Fiber lover – thenexusknitter

Looking back on 2025/Moving forward

What can I say about 2025. 2025 has been a difficult year to say the least. On a personal as well as business level. Trying to get past all the negative things that are happening it seems on a daily basis and remembering the good can be difficult. But, I am choosing to try to focus on the things that bring me joy and are positive in my life. Nexusknits, my business is one of those things. Providing a handmade product for someone in person or online, Also helping someone learn a new craft like knit or crochet is also a joy for me. I know the effects this craft has on me and my friends. It is literally a lifeline for me.

I finished out the year attending three markets in person selling some of my products for the holidays. They weren’t bad. I did well at two out of three of them. Not as good as I hoped, but good. I have definitely seen the effects of our economy being at a struggle as it is. Being a small business owner as I am it has hurt my business for sure with what our current government has done. I am trying to adjust and hope for some positive changes in the new year.

There are going to be some changes. I am currently going through my studio and office area and getting rid of things that don’t bring me joy or feel that I am not going to get used in the near future. I am also going through the products that I sell online and evaluating what is selling and what isn’t. And what I decide to make new I am making with more intention. I am also trying some new things like utilizing more social media to increase sales by adding a TikTok shop as well. You will soon be able to get some products on there as well.

I will continue to have my shop on Etsy as that is the site most people think of still to buy handmade. Though, I would still like to encourage people to give Goimagine another look if you haven’t yet. It has only been around the internet for a few years but continues to increase its reach each year. I have my own site powered by them and you can find me there as well on their main site. Just look up nexus knits. One main goal for this new year is I hope to drive more traffic to my shop, nexusknits. Purchasing one of my products there versus on Etsy helps give something to charities in need that help children. In the coming months I will be doing some updates to my site and adding new things.

These are some of the goals for the new year. Personally I am also going to remember to take care of myself first both physically and mentally. Do you have goals or intentions that you would like to see happen in this new year? I would love to know. Til next time, be mindful and craft on.

Transition from maker to creator

As someone who has loved the fiber arts and crafts for years I have always looked to other people’s patterns and designs to make things. Admiring their work and always lately questioning myself on whether or why didn’t I come up with that. I look at myself as a creator I think still cause I am making the item out of yarn I have or have bought for it, even though I didn’t actually make the pattern itself.

But most recently as I reflect on my business of nexusknits which is all about making connections with my handmade items to people, I am at a point where I feel like I have built the skills in my craft and confident in my abilities to say I can do that. I can take the next step and create my own designs and patterns and truly be the creator in the full sense of the word. So what does that mean, going from handmade maker to creator. Let’s dive into it a bit more.

For many of us who knit or crochet, the journey starts with following someone else’s pattern, we browse Ravelry, Pinterest, or Etsy, to name a few, Download a beautiful design, gather our yarn, and start stitching away. It’s comforting to have every step laid out- and the security of knowing the finished project will look just like the picture.

I still love making designs from other people’s patterns, some of who I call friends. I just feel like I am ready to venture out and try making my own as well.

The shift in mindset

At first designing your own patterns can seem intimidating. Patterns have always been the guidebook, the safety net- without them, it’s easy to worry about making mistakes or getting it wrong. But the truth is, mistakes often lead to your best creative breakthroughs.

When you create your own patterns, you move from executing instructions to expressing ideas. You start thinking about:

Function – what do I want this piece to do? Is is decorative, wearable, or practical?

Aesthetic – which stitches, colors, and textures speak to my style?

Structure – How can I shape this fabric into the form I envision?

It’s no longer about duplicating someone else’s vision – it’s about building your own.

There’s a learning curve that comes with this. A trial and error I would say. I I initially started with a washcloth since I make so many and thought that would be safe to do. I had to take notes and write down my process, the stitches I used, the counts, measurements, what hook or knitting needles I used. Having them written down helped me to be able to go back and make it again. Also if I decide down the road that I might tweak it or add some things.

The Rewards of creating your own:

Creative freedom- no limits on stitches, shapes, or colors.

A unique voice – your work starts to carry a signature style that’s yours alone.

Skill growth – Designing forces you to understand the “why” behind every stitch.

The joy of Originality – That special pride when you look at your work and think, this came entirely from me.

Couple things I have been finding out as I dive into this next phase of my craft is start small, it’s ok to make mistakes and frog it out and start over. Everybody has. Document everything. Whether I decide to eventually look at publishing these patterns or not it is important to me to have it down. So what does it feel like to go from maker to designer.

The first time you hold something in your hands that exists only because you imagined it – not because you followed a pattern – it’s magic. And the best part? Once you take that leap, there’s no going back. You’ll start to see patterns everywhere. In nature, architecture, textiles, and realize you have the skills to bring them to life.

I started with a washcloth that is crochet since I have more confidence in my skills there. And like the magic of turning roving wool into yarn is with spinning, making your own pattern and creating it is like no their feeling. I’m working on a hat idea now. The nice thing with this craft is there is an endless amount of possibilities ahead. So I will leave with this, what inspires you to take a new leap in life? Til next time, be kind to yourself and craft on.

thoughts of evolving

Believe it or not we are half way through this year already. It has got me thinking now for a while about where do I want my business to go and am I satisfied with my business as it stands now.

That is the big question. Where do I see nexus knits going now and in the future. I started my business because I loved making things for my family and thought maybe other people might like them too. It has been growing over the years since I started on Etsy and then moved into selling at markets in person and now in the last few years added being a part of Goimagine. But I also see my business as not just selling my items that I make but also helping others to create things themselves by teaching. Sharing my experience with others. I started by teaching classes at Michaels when I worked at my local store. Then onto teaching at the public library where I live in Bozeman Montana. Then the pandemic hit and everything shut down in person. In the last couple of years since we have slowly gotten back to teaching in person again at the library.

Which brings me to the latest concept. I watch a lot of YouTube videos both being tutorial types and just conversations about various things. A lot of what I watch has to do with the fiber arts in some form whether its people I love talking about their yarn and or life having to do with crafts, or other things. I have also had quite a few people mention to me and ask me if I would do a YouTube video as well for tutorials on crochet /knitting. At first I was dismissing it because I knew there was a lot of people out there already doing that and they didn’t need me adding to the mix. Though lately, in the last few months, I have pondered the idea again and slowly started to look again at what it would take for me to maybe start that myself. The first thought was I don’t have the time to devote to this too. But I think that was just an excuse and not a real good one as I can make the time if I really want to do it. The only other factor is what more equipment would I need to be able to do this. And the cost of it. Turns out I can start this fairly easily without a whole lot of extra equipment to begin with. I just need to get my confidence up and just start.

Do I see this as another avenue to make money? Not really. At least not for right now. But, who knows. I had a gal yesterday that had come up to my booth and had said she was a new knitter and had recently asked the gals at my local yarn shop for some help and they were not helpful at all. She was wondering if I could help her. She was not able to join our times at the library to come in then, so I gave her my card and told her I would be happy to meet up with her sometime and try to help her. She was even willing to pay me for my time. It reminded me then about what the name of my business really means. Nexusknits. Making connections with handmade goods. I have deemed myself a nexus knitter and for me my teaching and helping others with the love of my craft is also a way of making connections.

In conclusion, I see my business, Nexusknits, evolving or expanding if you will to being not just a business of selling handmade items with knit or crochet but also helping and educating others to be able to experience the joy I get from these crafts as well and in turn that is also making connections. The future holds lots of opportunities and Im not sure what will happen but I willing to try and take the steps to see. I will take you along for the journey if you like and let you know when the next steps happen. Come along for the ride if you want. Til next time, stay well and happy crafting.

Daily life of a fiber lover

Hello, this blog post I thought I would put into words how I go about my day as a lover of everything related to the natural and synthetic fibers. Meaning yarn and wool, etc. With these days of being self quarantined and staying home more, my life has not really changed too dramatically. It just means more time for me to do my craft of knitting and crochet. I have just been using more of my stash of yarn lately. Though I have to say I have still bought more. I have done items for myself and family as well as for my business of nexus knits. With the future of the farmers markets up in the air right now for this summer I have been working to get my items I normally sell at those venues online in the shop in case I am not able to sell in person.

I work part time for MIchaels crafts store here in Bozeman as well in the mornings so am still surrounded by crafts. How do I find inspiration you might ask? Sometimes it comes from the yarn itself and sometimes if I see a pattern or a stitch that someone shows I think, that would be great in a dishcloth or shawl or hat, etc. Lately, Ive just made small items like hats with my own designs but am trying to branch out. If I really like a pattern someone has designed though and want to make it either to use for my shop I will make sure they are ok to sell items I have made from the pattern. I always credit the designer though.

Lately, I will have to say though, with this pandemic it has been really hard to keep my motivation going so I have had to go back to making things that are simple easy items that don’t take much thought like dishcloths and a simple blanket that I am loving just to keep working. The simple process of making the stitches and concentrating on that has helped me to relax and not stress from everything going on in the world right now. I’d love to know what you are doing to de stress. What is helping you. Till next time, be safe, stay well and please be kind to everyone.