Gift Bundles and Calendars!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!! We have been planning and scheming behind the scenes for months to put together this year's Gift Bundle and now that it's finally time to share it with you I am giddy with excitement! I really hope that you love this year's bundle as much as I do. You may have spotted my glorious watercolour pouch in a few blog posts and instagram posts over the past year. The bag is made by Krista of Spotted Stones and is something that I purchased the second I saw it, even though I didn't have a specific use in mind for it at the time, but I couldn't picture myself living without it. When it arrived in the mail I propped it up on my mantle for a while just so I could enjoy it's beauty. Then one day I was leaving the house with my knitting in tow and needed something to corral all of my notions so I grabbed my mantle-decoration-pouch and haven't looked back since. 

The organic linen for the pouches is hand dyed by Krista in that gorgeous watercolour effect. Since these pouches are obviously a labour of love I thought that it was a long-shot when I contacted her this summer about the possibility of collaborating on this project, but to my delight she was just as excited about the idea as I was! I have long wanted to put together a set of my favourite notions, things that are simple yet stylish, and I couldn't be happier with the set that we've come up with! That gauge ruler is probably my favourite. It was a new type of design project for me. We worked with a local company to have the rulers laser cut and etched. They were beautiful in their all-natural birch state but then one day I decided to use my vast assortment of sharpies to colour in the star and even though it was kind of insane to decide to hand colour each of the 16 segments of the TFA star a different colour, it was clearly the right thing to do. ;) I hope it makes you smile to know that lots of love was put into each and every one of those glorious rainbow rulers! You can read about all of the other notions included on the Gift Bundle page here. 

When it came time to design a custom colourway to include with this year's Bundle it was a no brainer. We wanted to echo the watercolour fabric in a signature TFA style hand painted colourway we've called Milkyway. I've been thinking a lot about what our signature style is lately and I've decided that this is it. Dynamic, multicoloured colourways that are somehow still knit-able and wearable (hello Tartan!). Fun to look at, fun to knit with and fun to wear. The triple threat! We've dyed the Milkyway colourway on our PureWash DK weight base. I'm currently knitting a shawl with it and am LOVING the results. I'll be posting progress pics soon! 

And one of my favourite tasks of the year... putting together the TFA calendar! The calendar is available as part of the Bundle and is also sold separately. I'll be honest with you. I keep 2 for myself. One to use as my actual calendar that I mark up with appointments and reminders and one to save in pristine condition because I love those gorgeous yarn filled pages! It's such a thrill to see my photography in print. I'm so used to seeing it online but there is really something special about a hard copy. 

So, there you have it friends, your Christmas gift list all figured out for you! ;) We've got a few other goodies planned for the fall/winter season (did you see this teaser I posted on Instagram yesterday!?) I just love this time of year!

Slow Fashion October - my final thoughts

Just some yarn (TFA PureWash Worsted in Tartan) and a swatch (not knit in Tartan...) for some stimulating visual content to an otherwise very wordy blog post!

So, now that we've officially rolled into the month of November we can A) start getting excited about Christmas! and B) call Slow Fashion October a wrap. It's been a very interesting for me to spend an entire month somewhat focused on a single subject. It's not my usual blogging approach, I find it quite difficult to set up rules and timelines for myself like that. To be honest, it's not my preferred method of blogging, I'm more of a "write what I feel like writing about when I feel like writing about it" kinda blogger and have a hard time sticking to a blogging schedule. Regardless, Slow Fashion October was a fun exercise for me both in terms of blogging and in terms of sorting through my thoughts on a subject that I feel quite passionate about.

After having spent the month analyzing my decisions and chatting about how we can all contribute to Slow Fashion October I've come away with two conclusions. 

The first is that as makers we are already way ahead of the game when it comes to slow fashion. I would argue that the fact that we know what it takes to make a garment and care for a garment means that we are less likely to purchase without thinking. We value our handmade items and care for them and some of that care and responsibility pours over into our ready to wear purchases as well. We're capable of mending and we know how to hand wash. There came a point, about mid-month, when it sort of hit me that going on about slow fashion on my blog to my audience of makers was basically preaching to the choir. It was kinda nice because it made me think of my Slow Fashion October posts as conversations I was having with like-minded people, but at the same time it started to feel like I was missing the mark since I can think of so many people who could really benefit from thinking about there own purchasing habits, people who have never considered slow fashion because they've never heard of it. Those people aren't reading knitting/crafting blogs and though I think that as a community we have a voice and probably more reach then I'm giving us credit for, the Slow Fashion October conversation has mostly been happening in the knitting/sewing world and we are not the problem. 

My second takeaway speaks to the fact that within every movement there is an anti-movement, which is a weird way of saying that as soon as something becomes popular people will start to hate it and in this case I think that's missing the point. This relates back to my first takeaway, the fact that we are having this discussion as a group of makers and therefore there is definitely the inclination towards sweeping statements about all handmade wardrobes and knitting exclusively with expensive small batch farm yarns, but I don't think that's a reflection of the Slow Fashion movement as a whole. This is where it gets kinda tricky, Slow Fashion October is a term coined by Karen Templar and she has spearheaded and organized the whole month for us to chat about our slow fashion commitment. "Slow Fashion" is a movement all on it's own, not specific to any month, Karen just opted to choose October as our month to celebrate it. Slow fashion is for everyone and has nothing to do with wether or not you make your own clothes. You can buy brand new clothes, exclusively at fast fashion stores, but keep those clothes and care for them and pass them on (or be on the other end of the line and accept hand-me-downs) and be just as active a participant in Slow Fashion as any of us hand makers. I think that overall that point has been made and acknowledged a lot over the month, plenty of people sharing their self-portraits clothed in long worn, much loved hand-me-downs - in fact those are many of the more popular posts I've seen on Instagram, posts of items with a story - and the inclusive nature of the movement, the fact that we can all participate and make a difference in our own way, is what I choose to focus on.

And lastly, this whole month I've been thinking about this wonderful article by Emily Matcher called: Sorry, Etsy: That Handmade Scarf Won't Save The World. I love this article and feel like it relates back to my last point about the inclusivity of slow fashion and the most important part of the movement which is the part where we're trying to make a difference! This article makes too many good points to quote them all, but the one of my favourites is about the handmade toothbrush because that's just so funny to me!

Most believe that the economies of scale inherent in mass production outweigh the benefits of nearness. These same economies of scale most likely make a toothbrush factory less wasteful, in terms of materials, than 100 individual toothbrush makers each handcrafting 10 toothbrushes a day. An efficient toothbrush factory bound by strong environmental regulations would benefit everyone the most.

I think the reason why I like the points made by Emily in her article is because it argues for social change on a large scale rather than each of us individually opting out of a flawed fast fashion system only if we can afford to. We need to push large companies to make a big difference in a positive way. I choose to continue to support large brands that are making good decisions in an effort to encourage them to do more of that. Buying small, buying local, buying handmade is all good, but if we're really trying to save the world (and we all are, right!?) then we can't only think small, we need to think outside of our tiny bubbles and go big! 

Sam's Tartan Keera - and a cameo by Rowan of course

Pattern: Keera by Isabell Kraemer

Yarn: TFA Green Label Aran Weight ins Tartan.

Ravelry project page here.

Tartan is one of our most popular colourways and I think that Sam's gorgeous sweater is a pretty good testament as to why. Pretty outrageous right? You think it looks good from the front? Whamo! Check out the back!

This is a beautiful pattern and I love that Sam chose to knit it in such a dynamic colourway. People often think that with busy colourways like this you need to choose something dead simple, and though Tartan does look pretty dynamite in garter stitch, this sweater is proof positive that it can be worked in a more complicated lace or cable pattern without losing any of the detail. The trick to working with a funky colourway like this is to always alternate between two balls of yarn to break up the colour distribution. 

And the trick to making your FO shots really pop is to always have a precocious 3 1/2 year old on hand to keep the mood light. ;)

Slow Fashion October, Week 4 - Known Origins

This week's topic of consideration for Slow Fashion October is "Known Origins". This one is kind of a no-brainer for me in terms of the materials I use in my knitting because that's something that's so easy to control. There are a ton of known-origin yarn brands out there, brands where you can practically trace the wool you're knitting with all the way back to the specific sheep it came from! In fact, I remember meeting a vendor at a fiber fair a few years ago who wrote the name of the specific alpaca that the yarn was made from on each of her hang tags. It was adorable and in terms of known-origin you can't get much better than that! 

When it comes to my personal contribution to the industry I'm happy to say that I knit with my own yarns so much and I love them to death, but when I feel like flexing the ol' yarn purchasing muscles I tend to gravitate towards brands that are totally different from what I have to offer (i.e.: not hand dyed merinos) and until right now I hadn't realized that most of the brands I've been buying lately happen to be known-origin wools. Over the past few years my yarn dollars have gone towards things like Brooklyn Tweed, Elsa Wool and probably most excitingly for me is Sweet Fiber's Canadiana yarn. What's interesting about these yarns is that they are all awesome, but they are also all on the more rustic side and are not suitable for lots of the types of projects that I knit - socks, stuff for my kids etc. which is why I'm so proud of our line of PureWash yarns for filling that gap by being both ethically sourced and organically treated but also soft, multicoloured (never underestimate the importance of rainbow colours!) and of course, washable. Though the merino does not come from Montreal sheep (ha!) it's a product that I can feel good about supporting and putting out into the world.

Aside from the supplies I choose for the handmade portion of my wardrobe, there are lots of choices to be made in terms of the ready to wear components. I'm not going to pretend like I don't buy the majority of my clothing from fast fashion brands, because I do. I'm ok with buying fast fashion items most of the time because that's what suits my lifestyle and my wallet, but regardless of where or how the items were made I care for the clothing I have in an effort to give them the longest life possible. 

Having said that, supporting Slow Fashion brands would be pretty cool and is something that I'm going to try and do more often going forward. Switching gears here a little bit, I'd like to direct my Canadian readers to the Style Bee Canadian Responsible Shopping Guide which is neat because it lists a ton of Canadian brands who are "ethically producing beautiful, worthwhile goods". She's broken down the list by type and has also added indications of price range which is helpful. Still pricey and overall, frankly, most are not really my style, but it's a jumping off point! Feel free to peruse the list at your leisure. 

One of my favourite brands on the list, and I'm realizing that I don't own nearly enough of their items (I have 1 dress) is Preloved. I find their whole vibe so inspiring. Not only am I happy to support them, I can't browse their site without the desire to pick through my lesser worn items and transform them into wearable works of art! Such a fun mash-up for the ethical shopper/maker, right? This is the ultimate in terms of Slow Fashion for me. I'm going to try and up-cycle something this fall. Remember this?

Wiksten Tank

Wiksten Tank sewing pattern by Jenny Gordy.

Liberty Of London Tana Lawn in Pointillism Orange.

I sewed a garment! As you all know, I have so many hand knit garments, mostly sweaters and mostly cold weather items. Which is all good since I live in Montreal and can wear my worsted weight sweaters 9 months of the year (even some summer evenings). This is the thing. I love sewing, I LOVE fabric, and I love the instant gratification of being able to make a top in an afternoon, so you'd think that all that would add up to a more extensive sewn wardrobe. Here's the kicker: I LOATHE machinery. Stuff with gears. Stuff that can break and requires some engineering or greasing or maintaining or really just any kind of fiddling. Suffice it to say I have a love hate relationship with my sewing machine. Oh! I also HATE all the set up and take down involved in sewing since I don't have a dedicated sewing space and end up pressing on my kitchen counter and sewing on my dining room table. A lot of people are able to make this sort of set up work, but it kind of makes my stomach turn so I very rarely sew at home. Luckily for me, my mother lives a short 10 minutes away and has a very functional, dedicated sewing space in her house. I spent the morning at her place and made this tank there rather than dealing with all the moving parts of my own set up. And there you have it. A big part of why knitting is so awesome and perfect for every single person on the planet is the fact that it's so portable, so accessible, so easy to pick up and put down. There is no excuse not to knit. ;)

Ok, so my beef with my sewing machine aside, I sewed this tank and there are things that I absolutely adore about it and other things that I'm still undecided about, but I suspect that the parts that I love less are more about the learning curve involved in sewing your first garment more than anything else.  

What I love: The colour! The fabric! The shape! The fact that I made it and I'm so super proud of those lovely french seams and the pretty near perfect biased edging and that rolled hem that lays flat and doesn't curl and do all sorts of weird stuff that it did in my prototype version! I also find the length of this top really flattering on me. I love that when I wear it under a sweater you can see the bottom peaking out both in the front and the back. The curved hem is a really nice touch and, since I made this myself, I was able to cut the neckline a wee bit higher than the pattern suggested in order to make it hit exactly where I wanted it to. All in all, I'm crazy about it and though I doubt that my sewn wardrobe is going to overtake my hand knit wardrobe any time soon, I am pretty jazzed about having branched out a little bit. Since I had success with Jenny's tank pattern I'm considering trying her other super popular Tova pattern as my next sewing pattern. 

I knit this sweater before I planned for this tank but as soon as the fabric I'd ordered arrived I knew that the two were a match made in heaven! This is possibly my current favourite outfit and the fact that I made 2 components of it (I have no desire to attempt making jeans! I don't think I'm that hardcore) is pretty rad. The sweater is a pattern that I am currently working on and that I should have ready for testing soon. Stay tuned!

Slow Fashion October, Week 3 - Handmade

Wolf River, Reverb, Lady Sunnyside, Coolbreeze, Ombre, Lifesavers, I Heart Cardigans, Monte Rosa, R&R Hoodie, Christmas In July.

This week's prompt for Slow Fashion October is about handmade items, and boy do I have a lot of handmade items to consider! I talked a lot about how terrific handmade items are in last week's post, so check that out if you missed it. Here is the thing, approaching this week's topic, I had mixed feelings. I thought that I was going to sit down and hash out my struggles with my need to make, both on a personal level - I can't not make! - but also on a professional level - it's my job to make! - and the reality of the realization that I currently have enough sweaters to last me an entire lifetime. I absolutely do not need any more sweaters. For the sake of this entry, I'm focussing on sweaters, mainly because I don't want to have to face the sheer volume of accessories I've amassed over the years. 

So, the sweaters, I have many and from a slow fashion consideration, I probably have too many. The slow fashion movement leans towards a very minimalist approach to wardrobes, and I can certainly embrace the "less things, better quality" angle with other segments of my wardrobe, but when it comes to my hand knit sweaters, I definitely don't have a "less is more" approach. And, I'm not ready to give up the chase. I love designing them, knitting them and wearing them. Looking at that array of sweaters up at the top of this post brings me so much joy! Some I wear very regularly, some I wear only a couple of times a year, but I love them all and I simply cannot stop making them. So much of the joy I get out of them is in the actual "making" process, though I do get a lot of satisfaction out of wearing them as well. As a participant in Slow Fashion October I feel as though I should be using today's blog post to set goals for how I plan to reduce my makes, but I just don't think that I can.  

Other than my sweaters, my wardrobe is really not out of hand. I don't own much that I don't actually wear, which I think is a good test for the validity of ones closet. Here's the thing about minimalist wardrobes, they don't allow for changes in style, or frankly, size. Over the past 4 years I have been pregnant, breastfeeding, back to normal and then pregnant again and am currently still breastfeeding. Needless to say, my size as well as my needs have fluctuated A LOT. For most people, setting out to create a super curated, handmade closet that will last them a lifetime doesn't seem that realistic because what are the chances that you remain the same size for your entire life? Having said that, there are definitely a few very flexible items in my wardrobe that have seen me through years of wear at every different size I've been, but I don't think that I'd like an entire wardrobe made up of just those pieces. Oh, and because we're talking about hand knit sweaters today, cardigans are crazy flexible pieces, so thumbs up for cardigans!

I am a fickle person, I've accepted it. I don't always have my finger on the pulse of fashion but I do enjoy it and I don't think that I could commit to one style of jeans or one silhouette of top for the rest of my life. I like to express myself through clothing styles and that means evolving my style as I age and change. Much of the discussion surrounding handmade wardrobes involves the idea of curating the perfect items of clothing exclusively for you, your body type and your style, which all all wonderful things about handmade, and I totally love all that, but me and my style change from year to year and I don't think that I'd be happy if my wardrobe didn't change along with me. 

So, when it comes to handmade, I guess I'm saying that I'm giving myself a pass. The fact that I make so many sweaters means that I don't buy them, does that count for something!? There's also the obvious point that I made last week about the fact that I cherish my handmade items. They are not all workhorse pieces, but they are all special and will not end up in a landfill. I do think that I'll take a critical look at my sweaters this winter and if there are some that I just don't love anymore I've got a sister and a few cousins who might be happy to inherit them. That's possibly one of the best things about handmade items, all the thought and care that goes into making is easily carried though all the way to the end and when the item is no longer serving it's purpose, hopefully the same amount of care and thought will go into the best way to get it out of your closet and into a new, loving home. 

Taking a more thoughtful, slow fashion, look at my handmade wardrobe has brought me to another realization that I'm quite happy about, and that is that my personal style, though ever evolving, is pretty timeless. I don't go in for anything too quirky or trendy, so hopefully the sweaters that I choose to design and knit will be wearable for a long time wether that is my ultimate goal or not. But I also want to add that I've come to the conclusion that knitwear is always in style! Looking at my lovely little collage of sweaters above I feel confident saying that they will all stand the test of time, which wasn't something that was necessarily on my mind when I was knitting them, but it's a really nice little bonus! 

Do I have too many sweaters? Yes, yes I do. So I guess my takeaway from this week's theme is that nobody is perfect and while I generally abide by the "everything in moderation approach" we are all allowed to break our own rules once in a while and for me, it's knitwear. And candy. I have no self control when it comes to candy. And Chicago mix.  

Mood Board Monday - Highlighter

Don't forget about today's Etsy update at 3pm EST! See you then!

ball gown, heels, Sharpies, pencils, TFA PureWash DK in Highlighter, friends, purse, planter, Roxy slip on.

Today's Etsy Update features a whole bunch of super fun new neon colourways! Neon's are popping up everywhere these days in a shockingly wearable and liveable way. A quick search on Pinterest brings up loads of beautiful (ok, and some not so beautiful) examples of high fashion and interior decor items with neon highlights. My approach to the neon trend is definitely a bit more subdued. I love the idea of neutrals - think Chris Grey, Graphite, Sand - spiced up with a hit of neon accent - a pompom! a hint of fair isle! a contrast hem! So much fun. Above I've chosen to highlight our neon yellow shade, aptly named: Highlighter! 

PureWash Etsy Update, Woolful Podcast & much more!

We've got so much going on right now I'm basically a tizzy, YES, A TIZZY! with excitement. The first thing I want to make sure to mention is that I am the guest on these week's episode of the Woolful podcast! It's such a thrill and even though it was super weird to listen to my own voice over the internet, I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Ashley and sharing a little bit of my fiber journey with her audience. It's been a long time since I've done an interview and it made me realize how much I love talking about yarn, colour and knitting. My wheels are spinning, I might try something new soon. Stay tuned! Oh, and there is a wicked giveaway over on the Woolful blog for a sweater's worth of PureWash Worsted in the colourway of your choice, go enter NOW!

We are working on a ton of fun new projects that have me very invigorated. I'm really excited to share them all with you in the coming weeks but none of them are quite ready yet. Oh, except for those postcards! The top right image above features a postcard designed by Chris and coloured by me. We're including colouring postcards with all of our orders now and I sincerely hope that you'll colour yours and mail it to a friend! Friend's love getting real live mail. Trust me. If you do colour your card (as I hope you do) please share it on social media and tag it using the hashtag #tfapostcard so I can see your beautiful work!

Oh, hello, NEONS!!! 

There will be an Etsy Update on Monday, October 17th at 3pm EST

This update will feature mainly: PureWash Worsted, PureWash DK, PureWash Fingering & those crazy bright skeins of Blue Label Fingering weight yarn you see up there. 

There will be a smattering of other things as well, small batches of OOAK's and such, but mainly large batches of each of the 4 bases listed above. No Grey Label Chunky in this update, but it will be back for the next one!

PureWash Palette Blanket

Pattern: Fly Away by tincanknits

Yarn: TFA PureWash DK in Sand, Frost, Seabreeze, Peacock, Ravine, Saffron, Orange Blossom, Royal Flush, Orchid, Papaya and Natural. 

Ravelry project page here.

Weeks after we wrapped up the TFA Blanket KAL I'm finally getting around to blogging my personal blanket project contribution! This is the way with blankets, I'm all gung ho in the beginning and can whip off multiple squares like it's nobody's business. Then comes the seaming... then the border... then the weaving in of ends... Sometimes I fly through the whole process and other times I get caught up on one of the later steps. This time it was the border. My blanket just sat there, seamed together with ends mostly sewn in for a few weeks and then one night I said "enough!" and picked up the stitches, started on the border and within a few days the project was officially off the needles, ready for cuddling and peek-a-boo and all that good stuff!

As always, I can't say enough good things about the Fly Away blanket pattern by Tin Can Knits. This is my third and I can guarantee that there will be a fourth! Each one is completely different from the last. My heart could explode I love this pattern so! This colour palette is quite a departure for me. Though I'm obviously no stranger to the blue/turquoise tones I rarely opt for orange as a complement, it's just so much contrast and my gradient loving heart usually sticks with something a bit more subtle. But I love it! It's bright and fun and playful and I have no regrets. 

We're planning a PureWash Etsy update for later this week, possibly as early as Friday! My hope is to have Etsy updates every 2 weeks or so, doing our darnedest to keep the shop stocked throughout the fall.  

Slow Fashion October, Week 2 - Long Worn

This week's prompt for Slow Fashion October is about long worn items. In a nutshell, this is what Karen suggests we think about this week:

"How can we make the most of the clothes already on the planet — from taking care of and mending and wearing things longer, to thrifting, swapping, heirlooms, hand-me-downs, alterations and refashioning."

In the photos above I'm wearing a sweater that my grandmother knit for my mother when she was in university. Without giving away my mom's age, lets just say this sweater is upwards of 40 years old. And I still wear it. In fact, I still love it! The sweater is a "Classic Grammy". Very simple detailing, well, basically no detailing actually. Simple ribbed hems, garter stitch button band, modest buttons, relaxed fit, and... wait for it... 100% acrylic yarn!

The reasons that I love this sweater so much for what it has to say about slow fashion are:

A) It's handmade by Grammy, was worn and loved by my mom and is now worn and loved by me and that makes it inexplicably special. Even if this sweater were in a less flattering colour, or a harder to wear shape, I would still love it and wear it. There is zero chance that this sweater will ever end up in a landfill. As long as I'm alive, I will cherish this sweater. That's the magic of hand made!

B) She used acrylic yarn. It's not that I love acrylic yarn, it's just that a big part of the slow fashion conversation tends to frown upon synthetic materials in favour of all natural choices. I think it goes without saying that I'm a die-hard wool lover and would always choose a natural fiber first, but the fact that this sweater is knit in acrylic yarn in no way takes away from it's appeal for me. It's what Grammy had on hand at the time she made it and I dare not judge her choices.

C) It is a classic. More and more these days I try to think about the longevity of the patterns I choose in terms of style. I love fashion and can certainly get caught up in trends, but I try to keep longevity in mind as much as possible. This sweater will never go out of style because it's so basic. 

I have clothing that I've mended, favourite thrifted pieces and lots of hand-me-downs. But rather than give you all a detailed list of each and every one of my long worn items I thought that this sweater best exemplified the magic of long worn items in a hand made context. Whether an item is made by you, by someone you love, or someone you don't even know, there is a built in level of pricelessness in hand made items and I dare say that because of this extra special value they possess, hand made items are much more likely to be cherished for years and years over fast fashion store bought items, which is what makes them such an integral part of a slow fashion wardrobe. 

** I feel like I have to give an honorary shout out to my other favourite hand-made-hand-me-down sweater, this chunky scrappy beauty! In my original blog post about it I said that it was knit by Grammy, turns out my mother actually knit it for herself! Props to mom. ** 

Mood Board Monday - never enough blue!

A OOAK Sky Blue colourway from an Etsy update long ago, flowers, waves, popsicle sticks, scarves, another beautiful shot of Iceland borrowed from my brother's recent trip with his girlfriend.

The title basically sums it up for me. When I'm stumped for what colourway to feature in a mood board I like to go back to ol' reliable. I could make a million blue mood boards and never get tired of it! 

I'm thankful for blue mood boards. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving Canadian friends!

I'm gonna finish this, I swear!

I started (and finished) this sweater so long ago now that I can't even figure out exactly when I knit this. I'm thinking that it was 2013. Ouch. *So I just checked with Instagram and it says that I was wearing this sweater 129 weeks ago. (!!!) The sweater has been worn quite a lot since then and I actually really love the design and the fit, but... there were a few things that needed to be ripped and re-knit before it was perfect. So, 129 weeks later, I'm going to do it.

I'm calling this design Camaro. Chris named it actually. If all goes well you can expect to see a lot more of it in the coming weeks!