Venezian Handspun Cowl by Andrea

When I put out a call for blog posts, Andrea was one of the first people who responded to me.  I asked Andra to share a little about Turning Points in her knitting life/career, as I see a wedding as a turning point, and since she’s writing for me as I’m participating in my own turning point, it seemed appropriate.
known her through the designers forum of Ravelry, and I’ve enjoyed the designs she’s put out.  My favorite is the Venezian Handspun Cowl.

And now, Andrea:

When Jen told me the inspiration for this guest post, it immediately resonated with me. Turning points is what I am all about, you know, I am your your regular spinning ballerina. As I type these words I stand at a new turning point in my life. This time, I am pursuing a career as a knitwear designer (do new projects always sound so grandiose when you put them to paper?). As it is often the case with these changes, it has been fueled by an innner fire and encouraged by my ever-changing environment: I have been wanting to design clothes, particularly knitwear, for a very long time now. Then, suddenly, my life circumstances changed and I now find myself in throes of unemployment, contemplating a new twist in my path.

I must confess, however, that this is not the first turning point in my life. Rather, I think it has been a succession of turning points big and small. The funny thing about it is that every change of pace has been painful. At every juncture there was loss, and something important was broken, never to be mended. I sometimes thought that life would never be the same.

I was right. Life, in fact, was never again as it had been before. But at every turning point a veil was lifted and a new road was miraculously opened again before me. As I started to walk this new path, the way behind me started to dim, diminish, blur.

So it is then, that I have the impression of having lived may lives, as after every turn I tend to forget the past and look straight ahead. Statistics would have me believe that I might be at the middle point of my life; I can’t but wonder which one is it that we are talking about. The life I now have or the one I had 5 years ago? Or the plan I had envisioned as a young woman, maybe? I’ve been a child, a teen, a woman. I have been a student, a teacher, a salesperson, a subordinate, a boss, an artisan and an artist. I have loved people and lost them, I have met new people to love.

Where are all these other Andreas now? Maybe they have vanished into thin air. Or maybe, should the multiverse really exist, they may all be dancing to their own tune in a different universe. Tempting as it might be, I am more inclined to think that, maybe, they are all here now. Maybe every life I have led is still here somehow within me; every experience, every touch, every smell, an integral part of this person I am today.

Here I stand again, at a new turning point. My life, as seen from above, must show a curious path. How many turns can a line turn before becoming a full circle? I would love see it that way. But right now, the past is blurring again, the road is not yet clear. Standing at this turning point, I breath, and I wait.

Andrea has recently released a new hat pattern.  You should go check it out!

Short Bio


I am an aspiring knitwear designer who loves to make garments and accessories that are colorful and wearable. My aesthetic relates to urban pieces, since I live in one of the world’s megalopolis and that influences me to some extent. However, I like color a lot and I want my pieces to be interesting to make.

The bane of my existence are long, hot summers and my dog Pancho, who is always trying to eat up my stash.


Andrea Pagano
Rav ID: andreapgn
http://pingknits.blogspot.com