Alan Dart

A bit about me

"Welcome to my website!

As always, a huge thank you to all you toymakers who get in touch with such encouraging and flattering comments about my work.

Joining the online Alan Dart group at Ravelry is one way to expand your interest in my patterns. Ravelry is a free online community, a place for 'knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools, and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration.' The Alan Dart group currently has around 2000 members from all over the world, so not only can you share questions and thoughts about my patterns but you can post photos of your finished projects, see what others are making, find out about my new designs, and get help from fellow members (including the Alan Dart Rapid Response Team). Ravelry is free, and they are still building the site and adding new members as quickly as they can from the invitation waiting list. Ravelry is a great place to share your interest in my patterns and make some new friends along the way.

Here's what I've done so far!"

Books (as co-author)

• KID'S CLOTHES. Co-author with Lynn Cardy (1982).
• MATERNITY CLOTHES. Co-author with Lynn Cardy (1983).
• THE WITCH'S HANDBOOK by Malcolm Bird. Advisor on gardening, cookery and knitting chapters. (1984-2006, twenty-nine editions throughout the world).

Books (as author)

• THE CHRISTMAS HANDBOOK illustrated by Malcolm Bird (1986-1989, twelve editions throughout the world).
• THE PARTY HANDBOOK illustrated by Malcolm Bird (1990 UK Pavilion).
• THE MAGIC HANDBOOK illustrated by Malcolm Bird (1992 UK Pavilion, USA Chronicle).
• MAKING SOFT TOYS (UK Simon and Schuster, USA Chronicle Books).

Television

• 1984 TV AM. RUB A DUB TUB. Children's programme produced by Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions. Designed and demonstrated craft items on 36 programmes.
• 1985/6/7/9 CHANNEL FOUR. POB'S PROGRAMME. Children's programme produced by Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions. Designed and demonstrated craft items on 52 programmes. There are two videos (POB AND FRIENDS and POB'S PLAYTIME) which include some of these. To accompany this series, three magazines (POB'S PLAYTIME, POB'S PAPER and POB'S NEWS) gave instructions for the craft makes in comic strip form illustrated by Malcolm Bird.

Magazines and newspapers

• Contributed craft features (involving knitting, rugmaking, embroidery, toymaking, papercraft, fabric painting, soft sculpture, patchwork, applique, etc.) to many magazines including: BUSY NEEDLES; START TO FINISH; SHOW ME HOW; GET KNITTING (all published by Marshall Cavendish); CREATIVE HANDS; COUNTRY LOOK (published by Eaglemoss Publications); ESSENTIALS; FAMILY CIRCLE; HONEY; LIVING; LOOK NOW; MOTHER; WOMAN; WOMAN'S REALM; (all published by IPC). JACKIE; BLUE JEANS; PATCHES; (all published by D.C. Thomson). PRIMA (published by G and J.). In each case he designed and made the item, and supplied patterns and full instructions for use in the magazine. For 17 years he was the resident toy designer for WOMAN'S WEEKLY, and now has a knitted toy feature each month in SIMPLY KNITTING.

Licensed toys

Has designed knitting patterns of the following licensed character toy collections, all of which are now out of print and no longer available: