Hi, I'm Moira Engel and I live and design knitting patterns on the magnificent West Coast of Canada.  I have always had a fascination for creating things, re-purposing things and recycling things.  Knitting stole my heart when I was 9 years old, that was a long, long time ago.  I loved the magic of creating a useful and beautiful object from a piece of string.  There have been very few times in my life when I've taken a break from knitting.  It is my hobby, obsession and therapy!  Knitting follows the path of life so nicely.  Starting with creating for oneself, then friends, a husband, babies and children....then hopefully Grandchildren (I'm still waiting). My husband of 31 years is a Tugboat Captain.  So serviceable knits are a must for standing outside in rainy, foggy west coast weather.  Then the children; toys, blankies, sweaters, mitts, hats and some surprises!  Both my children are frighteningly brilliant and delightfully outside the box. My son inspired my first design.  He wanted a rainbow trout. Really. A rainbow trout.  So, as there were no available knitting patterns for rainbow trout, I figured it out!  It's really just about math, something else that I find sort of magical. Since then things have just kept popping into to my head asking to be created.  My beautiful daughter serves as muse and model.  I also find her music to be a great inspiration.  My first published pattern was La Gitana in Knitty, named for the beautiful piece of music by Fritz Kreisler and inspired by my globe trotting gypsy child. http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss10/PATTlagitana.php