My two greatest passions in life are knitting and chocolate. Although working with chocolate seems to be a dream career for any chocolate lover, I decided to pursue knitting.
I moved from Sylvan Lake to attend the John Casablancas Institute of Applied Arts in August 2011, a decision that I don’t regret.
I moved to Sylvan Lake when I was three, when my parents bought an acreage just on the outskirts of town. For years I proudly road bus number 308 as I attended C. P. Blakely Elementary School. For a short time I attend H.J Cody School, but then transferred to The Gathering Place/Light House Christian School.
In 1993 I made another move to Camille J. Lerouge in Red Deer. It was from that school that I completed my high school education.
In 1998, I attended the Olds College program for Fashion Retail, and Merchandising. Then in 2004, I took a course through the Paré Labreque School — a geriatrics program that involves working with seniors in loss of autonomy. For several years I had the privilege of working at Bethany Care Center, meeting many wonderful people who have touched my life.
One day I asked my mom who knits if she would make me a scarf that I had envisioned. Her reply to me was, “No, you can make it yourself.” My mom’s passion for knitting, is much like my own. So eagerly, patiently she watched over me as she taught me the rhythm of knitting. In, around, under, off …
I started knitting by making 75 scarfs one year. My dad, and I shared a booth at the Christmas Farmers’ Market. I think I made enough money that day to buy supper.
Although I didn’t do as well as I had wanted, I still had vision that one day I would be able to sell a knitted product. I still had the dream that maybe one day I would see a creation I made on the runway.
Around the same time my dream-it-up sister Emily was working hard at building her career in the music industry. One day I received a CD from Emily in the mail, and as a thank you I knit her a scarf. I was so excited the day she used it on HER WEBSITE! To me it was better seeing my scarf amongst the pages of Vogue.
It was after that I started trying to create other items, like sweaters, and hats. Never using a pattern from someone, sometimes I have made big mistakes, but that is the fun, the challenge — The Make it Work Moments.
Attending John Casablancas was a great opportunity for me, as my instructors, really encouraged me in my pursuit of styling and knitting, while occasionally sharing a piece of chocolate.
Sally Sandusky - Special to the Sylvan Lake News