Welcome...

My photo
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, August 7, 2013

My recent journey...

I am really terrible at blogging and I would start writing something and then never compete it.  What a year it's been for me so far.  I celebrated a milestone birthday. Yes I turned 50!!!!!

Thank GOD for wonderful gifts.  God gave me the gift of needlework.  I have been doing this work for the last 45 years of my life.  I am at that time in my life when beside the love of God and my family and friends and this gift there is nothing else that is keeping me alive right now.

Please take sometime to ready my story below and to comment. I would really appreciate it.

Back in March I knew from my surgeon that I would need additional surgery to fix a problem that have been plaguing me since I had cancer 8 years ago, I really had my doubts, first of all I was no spring chicken, getting older meant a longer time to heal that was bothering me quite a bit.  I said this much to my surgeon and family doctor when I saw them a week prior to my surgery.

On May 24 I had the surgery and was doing well I thought and would have bounced back sooner rather than later.  I had my first follow-up with the surgeon a month later and I was on track to return to work in mid-August. On July 2 I started to get cold sweats and my stomach started aching. In about a couple hours I started throwing up and could not seem to stop.  My daughter Gillian rushed me to emergency when she saw the place where I had surgery bulged out to at least 3 inches.  I was going through excruciating pain and really saw my life flashed in front of my eyes.  The pain was horrible and I was ready and willing to meet my maker. I definitely knew that in heaven there would be no pain and suffering.  After rolling around on a bed outside of the emergency area for what seems like an eternity, my son Amir finally went into the emergency room area and said "I want someone to see my Mom right now as she is crying and in a lot of pain and in all my life I have never seen her like this". They told him to get a wheelchair and bring me in and I might have some luck in seeing a doctor sooner.  A nurse came to my rescue and started morphine drips in order to alleviate the pain but that was not helping at all.  She then ordered an x-ray and CT Scan and the pain was so unbearable I could not even remember how I managed to do these things. Just when I thought things could not get much worse she came in to put a tube down my nose to me stomach and as it was explained to me to stop me from vomiting and empty the contents of my stomach into a bag that was attached.  arghhhh!!!! The surgeon finally showed up about six hours later to let me know on no uncertain terms that I would need surgery to save my life. At this time all I was thinking was "how soon can you go this"? he said if all the swelling did not go down by the following day he would do surgery before evening.  Well the swelling did not go down and on July 3 he performed surgery.  I just past the two month mark for both surgeries and I am a bit frustrated as I am still in pain and I just want to be able to do some simple things that I am not able to do as yet.  I do a little more each and and do know that God is good all the time and does not give me more than I can handle and I am here to live another day with all the earthwalkers. I am sharing this story as I want to let you understand that there is nothing we can do to please GOD, he does what he does through his GRACE for us and all we need to do is have FAITH.


Please visit one of my shops to see some of the amazing work I have done this year.

www.etsy.com/shop/dylanadesigns
http://knitcrochetartist.storenvy.com

Thanks!!!!






Thursday, September 1, 2011

September Issue 2011

We are saying goodbye to the lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer... Fall is fast approaching and so we are all thinking Back to School and warmth.  Why not check out Dylana Designs and buy yourself a custom hand knit/crochet design or better yet you can curl up in front of the fireplace and make something special from the beautiful array of yarns and patterns on The Joy of Knitting

Recaping some of my New listings in my Etsy shops Dylana Designs and The Joy of Knitting.



Men's Knit Crochet Hat n Scarf in Tweed
  


 

 


 


Rainbow Yoga Mat Bag


 


Spiderweb Brooch

 





  



 

Rejuvenation Wool in Olive


Rejuvenation Wool in Charcoal




Rejuvenation Wool in Cocoa





Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Hey I took a SUMMER break...

With the summer months being so short here in Toronto, I always spend the time walking about outdoors, which includes visiting tons of festivals, hanging out down by the lake and soaking up rays poolside.  I took a holiday from blogging and sending out e-blasts.  In September I will be fully back in business.

I have been busy coming up with new designs and writing new patterns for the upcoming season.  I am preparing to start knitting and crochet workshops by mid-September and participating in a few open houses and shows.  I have been fortunate to be featured in two blogs this summer.

The Dad Project

and

Natural Glam Diva


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Why I L.O.V.E. my business...

For the first time since starting my business I decided last year to really take a good look at my business for what is was and is. I went full throttle into it with my eyes wide open. I had to put into perspective exactly where I wanted my business to be three to five years down the road. While it's no walk in the park I must admit that I am totally enjoying this journey. I would love to share a few things I learned along the way with you:

1. Be a joyful business owner and have fun running your business. You are everything to your business, the manager, assistant, accountant, shipper, etc. Don't stress about the small stuff with every new day there will be new challenges so roll with the punches.

2. Listen to your clients! (don't take them for granted)

3. Try everything once! (sometimes the same things that you think will not work surprise you; always be ready to reinvent your business again and again)

4. Listen, listen, listen to advice from other people even those who do not have a business; remember they are looking at your business from a consumer standpoint.

5. Be true to yourself and your product/service. Meaning stick to good ethics and your vision, mission and policies when it comes to doing business, people will respect you more.

6. The most effective marketing for my business is talking to everyone and anyone about what I do.  It has gotten me so much sales and referrals sometimes I cannot keep up.

I always remind myself that I was creative and artistic before I turned my passion into a business and when things are not going perfectly or sales are slow.  I come back to homebase, sit down, relax and start a project and I fall in love all over again...



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!

Please do not delete this email, share the JOY with someone you Love...

Thank you for Reliving the JOY!