Let's give a warm welcome to Lindsay, owner of True North Knits Co.
All About Lindsay
Where are you located?
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Do you have a job outside of this?
Currently I do not have a job outside of this business, but worked at Coach for 10 years until our
store closed in February 2020.
What’s your dream vacation spot?
Easter Island!
What’s your favorite color(s)?
Purple
What’s your favorite food/meal?
Pizza since its all kinds of foods in one! haha
What’s your least favorite food/meal?
Cauliflower- I’m still not convinced buffalo wing
sauce makes it edible!
Do you have a favorite movie or TV show?
Movie: Beetlejuice! TV Show: Schitt’s Creek!
What’s a quote that you live by?
My favourite quote right now is “Imperfect Action is better
than perfect inaction” (Harry Truman)
Do you have other hobbies?
Not really, but I do
love cooking and trying new recipes!
What’s 1 (or more) weird/strange fact(s) about you?
I have chronic hives. I wake up every morning with hives, and they generally go away within a few hours (I do take medication
for them to keep them from flaring up badly).
If you had a theme song, WHAT would it be?
Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve done in your life?
I can’t think of anything! I’m a total planner, but I have *almost* booked last minute camping trips a few times 😉
Do you have a favorite holiday?
I love all things Christmas and am usually in the full
Christmas spirit in September.
Do you have a favorite season?
Autumn… and winter is a close second because I love snow!
What inspires or motivates you?
My kids inspire me everyday!
If you could do one thing for the world (people or environment), what would it be?
Instantly cure Covid so we can all see each other again and do things!
Anything else?
Married to my best friend, Brandon. This
year marks our 5th wedding anniversary and 10 years together. He does all the graphic design behind the business and has no problem shopping for yarn for me (he even knows
all the colour names of Lion Brand Wool Ease T&Q, which amazes me). I have twin daughters from a previous marriage who will be 12 this year!
All About True North Knits Co
How long have you been knitting?
I started knitting in high school about 16 years ago, and then when my twin daughters were born
I didn’t have much time for it. I started knitting again in 2013 and picked crocheting up and have been doing both actively since.
When did you start True North Knits Co?
True North Knits Co. was officially born in
November 2015
Why did you start?
I loved making gifts for friends and family and it evolved from there.
What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
Tough question! I think the favourite thing I’ve
made and designed is my Big Mountain Beanie.
What’s a piece of advice for someone just starting out in your field?
Be sure to know your worth and charge properly! Have patience in the process and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. And most importantly, if you feel frustrated with a project, put it in a “time out” and go back later. (Sorry that was 3 separate pieces of advice)
Does your company have a mascot?
The closest thing to our mascot would be the baby
yoda I made who accompanies me to our events (though it’s been quite awhile)!
What was your most memorable success?
My most memorable success was last year when
we launched our “Wild at Heart” beanie based on the leopard print design from the spring 2020 Jilly Box. I designed the entire leopard design and failed many times at triple colour
work but ultimately it worked out. When it was shared on Instagram, we received 163 orders and I made 201 of those hats in various sizes in 7 weeks. I will never forget how
happy, grateful and excited I was to make every single one of those hats!
What was your most memorable challenge?
My most memorable challenge was this past
holiday ordering season. I had a really hard time with the feedback about clients being disappointed in the postal wait times. I take a lot of things about the business personally because I care so much. But some of the messages I received were cruel, used profanities
and were quite shocking. It was very difficult to push through some days!
How did or are you overcoming this challenge?
I’m trying to just take each situation as they come, and not take things too personally. I am also reaching out more to people in advance to ensure they are aware of any wait times or delays when I can do so.
What’s next for True North Knits Co?
This is the exciting part! I’m hoping to really focus on pattern writing this year, and further designing. As it stands right now I have about 60 patterns either ready to go to testers, under construction, or roughly planned/designed. It’s truly my favourite aspect of the business! We are also planning on offering more maker-based items such as stitch markers, faux leather/wood labels, pompoms, and more!
The Future for True North Knits Co
What’s your latest project?
Our latest project is our Canadiana Collection of patterns, our Candy Hearts beanie patterns, and our Cozy Hearts beanie patterns
Where did the inspiration come from for this project?
We were inspired by nature and the Canadian north for the Canadiana collection. As for the Candy Hearts beanies, we were inspired by the classic fair isle hearts with a colourful twist! And Cozy Hearts beanies were
inspired by the same classic fair isle hearts mixed with the modern design of the cozy double brim (my personal favourite!)
Have there been any challenges with this project?
Only in finding time to type them all out and make test samples!
Will this be free or paid?
The patterns will not be free
however we are planning on releasing other patterns for free on our website in the future and also have a story highlight on Instagram where we have free patterns and will post new ones there as well (we are hoping one per month at least!)
Where can we find this project when it’s finished ?
The patterns will
be available in our Etsy shop.
When will it be finished?
All 3 collections of patterns will be available in February (Candy Hearts and Cozy Hearts will be ready before Valentine’s Day).
Go and give Lindsay some LOVE! Like, share, or check out her beautiful knitting patterns. Remember, supporting Lindsay is supporting a small business and a local maker’s dream.
Her Hiker Beanie is my favorite beanie to make! I love the style of it. Check them out for yourself and make a few!
Here are the links:
Instagram: @truenorthknitsco
Facebook: Click Here
Etsy: Click Here
Website: www.truenorthknitsco.com
Comment below if you have any questions for Lindsay or True North Knits Co.
And THANK YOU so much for reading and joining along on our Maker Spotlight. You can see a new maker right here EVERY Monday. I have some AMAZING makers lined up and I cannot wait to share them with you.
xoxo, Lindsey
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