Full-time college student, Isabel Andaya, is a new creative who has started to grow her online business since the beginning of this year.
I enjoy knitting because it gives me a way to be creative.
Knitting is a great outlet for me to destress from all my schoolwork."
She speaks of her love for knitting: “I’ve always loved arts and crafts, and when I was younger I took a knitting class. Although I didn’t continue knitting after taking the class, during quarantine, I was able to start again by watching YouTube videos and following tutorials online.”
Inspired by knitting Instagram accounts and Japanese fashion, grunge style and other trends, Andaya hand makes and sells knitted accessories alongside her college degree.
“I decided to start selling my knitwear in January of this year. I wanted to share what I make with other people, especially with the popularity of knits/crochets in the current fashion climate. As a student, I wanted to make a little bit of extra money, so selling my knitwear was an easy way to do that.”
With goals to grow the business, Andaya hopes to sell more of what she loves, accessories. Her favourite knits to create are balaclavas and hats, having experimented with clothing, these are quicker to create and ship out.
As we combat fast fashion and focus more on a slow, sustainable future, Andaya added: “I think it’s crucial to support small businesses and artists because they contribute to worldly efforts to stop the production of fast fashion. Slow, sustainable fashion is essential to keeping the planet healthy, and buying/reusing clothing that is handmade is a great way to support creators and benefit the planet.”
No stranger to mistakes, Andaya urges beginners to keep knitting and working on their craft despite any challenges. She says: “Mistakes are a huge part of learning the craft, and sometimes those errors can turn into purposeful, fun parts of your knits. Keep learning, keep growing!”
A fun yet challenging hobby, Andaya’s favourite knit to date was a pair of leg warmers. You can find them in her Spring drop which comes out on April 16 this year with shipping currently only to the United States.
