Saturday Spotlight-Studio 3951

So as I said I will be spotlighting my fiber friends, those I have had the pleasure or meeting or not. In this case I have not had the pleasure of meeting my beloved Christine, but when I tell you we were separated at birth! LOL! We found each other on FB and have been fast friends since. I swear one of these days I am heading across the GWB and get me real hug!!

Well when I tell you this woman is TALENTED!!!!! She knits, she crochets, she spins, she dyes, she is a lawyer..well let me let her tell you. Ladies, Gentlemen, fiber lovers near and far…I present to you Christine Vuksanaj the talent behind Studio3951

Me:  How long have you been crocheting and/or knitting and who taught you?

Christine:  I have been crocheting and knitting for about 14 years now.  My mom taught me to knit, and my mother in law taught me to crochet, but they have both helped with all my stitching.  I did not get more adventurous than a scarf with knit and crochet, however, until the advent of YouTube.  It is such a fantastic resource for the fiber fanatic. I have since taught my daughter to knit…and several of my friends and others.

Me: Do you create your own designs?

Christine: I do create my own designs, and have some patterns that I have published.  And, I almost always alter the designs of others to my own taste.  I often feel that, other than the most intricate of patterns, knitwear designs are more like cooking recipes.  Because they are all made up of various derivatives of only two stitches…the knit and the purl…you can add a bit here, take away a stitch there, throw in a yarn over, etc.  Of course, if you are stitching a fitted garment, you must use a little bit of math to help you achieve the look you desire.  I don’t believe I have ever stuck to a pattern like glue!

Me: What would you say are the keys to your success?

Christine: Success is a very subjective word, and every person has their own definition.  I am more obsessed with knitwear, than “successful” in the traditional sense of the word.  But my rewards are the greatest when I teach someone to knit or crochet, and they complete their first project.  Once they are asking me how to do new stitches, or showing me the latest yarn, needles or hooks they have purchased, it is like my “aha” moment.  I have created a “stitcher”…a person who has a new love for the work produced by their very own hands.  There is nothing as satisfying as that!

Me: What challenges have you faced?

Christine: The greatest challenge I have faced is that so many people still discount knit and crochet as “that little hobby of yours”.  My day job is law.  I am a practicing attorney…but I long so badly to open a little yarn shop.  When I talk about that, some people (including those closest to me in life), poo poo that notion.  I hear things like “but what about all that education?” and…”why would you ever give up being an attorney after all that work?”.  It is so hard to go against the people who are supposed to be supportive of you, when they don’t realize they are not supporting your dreams.  But then I hear from others in my outer circle…my students, my fellow stitchers who tell me that I SHOULD be in a little yarn shop somewhere, teaching the world my craft.  It is a very dichotomous situation, and I so often feel torn between two worlds.  Plus…I still have a hard time taking money for doing something I love so completely.  I am sure other creative types can understand where I am coming from.

Me: Do you have a preference in reference to yarn?

Christine: Do I have a preference in reference to yarn?  Oh, that’s a good laugh!!  I will use anything!!!  My favorite fiber is merino wool.  It is lightweight, warm, springy, squishy and takes up a dye bath like nobody’s business!!  I love to dye my own yarns, so it is a joy to work with in that manner…and also merino fiber spins up on my spinning wheel like a dream.  But really, there are certain projects that just scream out for some good old Red Heart Supersaver…and there are some (that I only make for myself!) that call for yarn that can sell for $60-plus per hank.  So, I run the gamut in my yarn selections.  But some of my favorite brands are Malabrigo, Knit Picks, Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick, Lion Brand Wool Ease Worsted, Cascade 220, and Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride – worsted and bulky!

 

So let me give you a peek of her work….

Ok close your mouth! LOL you can find Christine at the following locations:

You can find me at facebook.com/studio3951, and I am studio3951 on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  Email is studio3951shop@gmail.com, and I have shops on Etsy, Big Cartel, and Aftcra.  I am betsyjulian on Ravelry, and do have patterns for sale there.

So don’t you just love her as much as I do? Go ahead and admit it. 🙂