About Louise
Hello there! I’m Louise Bollanos, the knitting and crochet designer behind Handy Little Me, and I’ve always had a deep love for creativity. sitting down with a notebook, a coffee, and my yarn stash to plan and design my next pattern.
Sharing a Passion for All Things Yarn
My website is a place where I share knitting and crochet patterns, tutorials, and plenty of yarn-filled inspiration. I’m passionate about creating resources that feel approachable, useful, and inspiring for makers at every stage. Alongside patterns and tutorials, I share tips, creative ideas, and roundups of beautiful projects. You’ll also find a behind-the-scenes look at my work as a full-time knitting and crochet designer.
💌 30,000+ subscribers
📥 15k+ downloads
📄 Over 500+ Patterns
As seen in:
Get to know Louise
When I’m not designing, I love long walks with my dog, shopping, traveling, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Cozy Nights In (Netflix Picks)
I love cozy evenings spent watching my favorite Netflix shows with my knitting, a cup of tea, and my dog, Jason, curled up next to me.
A Love of Reading
I enjoy reading romantasy books and getting swept away by magical worlds, strong characters, and slow-burn love stories.
A Bit of Retail Therapy
I get excited about a good shopping trip, especially when it involves discovering beautiful yarn or finding something special along the way.
My Ultimate Comfort Watch
A little guilty pleasure of mine is rewatching the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice (1995) at least six times a year.
Where my knitting journey began
Childhood
Ever since I was little, I’ve loved drawing, making things, and knitting. My grandma and mom helped spark that love early on, inspiring the creative path I still follow today.
Growing my skills
I went on to study Art and Design, later specializing in Textile Design at degree level, which deepened my love for pattern, texture, and creative design.
My teaching years
I spent a number of years teaching in the UK, from FDA Textiles (19+) to A-Level Art and Design, Graphics, and Textiles. During that time, I also worked as Head of Art at a college for three years.
HLM was born
Handy Little Me began in 2014 as a blog with a few roundup posts and an Etsy shop. That was also when I began creating my own hat patterns.
About Handy Little Me
The success I had on Etsy gave me the confidence to keep developing my ideas and explore pattern design more seriously. I started writing and testing more of my own patterns, and quickly fell in love with the whole process, from choosing yarns to creating designs that others could enjoy making, too.
In 2017, I left teaching to focus on growing my website and began designing and writing my own patterns. Starting with a stitch pattern notebook and a few beginner-friendly beanies, I gradually found my rhythm as a designer.
Since then, I’ve created 200+ knitting patterns, expanded into crochet, and now feel incredibly grateful to run my business full-time while helping makers build their skills with beginner-friendly patterns and video tutorials.
Meet the fam AKA supporters
This is my crew, the people who keep me going. They’ve supported every idea, every late night, and every new design.
Fotis
Meet my husband Fotis, who models men’s knitwear and helps out with the occasional photo or video session. He is Greek, loves to travel, and is passionate about his construction company, where he works on renovating and building beautiful luxury homes.
Jason
Meet Jason, the model for all doggo knitwear and patterns. Named after Jason Statham, he’s known for delivering a good kick or slap when he wants your sandwich or needs to inspect your bag. He’s my everyday office assistant and has a particular talent for stealing fluffy yarn.
Join the HLM Community
Be part of a creative community where you can connect with fellow makers, learn new skills, and get help with your Handy Little Me patterns.
How HLM can help you
New to knitting or crochet? I design my patterns with beginners in mind and share video tutorials to help you learn new stitches and techniques along the way. I want to help you build your skills while creating practical, wearable, and beautiful handmade pieces.
See what our community has created
Explore a gallery of beautiful makes from the Handy Little Me community and see how others have brought my knitting and crochet patterns to life.
Baby Sweater Knitting Pattern
Dog Sweater Knitting Pattern
Cable Bookmark Knitting Pattern
