Category Archives: creative lifestyle

Embracing the Transition: Fiber Crafts for a seamless summer to fall shift

I know it is still summer and it is hot right now in much of the world it seems but in the world of fiber crafts and crafts in general you have to think ahead a few months as you make things so I am now thinking fall and making things to transition to fall. Whether you are a seasoned knitter, a crochet connoisseur, or a newcomer to the world of fiber crafts, transitioning from summer to fall provides a ideal opportunity to explore new techniques and create cozy pieces to keep you warm during the cooler months ahead. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the magic of transitioning seasons through fiber crafts, exploring creative ideas and inspiring projects that bridge the gap between summer and fall.

  1. Lightweight Accessories: As the temperature starts to drop, you can ease into the fall season by crafting lightweight accessories that provide a touch of warmth without being too heavy. Consider knitting or crocheting airy scarves, shawls, and wraps using soft cotton or silk yarns. These versatile pieces can complement your summer outfits while offering an extra layer of comfort on breezy autumn days.
  2. Harvest-inspired Color Palettes: Let the changing landscape of fall inspire your fiber crafting endeavors. Draw on the rich colors of autumn leaves, pumpkin patches, and harvest fruits to select a warm and inviting color palette for your projects, incorporate shades of rust, mustard, olive, and deep burgundy into your designs, infusing your creations with the essence of the season.

3. Transitioning Garments: Take advantage of the shift in seasons to work on garments that effortlessly transition from summer to fall. Light cardigans, ponchos, and sleeveless vests are perfect for layering over your favorite summer tops and dresses. Opt for breathable fibers such as bamboo or linen blends to ensure comfort as you embrace the subtle chill in the air.

4. Fall inspired Home Decor: I refer to the picture above as an example with drink coasters. Fiber crafts aren’t limited to wearables! Spruce up your living spaces with fall-themed home decor. Create crochet or knit pillow covers featuring autumn motifs like leaves, acorns or pumpkins. Or like these fall leaf coasters to decorate your table. A cozy handmade blanket with an autumn inspired color theme will not only add warmth to your home but also imbue it with the spirit of the season.

5. Preserving Summer Memories: As summer comes to an end, why not preserve its cherished memories through fiber arts? Gather your beach or vacation photos and incorporate them into a scrapbook-style quilt or a memory blanket. Each square can represent a special moment or a unique memory, making the transition from one season to another a heartwarming journey.

6. Prepping for winter: As you transition from summer to fall, it’s the ideal time to get a head start on crafting winter essentials. Begin working on heavier scarves, mittens, and hats using luxurious wool or alpaca yarns, bison, etc. These projects will your hands busy and ensure you’re ready to face the colder months with handmade warmth.

In Conclusion:

Embracing the transition from summer to fall through fiber crafts allows you to infuse your creations with the beauty and essence of each season. Whether you’re crafting lightweight accessories, incorporating harvest-inspired colors, designing transitioning garments, adorning your home with fall decor, preserving memories or prepping for winter fiber arts offer a boundless creative outlet. So, pick up your needles or hook, select your favorite yarns, and let the changing seasons be your muse as you dive into the captivating world of fiber crafts. Happy crafting!

The Therapeutic Magic of Fiber Crafts for Seniors

In this blog post, we explore the wonderful world of fiber crafts and their positive impact on the elderly. Engaging in various fiber crafts, such as knitting, crochet, weaving, and more, can offer numerous physical, mental, and emotional benefits for seniors. Let’s delve into the therapeutic magic of fiber crafts and how they can enhance the lives of our beloved elderly community.

I recently visited my parents and my mom who used to crochet when I was younger had asked me to help her get back into crochet. Her oldest sister who is 96 now has been back into knitting the last few years making things like shawls, and now baby blankets. I have friends who all knit or crochet, etc and they have all said the same thing. The medical community also has said these activities are wonderful for so many reasons. As we get older and age takes it’s toll on things anything we can do to prolong that with crafts to help your fine motor skills and mental abilities as well as other things is a great start. Here are some of the benefits.

1. Mental Stimulation and Cognitive Benefits: Fiber crafts require focus and concentration, stimulating the brain and enhancing cognitive abilities in seniors. Learning new patterns, colors, and techniques can keep their minds sharp and agile, reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

2 Physical Dexterity and Motor Skills: The repetitive movements involved in fiber crafts help seniors maintain and improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This can be particularly beneficial for those with arthritis or other age-related conditions.

3. Stress Relief and Emotional Well-being: Crafting with fibers provides a calming and meditative experience, reducing stress and anxiety levels in seniors. It can serve as a creative outlet for expressing emotions, boosting their overall emotional well-being.

4. Social Connection and Community: Joining knitting circles, crochet groups, or weaving workshops to name a few, offer seniors the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, fostering a sense of belonging and combating feelings of isolation or loneliness.

5. Purpose and Sense of Accomplishment: Completing a fiber craft project gives seniors a sense of achievement and purpose, boosting their self-esteem and confidence. It also allows them to create meaningful gifts for loved ones or contribute to charitable causes.

6. Intergenerational bonding: Fiber crafts provide a unique opportunity for intergenerational bonding. Seniors can pass down their knowledge and skills to younger family members, creating cherished memories and strengthening family ties. As well as integrating it’s you get folks in the groups.

7. Adaptive Techniques and Inclusivity: For seniors with physical limitations, there are adaptive techniques and tools available that enable them to participate in fiber crafts. This inclusivity ensures that everyone can experience the joy of creating with fibers.

In Conclusion: Fiber crafts are more than just hobbies. They hold the power to enrich all our lives whatever the age but for seniors in numerous ways. From improving cognitive function and physical dexterity to promoting emotional well-being and social connections, these crafts offer a holistic approach to healthy aging. So, let’s all embrace the therapeutic magic of the fiber crafts and encourage our elderly loved ones to explore their creativity and passion!

I am thrilled that my mother and my aunt have done so and I personally know how it has benefited me in so many ways. Do you have a loved one or a friend that does any of the fiber crafts? I’d love to hear how it has helped them.

As the seasons change

Hello, so does anyone else feel like we were cheated out of summer? In Montana we get a short summer anyway so this year it feels doubly so with all of June being so wet and cold a lot of it. Now Aug is over and September is here. Everywhere things are transitioning to fall items like pumpkins and fall colors. When you have a handmade business like mine you have to think a few months ahead anyway. As I look to the end of the year for 2022 and starting 2023 I am deciding that I need to make some changes in my business moving forward. I am going to be adding some new products to my shop in the coming weeks and months. Also I have been looking at the option of subscription plans and what that would look like for nexusknits. If I were to offer a subscription type option for people what would it be.

The obvious one people think of is offering a video class exclusively for subscribers. Well, that may be a option in the coming year as I look at what equipment I would need to successfully take that on. I have had people ask me about that. The option though I was looking to start with is a physical product. Since I am a small, one person run business I had to come up a product that I could offer that I knew I could put together in a relatively short period of time and offer multiples of. So I am going with my stitch markers. It will be a special, monthly, exclusive stitch marker set with probably some extra goodies thrown in. The theme will be something happening in each month, whether that is a holiday that falls then or a season, etc. If it is successful then I will look at other ideas for themes. You would have a choice of deciding to buy monthly, three months, or 6, or a year. What do you think? Obviously this is meant for people who knit or crochet. These also make a wonderful gift for that special person who does too. I’m still working on the details and will give more details as it comes available. But for now I would love some feedback. Would you go for something like this? Do you subscribe to anything?

Here are some examples of new products available. The bubble tea stitch markers are in the shop now. The baby hat and bootie set will be available soon. I am also stepping it up a bit and have gotten some custom labels made for my products so to look more professional, and up to date with my brand.

As I’ve said, my goal, mission with my business and craft is to make items that bring about some connection for people. Whether it is a accessory like hats, baby items, kitchen home items, and or the stitch markers and key chain items I offer. With that in mind I am also evaluating what hasn’t been selling and adding new, fresh things. The items that haven’t sold will be donated instead to my local charities that could use them for people in need as they are still very good things just not a interest for people to buy. Yet another way I can build connections. In conclusion, as the seasons change so is my business changing in a good way. Til next time, keep making connections and take care.

Summer morning in Montana

As I sit out here on my new deck on this nice summer day, I’m reflecting on why I called my business nexusknits. What makes me a nexusknitter . Since nexus in brief means connections, making connections I have looked at what I make and especially for my business and everything I make for my business and myself can be said to have connections in mind as I make them.

I knit and crochet all the items I make in my shop. Everything I have can be made to connect with people in some way whether it is for the home or for the family. I believe that connecting with people through a handmade item is a perfect way to show you care. It’s personal and original. Each one is unique.

Thoughts this mothers day weekend

As I sit here having been listening to the rain come down this Saturday morning, the day before Mother’s Day, I’m thinking what can I do this weekend when it’s wet and the weather is unpredictable. As a crafter and a lover of handmade things I thought I might check out the handmade fair that is happening today. And then I thought I want to get some of my own crafting done this weekend while I have the time. I have lots to do before the farmers markets start in almost a month.

So, despite the rain I took my mother in law, who’s living with us, to the handmade fair and got some things from some wonderful vendors there. It would have made it a nice day to end it there and say I spent the rest of the day working on my projects but no that’s not how it ended. I ended up getting a call that had me taking my son to the er cause he has been going through a bout of depression and anxiety and felt he needed to be seen for help. He had been seeing a counselor weekly for help or a little over a month now but he needed a bit more than that I guess. So, hopefully now we will get him on the right path forward.

As a mom I struggle a little with this in not seeing the signs or thinking in some way I should have done more but I know from my experience that it is not the case. I have to commend both my kids as they have gone through their struggles with mental health that they have had the strength and knowledge to know and reach out for the help that is available.

So, on this Mother’s Day weekend I would say it is more of a reflective time for me. No big gifts from my kids and happy time. It is more a time to realize that there are things in life that even a mom cannot fix with just a hug. My kids know that I will always support them and I am here for them in whatever they need but I also realize that I can’t always fix every problem they may have. As much as I would love to.

On a side note, as a knitter I was thinking as we were sitting in the er waiting for them to figure out what best to do for him I was kicking myself because this was the one time I didn’t have a project in my bag to work on. I could have gotten so much done at the time. So I vowed from now on to make sure I always have something to do in those moments when life happens to through you a curve ball. For those new moms out there that might read this, welcome to motherhood. It is a roller coaster ride of emotions for the rest of your life I will say and it never stops. But one I would not change.

The last thing I would say about this weekend is I am grateful for my craft I have cause it is my safe place. It helps me through these bumpy ride sections and curve balls that come. As well as the smooth parts of the ride. Happy Mother’s Day. Til next time, I will be crafting on through it all.

Spring in Montana

Hi folks, so I’m sitting at my desk right now working on some scrubbies and items for my shop on this Saturday morning and looking outside my window at the birds eating and there is a mix of snow and rain coming down this morning. It’s actually been going on since yesterday too. Though yesterday was more rain. This is more snow. It’s 34 degrees outside. This is what we deal with in spring in Montana. A mix of winter and spring. How is your spring?

What it is like right now outside

I have to say that lately I have been struggling a bit to stay motivated this time of year. My work gets busy as a essential worker in a grocery store and then to find the energy to work on my own stuff and get content out. I know I am not the only one. But I am trying to push through it. I do have some new products in mind that I think you will love. New things in the works. But for now, it’s just I need to find my mojo back a bit. That’s it for now, til next time, hope you have a nice spring weekend where you are and have a great creative day.

New logo

Hello, I am so excited to debut my new logo that has been finished now. I feel it really represents my brand and where I live that gives me the inspiration to do what I do. As you know I live in Montana as I’ve shown pictures of it many times. The snow capped mountains are beautiful and give me inspiration for making hats and warm things for families. I also live in a community that cares for artists and small business owners and supports them. So it is encouraging as well. I believe my new logo represents all of that. Let me know what you think.

New logo of nexusknits

I make things for families and home goods hence the house to house theme and I live in area surrounded by beautiful mountains. All of that made with yarn. This is the new face of my business and I will be changing over all my social media outlets to this. Don’t get me wrong, I love the design my daughter did for me to begin with. But moving forward in my business I decided I needed to step it up a bit.

It is still April and with April brings people thinking of cleaning typically and organizing. I got you covered with that by some of my products such as washcloths and scrubbies. I just updated some photos for the scrubbies on the website.

Knitting and crochet has always been a outlet for me to connect whether it is to reflect or unwind or connect with people like when I was teaching classes on them both. Recently I have been helping a coworker learn how to knit and it reminded me of the joy I get in showing someone how to do the craft I love. I’ve had numerous people tell me I should make some videos too. At first I thought there are more than enough videos out there for it but it has been something I have been contemplating, who knows, maybe 2022 is the year for more firsts. We shall see. But for now, happy Easter if you celebrate it or happy Passover if that is your choice. I have family that celebrates both. I will be back for more and you can be assured I will be knitting and crochet this weekend too. Take care til next time

Spring time in Montana

Hello, as I sit here thinking of what to write this morning I am looking out at blue sky and listening to my chimes outside lightly playing as the wind is picking up. It is currently 37 degrees outside here in Bozeman and it is not expected to get much warmer through the day. Yesterday it got up to mid seventy’s. This is spring in Montana. Where one day it is beautiful and warm and the next be cold and dreary at times. Spring here is kind of two seasons, lingering winter like temps and some spring like temps.

For me as a crafter what that means is I can still make hats and shawls and things but also look toward warmer weather and make things with cotton. I am also now in the mode of thinking of and preparing for the upcoming season of farmers markets and selling in person as well as online. I’m getting excited to show off my new brand coming together that I believe will really express where I live and create and what I do. Where I live gives me inspiration to create.

An example of a beautiful spring day view
A new washcloth

Here is a picture of a new washcloth I just finished this morning. It uses a cotton yarn that is a mix of cotton and a scrubby style yarn. So it gives sections of scratchy and soft. Depending on how you like your washcloths this gives you a combo to try. I would say it would be good for the kitchen and the bath if you are the kind that like a bit of scrub for cleaning your face too. What do you think? Would you buy a washcloth like this? I would love to know.

Springtime also inspires me to add more colors to my palette. I love color and this time always makes me happy to see the new growth and colorful flowers and green grass starting to come out. What inspires you about spring? Til next time, stay positive and enjoy the time you are in.

Rebranding of company

It is now the end of March believe it or not of 2022 and before we get further into the year I decided that i need to get working on my goals I had set. One of which is to move my business forward this year. Part of doing that is changing things up to help improve my footprint. I love my look though that my daughter came up with for me but I feel like the time is right to give it a bit more professional look and something that really shows more of what nexusknits is. So I’ve hired a professional designer to come up with a brand that says this and am excited to see what she comes up with. I will be debuting that in the coming weeks. I will also be updating my product photos as well to make it all connected. These will be across both my platforms.

Spring is here and it gives me a sense of freshness and renewal. A great time to bring about some change.

A beautiful view of the Bridger
mountains from near my house.

With spring and the changing up of my space I also have looked at some of my patterns and changed up at least one. This hat pattern featured the half double herringbone stitch in crochet. It still does but I have changed the start for increases and alternating the pattern for the body of the hat. I’m calling this one spring flowers for the color palette. It makes me think of flowers coming up. What do you think?

Spring flowers hat. Pattern by nexusknits

In conclusion, there will be lots changes coming in the coming months and all being good. Let’s all spring forward and bring new life in our lives whatever that means for you. Til next time, keep crafting and connecting.