Saturday Spotlight presents Dawn Landix

As promised Saturday Spotlight is where I get to shine my light on makers that you may not know. This week I am super excited to introduce Dawn, so grab a beverage and get ready.

Hi Dawn, and thank you for allowing me to shine my spotlight on you this week. Tell me your story. Your name we know already, lol. Where do you make from?

Thank you so much for featuring me! I’ve been following you for years now, even my husband knows who Ms. GG is, lol! You are constantly inspiring and one of my motivations to stop being scared and start chasing these dreams I’ve been sitting on for so long. Thank you for always leading by example!

My name is Dawn (Henderson) Landix, a wife and stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. I live in Colorado Springs, by way of Denver, by way of New Orleans, Louisiana. #whodat #geauxsaints

Awww who is blushing, you are..not me!! Thank you for the kind words. I wasn’t expecting that, tell Hubby and those beautiful babies I said Hey!! So let me ask, what is your craft of choice? Do you knit, crochet or both? Who taught you and how long have you been creating?

Knitting is definitely my craft of choice, and I’ve been knitting for over 6 years now. I’m completely self-taught (via YouTube) and am really thankful for the internet, lol! My mother taught me to crochet as child, which I did for years, but eventually stopped, as one does. I became interested in yarn crafting again while pregnant with my 3rd born, hoping to be able to make him a tiny newborn sweater. I started with crochet, but the motion was killing my wrist, a problem I didn’t have as a kid! I gave knitting a try, though I wasn’t that interested, even after having mastered the introductory concepts. It wasn’t until seeing a video with Eunny Jang (a former Interweave editor) knitting continental style (which made more sense to me as a crocheter), did I decide to really get into knitting. That and discovering that I could knit my own socks!

Ahhh Socks did it for you huh? I have made a few but cant say I’m comfy. I noticed just released a pattern, so you are a designer. How did that come about? How is that going?

I AM a designer! I’m still wrapping my head around that truth. I’ve been interested in designing for years now, constantly tinkering around with ideas, but never really taking it seriously as a legit career (despite how many other stay at home moms have done just that). But I decided this year is going to be MY year. I’m constantly encouraging my kids in their pursuits and dreams, but in reality, I wasn’t giving them an example of what that looks like. Besides that, with the recent conversations within our crafting community regarding race, diversity, and inclusivity, my Kia Socks pattern just felt like an opportunity to give something of myself that would help in moving forward. It was a very organic process. And by organic, I mean, completely NOT a part of my original plans, lol. But I think this was the way it was supposed to happen all along. The pattern has been very well received, and not just the design itself, but the message as a whole, which I’m very thankful for. 

Yes this recent conversation in our community was as good a time as any to show your enormous talent. I am so very happy the community rallied around your first pattern. Go Dawn Go!! Do you have a storefront/studio?

I don’t have a storefront or a studio. I do have a spare basement bedroom that holds all of my yarny supplies though, and hope to transform that into a more workable space now that I’m designing on a professional level. I’m learning real quick how my disorganization is going to be my biggest stumbling block if I don’t get it under control. 

Good that you know that is/could be an obstacle and are willing to autocorrect. What is your best selling pattern?

My Kia Socks pattern is my very first published pattern and is available as a free download on Ravelry! I’m also hosting a year-long KAL over on Instagram and would love for more people to join us as the year carries on. The pattern really serves as a reminder of the kind community we’re working toward building, one with interactions and opportunities and relationships that we can be proud and feel safe and welcomed within. 

Can I look forward to a paid pattern next? From where I sit, your pattern skills are worth it! Tons of folks are in my inbox with questions about doing business. What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business in this field?

My main advice would be to have courage. It takes a fair amount of it to put yourself out there, but this is an industry where you have to make yourself seen. Know what your story is, and figure out how to communicate that in a way that honors your truth but still resonates with others. From there, be willing to make connections. This business thrives on networking and collaborating, so figure out how you can work with others that would benefit from your skills, but also help broaden your audience. For example as a new designer, I’m spending most of my time now ironing out the details of design ideas and then translating them into proposals that are sent to dyers, yarn companies and publications, instead of relying solely on the success of independently published releases. And of course, be kind. Treat others well, and be willing to truly hear and learn from the experiences of others.

WOW!! That was great advice. Bravery/Courage is truly essential when you are out there in the world. Good luck with those collaborations, they should be proud to work with you! Last question, how can my readers find you in this cyber world?

I’m most active on Instagram @dawn.landix. You can also find me over on Ravelry as dawnlandix.

Well folks you know what to do..go on ahead and check out Dawn. Give her a follow on instagram so you don’t miss out on her designs. Dawn thank you so much for spending some of your time with me.

Knit on my fiber friends…..knit on

GG