.png)
HEY, FRIEND!
Welcome to Nicnakknits, a female-founded and employed business located in Bradford, Ontario, specializing in chunky knit blankets.
All of our blankets are hand-knit and made of high-quality 100% polyester chenille yarn, which means they're incredibly durable and will last longer than many other types of blankets without pilling or pulling. They're super easy to care for too – simply machine wash and then lay flat to dry.
OUR STORY
If 2020 Nicole could see where I am now, she’d be so proud.
Back then I was working full-time in healthcare in the midst of a global pandemic. My husband was making a career change that required him to leave for training for 6 months. That meant that I was parenting 2 small children solo for half a year while the world shut down and I was working shift-work on the frontlines. To say this was a really difficult time for my family and I would be a huge understatement.
I decided to take up finger knitting as a way to cope with my stress and anxiety. That Christmas I made my mom a chunky knit blanket and she was obsessed. Friends and family started asking me to make more, and come January 2021 Nicnakknits was born.
That year I started selling my blankets at local markets to get my name out there and connect with the community. I was getting amazing feedback from my customers telling me how much they (and their pets!) love their blankets and how cozy they are. I worked as many markets as I could that year and had such a great time doing it!
In 2022 I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and apply for the Toronto One of a Kind Show. After finding out that I was accepted as an exhibitor (like, WHAT?!), I spent over 5 months prepping between planning and building my booth and producing as many blankets as humanly possible.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Would people like my product? Was I good enough to exhibit at the largest handmade craft show in North America?
By day 2 of 11 at the One Of A Kind Show, my stock was already depleting and I was producing on the spot to keep up with the demand. By the end of the show, I was completely sold out. I was in shock. In just 11 days, my life had changed. I came to the realization that if I took this seriously, I could make this my career. A career that I love.
And that’s what I did. I resigned from my job in healthcare and am now officially pursuing my business full-time. I still can’t believe that this is my life. It’s a dream come true.
It has now been 2 amazing years and this is only just the beginning of my journey. I can’t wait to see all that the future has in store for Nicnakknits.