About me

I believe your life needs more yarn.

My name is Lorna Watt and I’m on a mission to inspire and delight with yarn.

Whether you’re a company looking for a unique marketing element, a crocheter or knitter looking for a fresh project, a retail store seeking surprising products, or someone on the hunt for a custom knitter, I want to bring yarn to your life!

I was born and raised in California’s Silicon Valley; around here, we take community, innovation, and passion for granted. If you’re not engaged in a community of like-minded geeks, you’re doing it wrong. While living in Europe for a couple years, I developed an eye for street art. Now I seek to push the medium of yarn and craft forward on the streets through yarn bombing. Watch my process by following me on Instagram here. I think you’ll love what’s happening.

Yarn is “optimistic and community oriented.” – Sona Iliffe-Moon, marketing executive for Toyota 

“Companies seem to be attracted to the retro handcrafted cheeriness of yarn.” – The New York Times

I have a rich collection of past lives that guide my creative process.

A linguaphile, I studied in the Canary Islands, Spain after high school at age 16 and a decade later learned a third language at the Universities of Heidelberg and Tübingen, Germany. I hold a BA in German from San Francisco State University and have traveled to over 15 countries on three continents.

Fascinated by the natural world, I researched the evolution of biodiversity as both an undergraduate and graduate fellow and hold a BS in Biology from San Francisco State University and an MS in Plant Biology from Michigan State University. I’ve taught college-level labs and forums and coauthored several publications, including an invited paper in the prestigious journal Evolution and a chapter from UC Press.

A 5th generation Californian, I have a strong affinity for family and heritage. Today I work full time with my sister, Jill Watt, in our space at the Claremont Art Studios in Downtown San Mateo. As Artist in Residence for the Downtown Art Project, I channel San Mateo’s authentic, innovative spirit into diverse public projects that unite local artists, the community, and businesses.

Let’s find out what yarn can do.

From teaching to hacking knitting machines to publishing fresh new designs for hobbyists, my goal is to bring knitting and crochet up to date.

Come play with me! My fingers are entwined in color and I’m listening to your dreams.

xxxo,

Lorna Watt, founder of Knits for Life

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