RoseUniqueStyle ~ a dream-weaver’s tale
I’ve been producing handmade knitwear under the name RoseUniqueStyle since 2013, but in truth, it all began much longer ago…
Knitting has been a tradition in my family for generations and destiny ensured that it wouldn’t stop with me. I was just 12 years old when, one night, I had a powerful dream about the most beautiful knitted sweater imaginable – an entrancing swirl of heavenly colors, shapes and patterns, shimmering with magic, a web of fantasy! - and I’ve held on to a vivid memory of it ever since.
Maybe that’s why I never fully let go of the idea of creating handmade knitwear, despite years of working in industries as varied as gymnastics coaching (having been a professional gymnast myself), hair styling and fashion; because the idea never let go of me.
A mother’s love
I believe my Mother understood the importance of the ‘vision’ I had, and my subsequent passion for knitting. All my dolls were dressed in the knitted jackets, scarves and hats I made for them, and she supported and encouraged me to take things further.
We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up, and when I turned 13, my Mother sold all her jewellery (for next to nothing) to buy me my first ‘chunky hand-manipulating’ knitting machine, affording me endless creative possibilities! Her love and selflessness will always live in my memory, and all my achievements are dedicated to Her.
Coming ‘home’
Decades later, in 2012, I bought some yarn on a whim, and dared myself to make a chunky knit scarf. To my amazement, I could still do it – it was as though I’d never stopped; it was as though I’d come ‘home’. That scarf has become a kind of talisman to me, because it turned out to be the first of many that sold – and sold well (thank you, Etsy!).
With an abundance of both materials and ideas, those simple scarves soon evolved into the myriad sweaters I now produce. And those encouraging first orders have expanded into an international client-base.
Growing gracefully
We are now a small family-owned and run business, based at home in Toronto, Canada. Unlike most of the fashion companies churning out mass-produced clothes, we operate a zero-waste policy and buy our raw materials from sustainable sources around the World. We also donate a portion of our profits to the Toronto Humane Society and local animal shelters, as we are huge animal lovers and do everything we can to help those in need.
It’s incredible that a dream I had in my childhood ‘gave birth’ to RoseUniqueStyle, and it’s really exciting to imagine how the company will grow. I feel grateful every day for being able to live my passion – and for being able to make our customers’ handmade knitwear dreams come true, too! I only have one wish remaining; that one day, I’ll be able to bring to life the beautiful sweater I saw in that auspicious childhood dream.
“I dream of painting, and then I paint my dream” ~ Vincent van Gogh