About Key Knits

Thoughtful patterns, made with meaning

Hello, I’m Rhonda—the Canadian knitwear designer behind Key Knits.

I create modern knitting patterns shaped by nature, memory and the places we carry with us. Each design begins with something that has caught my attention: wildflowers beside a country road, a covered bridge from my New Brunswick childhood, the movement of the ocean, a garden in bloom or a detail discovered while travelling.

My hope is to create patterns that are interesting and enjoyable to knit, comfortable to wear and meaningful enough to keep.

How It Began

I taught myself to knit during a season when I needed to spend a great deal of time at home. I was looking for something creative to occupy my hands and bring a little rhythm and purpose to my days. There were plenty of mistakes, impossibly tight stitches and things that looked nothing like the photographs. But I loved that two needles and a strand of yarn could slowly become something. I loved learning one small skill and discovering that it opened the door to another. Most of all, I loved making.

What began as a quiet pastime became a creative outlet, a steady companion and, eventually, a design business of my own.

The Story Behind the Name

I grew up in New Brunswick, Canada, where we always called the winged seeds that spin down from maple trees maple keys.

Their proper botanical name is samaras, but they'll forever be maple keys to me.

I have always loved them—the way they flutter and twirl through the air before settling on the ground. Even now, I think they are one of nature's most beautiful little designs. I still maintain that handfuls of maple keys would make the most magical wedding confetti.

When it came time to give this little knitting business of mine a name, Key Knits felt right.

It connected where I came from with what I was creating. And in a funny way, the maple key has become a bit of a philosophy for the work I make too: something small and beautifully constructed, inspired by nature, carrying the possibility of becoming something new.

Behind Every Pattern

My designs often begin as sketches, swatches and notes gathered in one of my many notebooks. From there comes the knitting, calculating, unravelling and re-knitting that gradually brings each pattern to life. Every Key Knits pattern is thoughtfully written, professionally tech-edited and tested by real knitters before publication. I aim to offer clear instructions, an engaging knitting experience and inclusive sizing wherever the design allows. I especially love natural fibres and garments that feel timeless rather than tied to a passing trend—pieces made slowly, worn often and enjoyed for years.

Beyond the Needles

I live in Ontario, but I’m originally from New Brunswick, and my East Coast roots are never far from my work. When I’m not designing, you’ll usually find me tending the garden, baking with seasonal fruit, reading, walking my senior rescue Jack Russells, Archie and Flossie, or filling another notebook with ideas.

Thank you for visiting Key Knits and for supporting independent pattern design. It is a genuine honour when someone chooses one of my patterns and makes it part of their own knitting story. I hope you find something here that inspires you to settle in, enjoy the process and make something you’ll love.

Welcome to Key Knits. I’m so glad you’re here.

From my needles to yours,

Rhonda xx