Where did Toil & Trouble come from?
It all started with an 8 year old girl and a crochet hook. As a little girl, I spent all my time designing crochet pieces and dreamed of selling them one day.
Soon after learning to crochet, I learned to knit. I spent all my time playing with yarn, designing (admittedly not the greatest) pieces, and pretending to sell them on a table outside my bedroom door. I didn’t get many customers, but it was the beginning of a dream.
Over the years, knitting took a back seat and I experimented with many loves, including illustration, watercolors and oil-painting. I even went to school and got degrees in psychology and architecture, but the call of fiber never stopped. In 2009, I gave in and started my business, finding my way back to that original childhood dream. When I learned how to dye my own yarn, I got to combine my love of playing with color, painting and fiber.
I love creating fun accessories and colorful yarn! I hope you love them too.I believe that yarn is a manifestation of possibility! When I design knit pieces, I am investigating the process of creation and embracing the blank slate that is yarn. When I am dyeing yarn, I feel like I am creating little pieces of possibility to share with the world.
Why Toil & Trouble?
I love books. I really really love books. We have a shelf problem in our house, which has lead to stacks of books on the floor (I call it a shelf problem because there is no such thing as a book problem).
I also love witches. So my brand name came from Macbeth, combining my love of both books and witches.
What does Bookishly Inspired mean?
I draw a lot of inspiration from literature, mythology, folklore and geekery in general. The Mists of Avalon is one of my life-long favorite novels, Ghost Busters was one of the best movies ever made, and I am completely obsessed with Doctor Who.
