NURIYA KHEGAY is an expert knitter based in New York. Brought up in Kazakhstan, her love of handicrafts comes from her mother. Upon moving to New York, with its cold winters, Nuriya discovered the need for comfortable, practical winter hats for small children. Nuriya sells her work online through her Etsy store, NYrika and has produced hand-knitted items for a Manhattan company selling to world-renowned designers including Donna Karan and Calvin Klein. She is the author of Monster Knits for Little Monsters.