Third Anniversary Giveaway and Interview with Natural Suburbia!

This week I'll be celebrating three years of blogging! Please join me daily for interviews and giveaways!

Linda Dawkins, who blogs at Natural Suburbia, is a knitting, spinning, pattern designing, homeschooling mama who lives in South Africa. I love to visit her blog, where she shares wonderful free patterns, colorful photos of the flora and fauna of her homeland, and her many beautiful works in progress. Linda has a Ravelry group where people can share their creations. She took the time to answer a few of my questions. Enjoy!

Tell us a bit about yourself! What is your favourite book? Music? Food? Where would you love to travel? Anything to help us "know" you better...

I am a homeschooling mom to four beautiful children and married to a lovely mountain biking man called Richard. Next month we will have been married for 17 wonderful years and I love him more each day. I can honestly say that I really love what I do. I never thought when I was younger, that I would be spinning my own wool on a spinning wheel, knitting toy animals and designing my own patterns! What I like most about my ‘job’ is that it doesn’t really feel like work at all because it gives me such joy and allows me to stay at home and be close to my family. I can also work anywhere, if we go away on holiday; my work is easily packed up and taken along with me. My fovourite book is Pride and Prejudice and I love classical music. As far as travel goes, I would love to travel to Alaska and see more of Europe one day.

What aspects of your childhood inspire your art? What did your parents do to foster artistic expression in your home, and to encourage your creativity and talent?

My mother taught me to knit when I was 5 years old. I used to always watch her while she knitted, she knitted all of our school cardigans and also knitted cricket jerseys for her brothers. I asked her to teach me and she did. She was so patient and showed me over and over again until I got it right. She also encouraged me to knit along with her when she was busy with a project and therefore I learnt quite a few complicated techniques at an early age.

 What were your favourite places to dream, read, create? And now?

I love the outdoors; this is where most of my inspiration strikes. Living in South Africa, we have many wide open spaces and plenty of wild life and this helps to fuel my creative process.

 Did you have a teacher/mentor who inspired you?

My grade 10 art teacher was wonderful! While I was at school, I looked forward to each art lesson, learning new techniques and about the history of art and the various artists. She was an inspiration.

 What advice would you give parents about giving their children room to create?

I personally feel that children should be given the freedom and the tools to be creative and parents should allow their children's creativity to develop naturally, gently guiding them along the way, allowing them to flourish in their own individuality.

And now, for today's giveaway:

Linda has generously allowed me to offer a sweet knitted horse (shown above, designed by Linda and handmade by me!) to one lucky winner! In addition, the winner will be able to choose FIVE patterns for the animals of your choice, from Linda's Etsy shop. To enter, simply leave a comment in the comments section below!

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Comments will close at 8 a.m. EST tomorrow. Comments now closed!

And the winner is: Lynne! Congratulations! Please send me an email so I can reach you and send off your little horse, as well as give details as to how to get your patterns!