Shirley Paden is a visionary knitwear designer who left her corporate career in 1990 and opened her custom hand knitting business in 1992. A self-taught artist, she transformed her love for knitting into a global movement through teaching, and publishing her acclaimed books, Knitwear Design Workshop (KDW)  including her infamous 4-Step process and KnitwearWorkshop Designs: Duets and Inspirations. Her Design-Alongs (DALs) have inspired knitters worldwide, and her work has been featured in the leading hand knitting magazines worldwide.

A dedicated advocate for slow fashion and sustainability, she emphasizes the use of natural luxury fibers and artisanal techniques, ensuring that hand-knit garments remain timeless, couture pieces.
Now, Shirley is pushing the boundaries of knitwear with Kingdoms, a project that blends theancient craft of hand-knitwear with modern technology, incorporating XR (Extended Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) into her designs and books. She is also venturing into film productionto further highlight the artistry of knitwear.

As a philanthropist, she has donated to schools to support both aspiring designers and First Generation students. She also continues to teach her renowned 4-step design methodology aswell as over 20 other knitting techniques classes.

With plans to build a couture duets label collaborating with other designers, she is on a missionto bring hand-knitwear to the forefront of fashion, proving that craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability can shape the future of design