Made by Mom Gift Guide: Rosehip Lane Knits draws international following for its handmade beanies, patterns

Jana Olecka, a native of the Czech Republic, is a long way from home, but her business, Rosehip Lane Knits, has an international following.

Posted 2:00 a.m. Dec 1, 2020 — Updated 2:00 a.m. Dec 1, 2020

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

Jana Olecka, a native of the Czech Republic, is a long way from home, but her business, Rosehip Lane Knits, has an international following.

From her north Raleigh home, which she shares with her husband, who also is from the Czech Republic, and two kids, Olecka has knitted thousands of beanies and other items and shared her patterns with fans, including on Instagram where she's racked up more than 53,000 followers.

Rosehip Lane Knits is one of the featured local businesses in Go Ask Mom's 2020 Made by Mom Gift Guide. Learn more about Olecka and her work below. And stay tuned for more Made by Mom features in the coming days.

Go Ask Mom: How did Rosehip Lane Knits get its start, and what's business been like? You have thousands of sales on Etsy!

Jana Olecka: I opened my Etsy shop in 2013, but it was a very slow start! I had no idea how to run an online shop!

GAM: What all do you offer?

JO: I offer hand knitted beanie hats for the whole family, scarves and many knitting patterns. I love using natural yarns or natural blend fiber - 100% alpaca wool, 100% wool or 100% cotton for my designs, which are mostly beanie hats, scarves or women’s tops. I get design ideas all the time, often when I walk in the woods or just out on the fresh air. Nature is my inspiration.

GAM: How has the pandemic reshaped your business?

JO: The pandemic reshaped my business greatly. I discovered quickly how many people wanted handmade cotton masks! I was sewing masks the whole spring and summer of 2020.

GAM: What do you love about what you do?

JO: I love that I can work at home while my kids are learning virtually, to be here for them when they need me.

GAM: What are your hopes for the future of your business?

JO: I hope my business will expand in the future. I love the fact that people all over the world are knitting using my patterns!

When I started sharing pictures of my work on the Instagram, people started asking me to write patterns for my designs and that is how it all started. My audience has been growing over the past few years and it makes me very thankful that I can inspire knitters around the world. This had been my great motivation for designing new products. I feel incredibly blessed.

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