My name is Shaulaine (Xiao Lan or ‘Dawn Orchid’ in Chinese.)
I am an engineer by day (Engineering Physics 2004, McMaster.) My work is fairly absorbing, but yarn and colour are my personal creative outlet. Since most of what I knit is of my own design, I develop some of it into patterns to share here. If it’s something I want, then perhaps others might want it too! I have classical, old-fashioned tastes … probably born from a life-long diet of Jane Austen, Dickens and Lucy Maud Montgomery books… But I also admit to a vain love of figure-flattering clothes. If your tastes run in this vein as well, then you might find something you like on this site. All my patterns are graded in 9 sizes. They are thoroughly test knit, and always supported – just email me if you get stuck!
In addition to patterns, I also dye yarn so that I can enjoy the freedom of knitting the patterns in the exact palette and fibre I have in my head. I particularly love untreated Blue Faced Leicester in rich subtle colours, and have found it hard to acquire at times in the exact shade and quality that I’m after – so I now I dye my own, and it’s available for sale here if you’d like some as well:)
I love to sew, embroider, crochet, and leatherwork as well, and enjoy hybridizing some of these techniques with knitting. If I try something that works out well – or at least interesting – I document it in the blog.
When I’m not knitting, a lot of my spare time goes into my garden. I don’t have my dad’s knack of composition (http://www.gardencandensis.ca,) but digging, planting, cultivating, and inspecting daily growth with a beer in hand, is as addictive as knitting. My beds are made up mostly of cultivar conifers, perennials (blue in particular:)), several species of japanese maple, and always, always… roses.
I enjoy a peaty single-malt most days, and whenever I can get away from my work, I love to hike and canoe throughout this very beautiful country.
