The 900 Kilometers Scarf

I used to have a full time knitwear design job.
I would design and release knitwear collections seasonally and knit all of the pieces myself, by hand, one stitch at a time.

(You can see some past collections here, here and here if you like)

I gave it up a few years ago in pursuit of other ventures, but lately I’ve been missing creating things with my hands so I’ve been knitting a few pieces again here and there.

I had the pleasure of knitting this commissioned one-of-a-kind piece while I was in Ireland. Inspired by the rolling green landscapes and the 900 or so kilometers driven over the course of a week.

Knitting is a thing I’ve done for almost twenty years of my life and you just can’t shake that kind of engrained motion.

Perhaps more knitwear work will be in my future down one of these roads somewhere...

See more posts on Ireland HERE.

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A New Venture

I shared over the weekend that I will be having a trunk show at Quirk Gallery on October 1st.
I wanted to share a little more about what this trunk show represents for me.

I've been working intentionally over the past year or so on my education in regards to my knitwear designing and being more involved in the process and construction of a garment.
I've been going on various visits and tours of farms (which you can read more about in Farm Days posts More coming soon!) and learning about shearing, processing, and spinning wool into the end product (yarn) that I'm used to working with.  
It's been such en enlightening and gratifying experience. 
To know that I'm able to take a natural and God given resource and within my own abilities and resources, turn it into something that's able to be enjoyed and used by others for (hopefully) generations to come is really satisfying. 

The idea for this new venture into this kind of knitwear came from my pursuits and interest in recent years into the art of slow, mindful and intentional living. 

What was I consuming? What was I allowing into my life? What was I saying, unknowingly or otherwise, with the things that I used and wore and bought on a daily basis?
I not only wanted to practice more mindfulness in these areas in my every day life, but also find a way to embody that in my art. 

I’ve been knitting for about 17 years, and designing collections for a living for four of those years. However it wasn’t until I started pursuing a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle as well as educating myself on fast fashion, that I thought about how my knitwear played into that. I realized I had no idea how the yarn I used for my collections was made, where it came from, what effect it had on the environment or even whose pocket my dollar was going into when I bought it. 
That, along with attending a local fiber festival and learning how to spin yarn, set into motion my pursuit of being involved in every phase possible of the construction of a piece of my knitwear.
If I don’t personally source the wool from a farm I’ve visited during my travels or built a relationship with, take it to the mill to be processed, process it in my own home or spin it into yarn myself, I take great lengths to make sure the yarn is sourced and made by a similar minded fiber artist.

While it’s my dream to one day learn how to shear sheep myself and maybe even own a few, I am content with being as much involved in the process of the “sheep to shawl” idea of my knitwear as I can be in this current season of my life as I live in the city. 

I’ve also been experimenting and learning about the incredible art of natural dying and will occasionally add that as an element to a special piece. Collecting flowers, lichen, moss, plants, and other found materials to form dyes that only add to the beauty that can be created when using natural resources.

As a result of this process, each piece is one-of-a-kind and a work of art in and of itself. 
Each carries with it a story that has many chapters, each of which is very much apart of me and my journey as not only a knitwear designer but a traveler, photographer, and an artist.

I'm excited to share this next phase with you guys. So many of you, my dear family and friends, have been such a huge part of this becoming and evolution in these pursuits and passions of mine.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I couldn't do it without you.

xo

P.s. I've been working on a video to showcase the story of processing a fleece start to finish at the fiber mill so keep an eye out for that coming soon!

One-Of-A-Kind

So last week I released The Classics Collection, which was part 1 of 2 in regards to the new direction I'm going with my knitwear. Many of you might have been thinking, "part one? What does that mean...?" Well today I get to tell you.

This part, part two, is an aspect of my business that's been in the works for some time now. One that I've had in the back of my mind as a dream and a possibility for so long I don't really remember how or when it started.
I would mention it off handedly to those closest to me, trying to curb my over enthusiasm for this idea I had that I just couldn't shake, wanting to give it my full attention but needing to let it marinate for just a little bit longer.
To say I've been over-the-moon excited about sharing this is an understatement. 

It starts with the phrase: One-of-a-kind.
AKA: OOAK.

These pieces are inspired by...
the places i’ve been,
the people i’ve met,
the words i’ve read,
the images i’ve created.

All of which are unique, to themselves, their own, one-of-a-kind. 
Much like you are.

I believe that your clothing, what you wear, says a lot about you.
It adds to your story, your make-up, who you are as an individual.

And so, shouldn’t those pieces in and of themselves hold a story all their own?
I think so.
That’s why my knitwear is one-of-a-kind. 
Each design is a piece of art.
Each piece tells a story. 
Of a person. A place. An experience. An idea.
When you own one of these pieces you are the only one to own it.
Aside from me, the creator, you hold it’s story. 
You are now the caretaker of it’s story. 
And it, in turn, becomes a part of yours.
The Stories The Things We Own Tell.
I think they're terribly important, though often overlooked. 
I find that the things we invest in are the things we cherish and value most. Which in turn speaks to what kind of individual we are. What we put stock in. Who we want to be.
At least so is the case for me. 

This is not a new concept for me. 
At least not in the story telling aspect. My designs and the pieces I create often come with their own story. 
"I was knitting this when..."
"I got the idea for this piece from this photo I shot here in..."
"I picked up this yarn there during my travels and I made a..."
"I was on the road and day dreaming out the window and all of a sudden..."
My travels bring together, for me, my two biggest passions: Knitting and photography.
I'm rarely anywhere without knitting in my bag, or a camera (even if it's just my iPhone), everywhere I go I find some yarn to add to The Travel Blanket and the places I see, stories I hear and people I meet always seep into my work in one way or another. 

There's value in scarcity. Individuality. Uniqueness. 

So in addition to The Classics Collection, there will be a rotating selection of OOAK knitwear.
As inspiration strikes, as my suitcase become filled with yarn from far and away and as I find new stories to tell.

Stay tuned for the first piece hitting the the shop soon.

Photos by Meagan Abell

Shop Update

So today I have an announcement to make in regards to the shop!
The current lines, On The Road and Gypsy Soul, are going to be pulled from the shop come the beginning of October to make way for an exciting renovation and new direction for my knitwear! I'm really excited about where I'm going with this and I can't wait to share more with you guys. I will say it is defintely going to be very different from what I have going on with my knits now though. 
So, all of that to say, if there's been a piece you've been eyeing (like maybe this one? Or this one? Or even this one?), now's the time to get it because it won't be available come fall!

And if you live in RVA you can actually head to Pop Secret, a pop up shop that Bizarre Market is putting on over at Big Secret during the UCI bike races the 17th-27th of this month! Some of my knits will be there as well as a bunch of other cool local designers pieces! So definitely check that out if you're in the area.
Otherwise, head to the shop to check out the knits there and get your hands on some before they're discontinued. And I mean hey, Christmas is right around the corner, you could get some shopping done early! Or, you know, just treat yourself. ;)

A Commissioned Piece

A few months ago I was commissioned by a bride to make some free form art pieces to be a part of her wedding decor. I loved working on this commission so very much and completely fell in love with the final pieces. I have some plans for expanding upon these in the future, so we'll see where that goes, but for the record I'm open to any further commissions along these lines!
Feel free to shoot me an email for more info. 

Christmas In July Sale

This is a post just to let you know that for the rest of July I am offering 20% off all orders placed in the shop with the code: CHRISTMASINJULY

So head on over and treat yourself to something pretty! Like maybe this, or this or even this.
Or maybe get an early start on buying those Christmas gifts?
Never hurts to plan ahead... It'll be here before you know it. ;)
 

The Travel Blanket

The Travel Blanket is a project that I started sometime in 2011. 
It's one of my most treasured possessions. I love this thing more than... well, a lot of things. 
I can be rather materialistic.
Not so much in the way that I'm constantly shopping, getting the newest and next best thing or even hoarding stuff (though I have my moments), but there are some possessions I have that just mean the world to me. Things I love that have become a part of who I am in a way. The things we own tend to tell stories I think. Those stories are often of us. Who we are, where we've been, what we like doing, what we deem important at various points in our lives. 
This is intrinsically true of The Travel Blanket. 

I have purchased yarn from almost everywhere I've traveled to over the past 4 years or so. With some exceptions of course, I'm often in a place too short of a time, or the nearest yarn shop is too far away. But that's rare, because buying yarn wherever I go is a priority that's topped only, maybe, by eating. And that's probably mostly only because I'm often with other people during my travels and I have to be considerate and realize that, you know, they might want to purchase lunch before driving an hour to the nearest yarn shop.... 
In fact, whenever I have a trip planned, one of the first things I do is google yarn shops. I find the most popular one in the area, or one that just looks interesting to me, or the one that I can walk to. 
So yea. It's a priority.

People often ask me how I choose yarn for the blanket.
For starters, I always go to a proper local yarn shop, not a craft store. Craft stores just don't know what they're doing in the way of quality yarn. The Travel Blanket demands a more one-of-a-kind (and often 4x as expensive...) sort of yarn. I often find something unique, hand dyed, hand spun and/or exclusive to just that part of the world. 
And from there... well, I choose a yarn that reminds me of the place I'm in. The things I saw there, the people I met, the things I did and experienced.
I sometimes have company on these little field trips, and they often think "oh, you just need like one skein right? We'll be in and out in no time". 
They quickly learn.
Of course, anyone who's ever visited a yarn shop with me once usually doesn't opt for accompanying me a second time. I don't know if I've ever spent less than a half hour, at minimum, in a new yarn shop. Heck, who am I kidding, even an old yarn shop I've been to heaps of times. It's just physically impossible for me. You can bet that if you drop me off and leave me with no time constraints or places I have to eventually be, I will pretty much just stay there until they kick me out. 
But yea. I don't usually know what I want until I see it. And seeing it can take at least a good half hour if not a full hour. 
I mean, I have to touch everything and hang out with it for a good long while obviously. And I almost always befriend the shop owner, and/or the other customers (who are generally about three times my age. What can I say, I'm an old soul) and we can talk about all kinds of fiber goodness for absolute ages.  
Not to mention I rarely buy yarn just for the blanket. I usually pick up a few other skeins that always end up catching my fancy (much to the dismay of my credit card). Besides, there's quite a shortage of good quality yarn shops here in Richmond (which is pretty much the biggest tragedy ever. I've watched about three or four now slowly close one by one over the years) so when I come across a good one I take advantage of it. 

Anyway.
That's pretty much how it goes. 
I'm not really sure what I'm going to do when it gets too big to even be classified as a blanket anymore... I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Maybe I'll make a more elaborate twin. The Travel Blanket 2.0
But I don't know if it could ever really be as good as the original.
This blanket has so many memories and stories woven into it.
It's a different kind of scrapbook of my travels. A tangible and collaborative ongoing souvenir from so many of my wanderings.
I think I mostly love it simply because of that to be honest. 

Photos by the talented Meagan Abell

For The Brides

The Oversized Chunky Knit Sweater Shrug was one of my most popular designs from my first knitwear collection. Additionally, over the past two years, I've been so pleased to find that there have been several brides who have wanted to wear it on their wedding day! 
So I finally just decided to make a special listing for just that. For all you lovely gals who are newly engaged and soon to be married, this one's for you.  

You can now purchase The Wedding Shrug here!

Photos courtesy of Dylan and Sara from Liz and Jonny's stunning wedding.