologist. Shortly before my retirement in 1997, I designed my first sock for the Knitter’s sock contest and it ended up in the book Socks, Socks, Socks. After retirement, I kept designing socks and one ended up on the Dance As Ever website for auction. Lorna Miser, then the owner of Lorna’s Laces, contacted me and asked if she could buy the pattern and I’ve never stopped since.

At last count, I had twenty sock patterns on the Lorna’s Laces website. I have also designed for many other yarn companies – Cherry Tree Hill, Halfpint Farms, Lisa Souza Knitwear and Dyeworks and Lion Brand Yarns among them. I also have had patterns published in Knitter’s, Interweave Knits, Cast On, Knit N Style, Knit 1, and INKnitters magazines. I am also a member of the Association of Knitwear Designers.

Currently, I am in the midst of designing and writing patterns for a book based on Japanese stitch patterns. There are many “new” to us stitch maneuvers included and I think sock knitters will really have fun with it. It will be published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang in the summer of 2009. I am working with Melanie Falick as my editor so expect the book (yet untitled) to be even more exciting than my original vision.