Nimki Creatives: Jaime Dorfman's Journey to becoming a knitwear designer

Introducing Jaime Dorfman, a 25-year-old knitwear designer, content creator and proud feminist from Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). Jaime has an eye for all things crafty and colourful. We first crossed paths when she walked into our Northcote store wearing a vibrant, hand-knitted jumper that she whipped up herself. We were instantly impressed and had to learn more!


Though Jaime has always embraced her creative side, it wasn’t until after finishing school that she discovered her passion for making clothes. She kicked things off with crochet, but during COVID, she took a leap into knitting. Soon after, Jaime began sharing her colourful, one-of-a-kind designs with the online knitting community, and just like that, Jaime Creates was born.


Fast forward to now, and Jaime has published her debut book, Fast and Fabulous Knits. But her passion goes beyond knitting; she’s an advocate for conscious consumption and sustainability. For Jaime, knitting isn’t just a hobby—it’s a mindful practice and a way to push back against fast fashion. 


We had the pleasure of sitting down with Jaime to chat about her journey, inspiration and her top tips for beginners looking to dive into the world of knitting. Plus, she shares what’s next on her creative horizon. So grab your favourite cup of tea (and maybe some yarn and needles ☺️) and settle in... you're in for a treat!

Jaime Dorfman wearing one of her designs with a bright pink decore behind her
Photographed by Alexandrena Parker

Could you introduce yourself a bit & tell us three fun facts about you?

I'm Jaime ☺️ I'm a 24-year-old knitwear designer/fibre artist/author/content creator from Naarm/Melbourne, where I was born and have lived my whole life. Growing up I was heavily involved in the performing arts, I loved (and still do love) to sing and I was a competitive dancer for most of my teenage years, so you could say I've always been a creative person! I'm probably a little too chronically online for my own good, I've been a huge Swiftie since 2009 (before it was cool) and just generally love music and all things pop-culture. I'm also a big reality TV fan, my favourite show being Survivor, and have watched most seasons of the US, Australian and South African versions. 

Finish this sentence. My happy place is....

The most beautiful yarn store cafe in Copenhagen called Woolstock. There's just simply nothing better than sitting for a cup of coffee and having a knit surrounded by yarn!

How did your journey into becoming a knitwear designer start?

I first learned to crochet in 2018, and then picked up knitting about a year or so later. It started out as a hobby that was very helpful in managing my (at the time undiagnosed) ADHD and was a great way to help get me through online uni during COVID. But by late 2020, it had developed into something I wanted to take more seriously, which was when I started properly sharing my work on social media and engaging with the online knitting community. Around this time, I was also having fun experimenting with freehanding projects, rather than following patterns or tutorials as I had always done in the past, and this provided a whole new way to push myself creatively, which I found really fulfilling. As my Instagram started gaining more traction, people began asking me if I would release patterns for some of my designs and I thought "why not?" I wrote and released my first few knitting patterns in 2021 whilst also juggling uni, work and being the Chairperson of an organisation I volunteered for at the time, which is kind of crazy looking back and I honestly don't know how I had time for it all. 


Learning how to write and grade patterns was a little overwhelming at first and took a while before I felt truly confident in my skills, but I grew to really love it and it's been so cool to see people using my patterns to create pieces for their own wardrobe that they will love and cherish. 

Jaime Dorfman wearing one of her designs jumping on a bed with a colourful backdrop above the bed head
Photographed by Alexandrena Parker

I've seen people using my patterns to knit pieces to wear for special moments in their life such as weddings, baby showers, concerts etc. which is such an honour and will never not blow my mind.

How did you develop your style?

I find this question a little difficult to answer as I wouldn't say I have a super distinct design style, at least I don't see it that way. I want my work to elicit feelings of joy so I've always been drawn towards a bright and fun colour palette, and I would say pastels are my favourite colours to work with and wear. I would say my designs have a modern and youthful quality, which is probably due to the fact that I am (and always have been) primarily just making things that I will want to wear myself. I love experimenting with different stitches and textures, so my knitting style can be a bit all over the place in that sense because I get bored if I'm doing too much of the same thing (thanks ADHD), but it keeps things fun and interesting for me and means I'm learning something new with almost every project I do!

What is it about knitting & designing that you love?

The feeling of being able to make your own clothes is indescribable.



It's just so satisfying to be able to tell people "I made it" when they ask where you got your jumper, and I obviously enjoy the meditative and creative process of knitting just as much as I enjoy reaping the benefits of my work. 

Jaime wearing one of her colourful jumper designs
Photographed by Alexandrena Parker

When it comes to designing, the whole process from having an idea, to turning it into a physical garment, to writing the instructions and then seeing others make their own versions is incredibly rewarding. I've also seen people using my patterns to knit pieces to wear for special moments in their life such as weddings, baby showers, concerts etc. which is such an honour and will never not blow my mind.

On the flip side.... What has been your biggest challenge thus far?

I've never considered myself to be a maths person. It was never my strong suit and I certainly never thought I'd end up needing it in my career, but low and behold there's actually a fair bit of maths involved with knitting, especially when it comes to designing, writing and grading patterns. At times I've felt disadvantaged as it doesn't come naturally to me at all, but I've ultimately accepted that it's unavoidable and something I need to embrace if I want to continue to grow and improve as a designer. 

Where do you go to for inspiration?

It's different every time but the main places would be Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, markets, retail stores etc. so nothing super out of the ordinary. My design process will often start with a stitch or a colour palette that I like and then I'll just go from there and decide what type of garment I want to make out of it.

Jaime Dorfman wearing one of her designs featuring two shades of pink with lip mirrors behind her
Photographed by Alexandrena Parker

What is your advice for someone who is just starting out?

If you're wanting to write your own knitting patterns but don't know where to start, I highly recommend the blog Sister Mountain! She has incredible resources for pattern writing that I still use to this day and are so helpful. I'd also say that a huge aspect of designing, especially when trying something new, is trial and error. Unravelling your work (aka 'frogging') is inevitable sometimes, and although it can be super frustrating, it's important to just embrace it as part of the process.

What has been your most recent proud/ pinch-yourself moment?

My first book Fast and Fabulous Knits coming out. I worked on the book for a year, but it still feels so surreal to say that I am a published author and I don't think it's really hit me yet. The book has 18 brand new knitting patterns that cater towards a range of skill levels and cover a range of techniques, and is filled with bright, colourful, fun pictures taken by my phenomenal photographer Alexandrena Parker. This book has been my baby/passion project/entire personality for the past year and a half, and I'm just so incredibly proud of it and am so excited that it's finally out in the world for others to enjoy!

Is there a project coming up that you're excited about?

I have been working behind the scenes on a few exciting projects which I’ve mostly had to keep a secret, but one of them has actually just been announced! I have a written a pattern called the Chloe Sweater that will be included in an upcoming book from Laine Publishing, 52 Weeks of Chunky Knits, which is now available for pre-order and will be out on November 8th! To be recognised by a publication that is so well loved and respected in the knitting world is such an honour and a dream come true. I feel so lucky and grateful to have been afforded such incredible opportunities - none of which would have been possible without the social media support I’ve received over the last few years, and I’m so excited to share everything else I’ve been working on soon! 

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