Welcome...

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I am a smart, beautiful, successful Belizean creole. I was born in Vancouver, BC, Canada and now call Scarborough, Ontario, Canada home. I am mixed with african, indian, scottish and who knows what else. July 2008 I decided to go permanently natural. Beside my obsession with my natural hair, I am a hand knit and crochet artist. I am passionate about Jesus and I love to run, walk, yoga, read, crossword puzzles, news and sports. While visiting, stop by my Etsy shops www.etsy.com/shop/dylanadesigns and www.etsy.com/shop/thejoyofknitting

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Our Great Canadian Weather!!!!

I guess it's old age but I am so sick and tired of the cold, rain and lack of sun. To top this all off I have been suffering the worst allergies ever in 10 years. I need to really talk about out great Canadian weather. Indeed it's been wearing me thin this year. Now don't get me wrong I love the seasons and Fall is my favourite by far. Fall just seems to me like a shedding of old skin, then Winter comes along so we can wrap that tender new skin in warmth, only to thaw out to the new life of Spring, then when Summer rolls around we are ready to find new friends, new adventures and just about anything new and exciting that this life have to offer. In my home country of Belize we like to say that there are two seasons. Heat and Rain. It is totally different from this Canadian climate. While I love them both differently at times when I am in Belize I long for the changes the Canadian climate have to offer and when I am in Canada especially at this time of the year I cannot wait to feel that hot sun on my face.

So for now I will just sit back and relax and wait for our great Canadian Summer which I hope will get here sooner rather then later.

To get everyone in a summer mood, check out my Summerwear  http://www.etsy.com/shop/dylanadesigns?section_id=7848428 and Accessories http://www.etsy.com/shop/dylanadesigns?section_id=7919985

















Saturday, May 7, 2011

One Love for everything Roots Rasta

Roots Rasta Drawstring Bag
Roots Rasta Halter
The Rasta colours are my very favourite to knit and crochet.  I make everything and anything from these colours.  If you are not familiar here is a brief meaning of what the colours stands for:


Black - Africa
Red - Blood
Gold/Yellow - All the treasures of the World that we desire
Green - Earth






Roots Rasta Yoga Mat Bag
Roots Rasta Headbanz



Roots Rasta Earrings


Roots Rasta Slouchy






Go to my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/dylanadesigns to see more Roots Rasta designs. If you do not see something you like you can order at any time.

Friday, May 6, 2011

May - Happy Mother's Day

***Joyful News***


I Love my Mom. She is the reason I am the person I am today. She taught me to love, dream, walk, talk and this list is endless. Good-natured, inspirational, smart, funny are just a few words to describe her. She has a very gentle, warm, kind spirit and she invites everyone into her heart and home and once you are there she will cook literally whatever your heart desires and feed you as much as you can eat from main course to dessert. She will mother you for a lifetime. I am not just writing these words because she is my Mom, anyone that knows her can fully attest to this. On Sunday and everyday, please remember to honour your Mom by saying and showing her how much you love and appreciate her and if you get the opportunity to hang out with her give her a big hug and kiss and remind her how fortunate YOU are to have her as your Mother. I Love You Mommy and wish I could be there to spend this time with you. Happy Mother's Days especially to my sisters, my sister-in-laws and all the other wonderful Mothers that are a part of my life.

News & Events

May Sale of the Month... I am having an end of Winter Sale in my Etsy Shop all this month. See the SALE SALE SALE section and save $10.00 or more on each item http://www.etsy.com/shop/dylanadesigns?section_id=8043481

April 16th Easter Open House at Yvonne's Coffee Haus went off without a hitch even though it was a very rainy day, I got a few sales and a couple people interested in signing up for the Fall Workshops.

April 30th Shop Cats - TESTy Spring Craft Show at The Gladstone Hotel was very, very successful, it was the best show I have ever had. The flapper hat was the best seller for me, see more in my Etsy shop> http://www.etsy.com/shop/dylanadesigns?section_id=7848428

Gladstone Hotel
Gladstone Hotel





Gladstone Hotel




Website

Please remember to check out my website www.thejoyofknitting.com

Facebook

The Joy of Knitting on Facebook now has 113 likes, please feel free to join or share with your friends http://on.fb.me/TheJoyofKnittingonFB let me know if you like?

Twitter

Follow me on Twitter @LadyDylana I am always looking for more Tweeties.

Blog

Check out my blog, I would love to receive feedback. http://ladydylanabelize.blogspot.com/

Facebook, blogging and tweeting keep me very busy every day. I do realize that it’s a necessary part of my business.

Custom Orders + Workshops

As always this is a reminder that customization is a huge part of my business and I am always open to work with you on your own style and design.

Please call me 416-828-5895 if you are interested in attending a knit or crochet workshop.

***Joyful Tips***

Q + A This month is about taking care of your cotton items...

Q. How to launder cotton knitted and crochet items?
A. Cotton, unlike many synthetic fibers, doesn't stain easily and easily releases dirt in washing. Machine washing of good quality cotton yarn is perfectly acceptable and has some advantages to hand washing. Machine washing in warm water with a mild detergent on a gentle cycle can be easier on a sweater than hand washing. Cotton is very absorbant and gets very heavy and hard to handle when hand washing. Getting all the suds out of the sweater is one of the most important steps and a washing machine completely drains and uses centrifugal action to get the soapy water out of the sweater and then rinse it completely and spin most of the water out. This makes the sweater drier than in hand washing.

It is also good to put your garment in the dryer on low heat for about 10 minutes to get most of the moisture out. After the sweater feels almost dry, grab it by the shoulders, snap it in the air a couple of times and lay it out on a towel, shaping it a little. This snapping action stretches each stitch lengthwise, bringing the sweater back close to its relaxed size, the size the sweater was right after you knit it. Cotton will absorb any moisture in the air so plan on washing your sweaters on a dry day.
Note: I find what works best for me is when washing coloured cotton, pay keen attention when washing so the colour does not run by doing a very short wash with very cold water and a little amount of soap.

Thank you friends, family and all the new people that came out to support me at my two shows in April, your business is much appreciated!

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Thank you for Reliving the JOY!