Inside: Learn about Kristen Mangus of GoodKnit Kisses. Includes history, inspiration and the mission and vision of GKK.
Hi I’m Kristen Mangus with GoodKnit Kisses. Thanks for stopping by!
I am a designer who loves to loom knit, needle knit and crochet. My passion is teaching others to craft through tutorial videos on YouTube and my Facebook live broadcasts and group. My motto is, “Stitch your love and love your stitches.” I want you to be able to put your love into each project by giving you the skills you need to succeed in your craft. I design each pattern and tutorial to teach you not only what to do, but why so you can increase your crafting knowledge. I live in the beautiful state of Texas with my husband, our three kids and two hyper pups.
Please use and share this site as a FREE resource for your crafting community.
To purchase GoodKnitKisses patterns, please visit my Etsy shop or look for my patterns on Ravelry.com. Your purchases help support me and allow me to continue to provide FREE video tutorials. Thank you!
Have fun and Happy Crafting!
Mission Statement:
To inspire, encourage and empower people through education and design.
Vision Statement:
Our vision is to leave an inspired crafting world for future
generations that continues to teach and reach others.
About Kristen Mangus
Kristen’s History:
Kristen Mangus studied Interior Design at Texas Christian University which was FIDER accredited. Graduating in 1999 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Interior Design Kristen also received a minor in Lighting for Visual Presentation. Studies in Lighting required extra training in school and with professionals in retail design, stage & theatre, Dance/ Ballet and hospitality (hotels and art display). Kristen is highly skilled in space planning, forecasting for future challenges and tackling now as well as problem solving for current challenges. Kristen sat for her NCIDQ examination and passed in 2001 and has been a registered Interior Designer with the State of Texas since 2002.
In college Kristen had picked up a job at MJDesigns (was after the split from Michaels MJ Designs; they became two different companies). In a bit of trivia, Kristen was on their sand volleyball team and help win the company a championship trophy! She worked in the floral department churning out custom bows for clients from the hair-bow, to packages to huge car bows! This was fun for her as she even crafted in high school making mums for Homecoming for extra cash with her mom as well as hair bows and jewelry. In junior high and high school Kristen called her crafting business Kristen’s Krafts!
At MJDesigns she learned more about the crafts she used to enjoy as a kid and designing floral arrangements as well. She went on to pick up several side crafting gigs after leaving MJDesigns including Wedding floral designs and planning. She called that business Angelbearries Floral Designs and alway had that entrepreneurial spirit. Kristen had also learned as a child to crochet a bit from her great Aunt and self-taught how to finger knit, latch hook and plastic canvas. However she didn’t pick up any other yarn skills until married with children.
Inspiration to Knit:
When experiencing the pains of postpartum depression after her third child in 2010, Kristen decided to pick up knitting and crochet books and learn as a form of crafting therapy. The books came in and she studied them feeling a bit overwhelmed. Onward then, to a late night trip to Walmart, Kristen happened upon a set of Knifty Knitter looms and thought…this looks easier! Having carpel tunnel at the time meant the looms should be less strenuous and they were! She found the directions were not as great as they should be and was disappointed with the designs. “Why can’t loom patterns look like needle versions?!”, she thought. And so her journey started from there. In 2011 Kristen Mangus started the YouTube channel for GoodKnit Kisses (known as GoodKnitKisses on YT). It has been quite a journey so far and through having 3 kids, a full time career, then YouTube at night it finally became time to jump all the way in.
In late August 2014 Kristen Mangus left her job and took the leap of staying home with her kids and working on GoodKnit Kisses YouTube full time.
It’s been a wonderful ride since that time and GoodKnit Kisses has grown by leaps and bounds. Over the years Kristen has filmed hundreds of video tutorials, designed dozens of patterns for loom knitters, needle knitters and crocheters, been featured on Knit & Crochet Now, HSN and written several publications about loom knitting.
Heather Russell
Wednesday 9th of October 2024
Where can I get the 5/8th inch large gauge loom with 63 pegs to make the easygoing sweater? I have looked at many loom makers but no 63 peg looms
Ladene M. Bourne
Sunday 28th of July 2024
Do people in other countries do loom knitting as we do?
K
Saturday 22nd of June 2024
I am a regular sewer; I have several sewing machines. I often sew on my Bernina (a vintage machine from the 1970s), though I also use a Janome machine I received as a Mother's Day gift from when my adult kids were little nippers. I saw a video of you sewing the ten-minute table runner pattern on YouTube, and I was floored when I saw that you have an old White sewing machine! I have my mother-in-law's old White sewing machine; she bought it in 1976, and it was given to me upon her passing. I do love and treasure it. However, I need help with the machine. I have had it tuned up and oiled, but getting it be threaded adequately is a trick, and then getting it to sew without seeming to jam up the thread is a trick. It might be a timing issue? I'm still determining. I have the original direction book that came with the machine and several extra printouts that we (my husband and I) found online that are additional instruction pages for the machine. I was wondering if, as the owner of a vintage White sewing machine yourself (mine is blue and white as well!), you might have some ideas on how I can fix the machine so I can sew on it regularly or can tell me any tips, hints, tricks or web sites I may be able to visit for additional advice? I know you must be swamped with work as a business owner, but any advice you could share would be appreciated! Many thanks for considering my request.
Barbara Schladitz
Tuesday 4th of June 2024
I have a suggestion for a project that I hope will interest you. I need your talent and training to bring life to this simple idea. I hope you will contact me.
Carmel
Thursday 11th of April 2024
Thank you so much for your videos. I am new to crochet and your step by step instructions are great. I have trouble remembering the technical terms. Can you kindly post an easy baby blanket