Sometimes it's easy to describe a designer's hallmark. You might have a go-to designer that inspires you with colorwork, one that inspires you with construction, and yet another that inspires you with his/her sense of style. Laura Nelkin's designs certainly can't be boiled down to a single stand-out characteristic! Her construction is frequently unique. She's known for her beadwork and lacework, and yet she has many amazing patterns that feature neither. Her designs are joyful and full of movement while remaining sophisticated. There's a lot to love about her work!

If you've ever been intrigued by adding beads to your knitting, or if it's a technique you love, Laura's website is a great one to check out. She offers a number of tutorials, not only on beading but also other knitting techniques as well. You can also browse her patterns and add them directly to your Ravelry shopping cart. 

Laura has put together kits for a number of her jewelry patterns. Kits include the beads, fasteners, yarn, and bead-placing tools - all you need are needles! You can be sure that the beads and yarn will coordinate and that the beads will be the proper size, making your first foray into knit jewelry a snap. Her Pioneer Cuff kits are available in Cloud from her Etsy shop or your LYS. She packages the kits in a little organza bag that would be perfect to use when gifting the cuff this holiday season. 

The Mica Tam is knit in Squishy. We've had the pleasure of sharing this knit at trade shows and it is even more stunning in person. The combination of the tiny sparkling beads with the soft yarn is wonderful. 

Laura recently released her first book, Knockout Knits! She offered the pattern for the Forza Scarf as a free teaser. The Forza Scarf, shown above, was knit in Vera, and is an excellent starter project for knitters wanting to enter the world of lace knitting!

As you can tell, Laura is committed to encouraging knitters to use new techniques. She even offers Craftsy classes as well as in-person workshops. (She'll be at Chelsea Yarns and The Yarn Club soon!) Clarus, shown above, can be knit in Cloud and is part of the Craftsy workshop "Knit This! Mastering Lace Shawls."

Thank you to Laura for letting me spotlight her amazing designs! Make sure to check out Laura's website, Facebook, Twitter, and Ravelry group!