Getting to know you/Knit2getherInLove/Cathy

My name is Cathy, I am a SAHM happily married to a loving husband for 21 years.
We have 5 beautiful daughters ages 20-9. I was raised in a devout Christian household;
and came to know the Lord Jesus at a very young age. I have been doing all sorts of crafting
From the time I could start taking my Dad’s old cuff links and watches apart and using them
for my doll’s accessories in the late 60s, to getting my first knitting machine in the 80s.

My first creative passion is knitting with my two favorite tools- My electronic Brother 940
knitting machine, and my Brother Bulky. Both machine haven’t been available for over 15
Years so I have to take care of them as replacement parts are scarce!
My original business Knit Together In Love concentrated primarily on children’s fashions.
I had several clients that I knitted up original designs for, and I did the whole craft fair circuit for years.
Then my baby girls started coming, and that was shelved to concentrate on being a Mommy.


Several years ago, I began taking up crocheting again, and the beading bug bit me about
6 years ago.

What is your favorite quote?
That changes periodically, currently it is a quote by C.S. Lewis
“You don’t have a soul, you ARE a soul, you have a body”

What is your favorite movie?
Return to Me

What is your favorite TV show?
Just one?
I am a big fan of detective style shows especially with humor,
Monk, Psyche, and I am really loving Lie to Me

Do you have a hero, if so, who? Why?
My Lord, and then my husband who works tirelessly to provide
For us. He has battled through his pain growing up in a home
with out love, to become an amazing husband and daddy in the Lord!

What is your favorite song at the moment?
Very well phrased (at the moment!)
My #1 Hymn is Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Dottie Peoples’ song On Time God is a long time favorite
And Desert Song by Hillsong is a current favorite.


What kinds of music do you listen to?
Depending on my mood, Praise and Worship music primarily.
The styles range from classic black gospel to Skillet.
I am a huge fan of Journey, Chicago and Boston.

How long have you been creating? For over 35 years! Wow that sounds
Scary!

What inspires you? People watching, and walking through the wholesale jewelry shows.

Is there any kind of music you listen to when you create?
Something upbeat as a rule, if I am knitting I am usually practicing for Sunday morning’s
Worship set so I have my mp3 set to play those over and over. I crochet while watching
TV with my family. Jewelry making especially earrings is usually while I am sitting at the
Kitchen counters listening to my girls’ banter.

What's your biggest artistic disaster to date?
Nothing very recently, the one that stands out in my
Mind as my #1 horror show was when I had just gotten my first knitting machine,
I was still very new at reading patterns. A woman who had been doing machine
Knitting for a while asked me to do some piece work for her. She had given me
Some very vague instructions which were clear for her (having done this for years).
I knitted up the hats, unfortunately the tension was WAY to tight. When I brought
Them to her after 3 days of labor. She read me the riot act and not only refused to pay me.
she wanted ME to pay for the yarn because she didn’t want to unravel them and
Reuse the yarn to do them over again. They knitted up two sizes too small for what she wanted.
It was very humiliating, and I cried all the way home. I was trying to be a blessing to
My family, and ended up costing us money, and losing time.

What's your favorite piece that you've done?
I knitted a gorgeous christening/dedication baby gown for a friend of my husbands in
A lovely ivory cotton. The mom wanted it to look antiqued, and it did. It was absolutely
Gorgeous!

What's the best advice you were given when starting out?
Take pictures of your work! I have custom made some very fabulous garments that
I never got pictures of!

Do you have any advice to give others?
When you make something that brings you joy, it will reflect in your work!
Don’t take it personally when some one criticizes your creations,

What's coming up for you; any big plans artistically?
I am hoping to add a line of knitted fashions to my etsy shop for as long as my
Old machines hold up. Then invest in a new (unfortunately lesser quality) machine
In the future.

Where can we find you? Both online and in stores. I am at my two etsy shops:
http://www.knit2getherinlove.etsy.com
http://cathystotes.etsy.com

I have been doing local craft fairs again with Robin (segparsons). I will also
Have some earrings featured at Look What I Made where my daughter works.

The these are a pic of Me with my DD#2.



A pit of 3/4 of our home group Bible Study watching a 3D superbowl commercial.
I love this picture because we are a great tight knit group as you can tell from
everyone sitting on top of each other to get a spot on the couch!




Cathy and Robin