It all began with a ball of orange wool...
Hi. I'm Kristen. Also known in the knitting world as Kristen in Stitches (formerly Marinade Designs.) I live in on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the lovely high-desert town of Reno, Nevada. We get about 300 days of sunshine per year, and also a fair amount of snow in the winter. The best of both worlds. It's pretty magical.
I have been knitting since I was 8 years old when my mom taught me to knit blankets for my dolls in a simple garter stitch. I remember knitting with very wooly orange yarn, eventually getting bored and putting down the needles for the next 12 or so years.
Then one day in college, while hunting for the perfect DIY (and inexpensive) holiday gift for my roommates led me to pick them back up again. Little did I know that would turn a bonafide knitting addiction and not-so-inexpensive hobby. (My friends loved their scarves by-the-way.)
Flash forward a few years and I was asked to design a neck warmer for a friend. She wanted to wear it skiing but didn't want it to have to go on and off over her helmet if she got too hot. SO I designed her a little neckwarmer with a button on one side that she could easily take on and off without having to mess with her ski gear. The original "Neckie" was born and I started making them and selling them to coworkers and friends.
Eventually, I branched out to an Etsy store and the occasional craft fair as well as selling consignment in some indie-crafter online shops that were popular at the time. I was basically a one-trick pony and SO bored of knitting the same thing over and over again.
I gradually phased out the Neckie biz but I kept on knitting. My first sweater was made from some red wool yarn I had upcycled from a thrift store sweater and some cardigan pattern out of an early issue of Knitscene. It was certainly something...
Then Ravelry happened and the knitting world blew up overnight it seemed like. Suddenly I could access all kinds of patterns and spend hours searching for fun things to make. I was officially addicted and completely inspired! I remember reading all of the early knitting blogs like the Yarn Harlot, Ysolda, Knit & Tonic, and so many more! It seemed like everyone had a knitting blog back then.
At one point I was between jobs, so I decided to march myself into my little LYS and ask for one. I mean, working in a yarn shop is the dream for a knitter, right? I handed the lady at the counter my resume, introduced myself, and told her I loved to knit and asked if they were hiring. I'm not sure if they actually were, but the next day I got a call for an interview. Apparently my boldness served me well and they offered me a job on the spot. That little LYS turned out to be Jimmy Beans Wool, which was on the verge of becoming one of the biggest online retailers in the industry.
Within 2 years I was working full time as the in-house designer and doing the online marketing for JBW which had basically tripled in size almost overnight. It was crazy exciting times and I was finally doing my dream job full time!
My 7 years with Jimmy Beans afforded me some amazing opportunities. I was published in several books, created a niche for myself with TV-themed Mystery Knit-a-Longs (Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones anyone?), as well as travel and represent the company at trade shows where I met some amazing people I never would have otherwise. I even got to attend the Sundance Film Festival and meet Hugh Jackman! But that's another story for another time…
I was having the time of my life, but eventually, the breakneck pace at which I was designing was catching up with me. I'd work all day at JBW and then go home and knit and write patterns another 40 or so hours each week just to keep up. It was intense, to say the least. I needed a break, so I took one. A 2-year break actually.
It was exactly what I needed.
During that time I did some selfish knitting and knit for my family. Something I hadn’t had time for in years.
But I KEPT knitting.
Over time it transformed from a point of stress in my life back into the fun and creative outlet it once was. By focusing inward and allowing myself to enjoy it the way I used to, I re-found my creative mojo if you will.
That renewed passion for designing has led me back here but with a brand new name — Kristen in Stitches. My mission is to bring you quality knitting patterns, fun and engaging community through Mystery Knit-A-Longs, as well as high-quality indie-dyed yarn kits for you to knit with and join in the fun! I’ve got so many fun plans in the works including a Podcast and knitting retreats.
The list of random factoids about me:
I LOVE food. I’m a total foodie and can either be found cooking in my messy kitchen or trying new restaurants. We are really big on clean eating around here and cooking from scratch. :)
I am an outdoor girl at heart. We love to camp, backpack, and hike. We have a dream of building out a Sprinter Van (or something like it) as a camper and traveling the US with our kids to every National Park!
I’m a huge baseball fan (Go Cubs GO!!!) and my hubby and I also have a dream of visiting every Major League ballpark in the country. So far we’ve been to 5, but that van (see above) will help us hit that goal!
I practice yoga and meditate. I’ve been practicing yoga in some form or another for 20 years and in the last few years have added meditation to my practice. It helps a lot with the crazy that comes with having 2 young kiddos and a hubby in grad-school.
I’m originally from Medford, OR but I’ve lived in Reno now for going on 20 years. I love it here and my younger brother even ended up here as well. My mom will move here eventually too. Reno has a funny way of sucking people in. No complaints here. I love my high desert home!
I am a personal development nerd. I listen to all kinds of positive books to fill my brain with good thoughts and help me work through stress. Some of my favorites that have been life changing for me are:
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Girl Wash Your Face & Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
Rising Strong & Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown (or really anything by her)
The Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes
I like making lists and keeping an elaborate planner. In fact, I geek out over the task of choosing a new planner each year and agonize over features, pens, stickers, etc.
I also like to sew but with 2 kids I rarely find time for it these days. One day, I plan to work my way towards a mostly handmade wardrobe.
So that’s pretty much it for now! I hope you'll pour yourself a cup of something (coffee, tea, whiskey, whatever — no judgement!) and hang out and knit with me!