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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor Knit It Up. In the words of shop owner Kate:
"Knit It Up, fine yarns and fibers offers knitting yarns, spinning fibers and lots of other crafty goodness. We are just beginning a major re-branding of our shop, so you'll start to notice things popping up that say "McMullin Fiber Co." instead of "Knit IT UP" Don't worry, it's still us!"
SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?
Kate: I started knitting when I was expecting my first child. It was part nesting instinct, and part luck - I had always wanted to learn, and I just happened to be working on a project with a Local Yarn Store owner who convinced me to stop by and give it a go. After I had been knitting for some time, we moved to a small town in New Mexico, with no LYS to speak of. So when I didn't have easy, local access to fine yarns and fibers, I started dyeing my own. That led to spinning of course. I think the shop actually started as an excuse to buy more yarn and fiber and dyeing supplies, but it has blossomed into this amazing way to balance my passion for the fiber arts, my desire to be at home with my children, and my desire to have my own business. I love that I get to be creative, and I'm already imagining the pride I'll feel watching my kids get involved in both the creative and business side of things.
SouleMama: How do you keep yourself motivated and avoid burnout?
Kate: I tend to have craft ADD. I don't know why, but I've never really been a steady person when it comes to my hobbies. I'm 100% obsessed with something for a spurt, then it's on to something else. That's where my love of fiber comes in handy. It's the perfect genre of crafting for me because I can be totally into knitting one week, then spend a week dyeing, then spend a week spinning yarn, then start all over again. Sometimes I put them all on hold for a short stint of genealogy research, or ice cream making or something else totally random. I've found that although I obviously need to keep the business side of things steady, if I let myself go with what I'm into at the moment as far as the crafting side is concerned, it keeps me happy and excited about what I'm doing. I used to make myself finish projects before I started another one, but it just made what should be fun feel like work. My advice to crafters who struggle with unfinished projects is: do what moves you! If you're not feeling that pair of socks at the moment, put them aside and cast on something else, learn to sew, read a new book. Just be sure to check in on your basket of unfinished business every once in awhile, and you may find yourself newly inspired to pick it up and finish it. Or you may decide you hate it, rip it out and use the supplies to make something even better!
For today's giveaway, Knit It Up is generously offering the following gift to one lucky winner:
~ a $50 gift certificate to the Knit It Up shop for a fiber shopping spree!
In addition, Knit It Up is offering SouleMama readers 20% off your entire order. Offer good until June 27, 2011. Use code "SOULEMAMA20"
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Thank you to Knit It Up!
To enter, please leave a comment in today's post (one entry per person, please). Comments will close on Sunday by 8am EST. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced here in this post by Monday evening.
Comments closed! The winner is...
Wow, what a great giveaway! And I loved reading Kate's comments about her craft ADD. Heee, heee! Oh, how I can relate, and I appreciated the good advice! :-)
Posted by: beetnik mama
