Early in 2025, I slipped away from visiting family in Holland to spend some personal time in Paris. There, in the national museum and art gallery of France, I indulged myself in Louvre Couture, an exhibition that explores how the past influences the creations of the present. Oh, my! Every maker ought to visit that exhibit. It was glorious: sumptuous garments, beautiful designs, interesting techniques, and, of course, an incomparable setting.
The sixty-five designs displayed in the Louvre’s Department of Decorative Arts are on loan from forty-five iconic fashion houses, and they are paired with textiles, tapestries, furniture, and other décor items in the Department of Decorative Arts.
Enough said! Words cannot do justice to the art and fashion on display. I hope these images (taken on a return visit to the exhibit) will inspire you and possibly even tempt you to visit. The exhibition is open until August 24, 2025. https://www.louvre.fr/en/exhibitions-and-events/exhibitions/louvre-couture
1. Designed by John Galliano of Christian Dior (2005 Season)
I can imagine that the large florals of the wall tapestries inspired the floral decoration on this gown:
Christian Dior – John Galliano 2005
2. Designed by Jeremy Scott of Moschino (2022/23 Season)
Furniture as garment made me smile. Seems to me this designer has a sense of humour.
Moschino – Jeremy Scott 22/23
3. Designed by Pieter Mulier of Alaia (2024/25 Season)
You will have to look very closely and enlarge the image to see the innovative use of yarn by this designer.
Alaia – Pieter Mulier 24/25
4.Designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi of Fendi (2019/20 Season)
The tapestry, the mirror, the carpet, and then the gown. Fabulous!
Fendi – Silvia Venturini Fendi 19/20
5.Designed by Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel (2019 Season)
Karl Lagerfeld was a frequent visitor to the Louvre, and he chose to mimic the blue and white decoration on the side table for this blazer.
For our May 2025 Member Spotlight, prepare to be impressed. Martha Owusuwaah Appiah learned to knit in grade school, then promptly forgot about it. Only last year did she take up needles again, and, boy, has she made up for lost time! Not happy making almost perfect garments, Martha patiently learns and practises unfamiliar techniques. As a result, she both loves and wears what she makes.
What prompted you to take up knitting and how long ago did you do so?
Decades ago, my older sister tried to teach me how to knit after she picked up the skills at summer camp. I dabbled in knitting but didn’t take it too seriously, and I forgot all about it once I headed to high school.
It wasn’t until 2024, when my younger sister started knitting again, that I considered intentionally diving into this hobby. So, this is my first year as a TKG member, and what I’ve enjoyed the most is the variety of topics in the monthly community meetings, and the subject experts that we’ve had over the year (and in previous years thanks to the repository) that I can learn from!
Do you feel you have an aptitude for knitting or is it something you have to “work at?”
There are definitely techniques that I have to work at, but I’ve always been one to tinker and experiment with new things, and I often surprise myself with what I can accomplish. That’s been the beauty of knitting for me. Despite the frustration that comes when something isn’t going well, I love researching or connecting with other knitters to find a solution. I see them as tiny quests in the bigger project.
The level of information and support available in the fibre arts community is way more accessible and widespread than it used to be, which helps me learn more easily with each knitting project. Right now, for instance, my knitting lifesavers would have to be VeryPinkKnits and Roxanne Richardson—both on YouTube—because I have yet to face a problem or a concept that one of these two (if not both) have not already created content on how to resolve or learn it. They really come to the rescue when I need a visual to complement what’s written in a pattern or book.
Give us an example of how you “work at” a knitting project.
Recently, I turned to Roxanne Richardson’s channel to learn how to properly pick up stitches for a neckline. I’d already made three knitted sweaters, but this was my first where the collar was knitted continuously into the body.
I was in the final stretch of this sweater and eager to finally wear it, but didn’t want to rush and end up with an almost perfect piece. Easier said than done! When I just want to “wing it” with an unfamiliar technique, my sister reminds me (and I’ll remind her when the tables turn) that the thirty minutes it takes to watch a video and learn to do something correctly is a drop in the bucket given how long it takes to knit a garment. If you rush but never wear the item or are constantly reminded of what you should have done, then you’ve learned nothing and have wasted countless hours. So, I’d put the choice this way: spend an extra thirty minutes or flush away one-hundred hours.
What is your professional and/or academic background? How, if at all, does knitting fit with that?
I work for a management consultant firm in a client account strategy role. It’s been interesting to see how much of a conversation starter knitting is or how many of my colleagues and clients knit/have knit before. And smaller projects like socks are a great way of “fidgeting” without being too distracting to others on video calls. But most importantly, knitting, along with my other hobbies (tennis, Pilates, and weightlifting) gives me something to think about other than my work as well as access to new communities and people.
Being able to (figuratively) turn off my work brain and focus on other goals has helped me recognize that (1) my career is not all that I am, especially in our hyperconnected world where lines between work and home get blurred, and (2) in order to be the analytical thinker and problem solver that my paid work requires, I need to be able to disconnect and recharge.
In my view, having hobbies and passion projects, especially as an adult, is key to a healthy and fulfilling life.
Are there other fibre arts that you practise? Can you imagine yourself making your living through knitting or other fibre arts?
I also crochet, but I don’t practise that as much as I do knitting, mostly because I knit or crochet based on what vision I have for the finished object. If the idea favours crochet, then I’ll crochet, and if the idea favours knitting, then I’ll knit. It’s that intuitive nature that I love about casting on a new project. I get to bring an idea to life for me! That pleasure and satisfaction is likely what keeps me from trying to monetize knitting or make a living through it.
To me, fibre arts are my way of expressing myself creatively. They also serve as a meditative element, keeping me calm after a long day or when I need to slow down and reflect.
Which weights and fibres do you prefer and what do you like to knit?
When I first started to knit, I only wanted to work with worsted weight yarn because it was easier to hold onto. But I learned how to hold the working yarn without a death grip, and since then I’ve loved working with thinner gauge yarns (even lace weight merino). My favourite weights to work with now are anything between a heavy-fingering and a light DK weight.
In terms of fibres, I want to try as many different yarns as I can in order to build my understanding of how fabrics of a single fibre or a fibre blend act. So far, I’ve been enjoying working with different breeds of non-superwash and superwash sheep’s wool.
Most of my ideas are inspired by what I see in fashion and what I see in general life. Typically, I knit garments, though more recently I’ve really been enjoying sock making!
Tell us more about your sock knitting.
Socks are an amazing way to learn new techniques and stitch patterns.
My first pair of socks, were also my first stranded colour work piece called the Rhubarb and Custard Socks, a pattern by Zanete Knits. I love when I can make a connection with the items I knit and, for me, these socks remind me of baking strawberry-rhubarb pies in late-spring or eating the traditional strawberries and cream during Wimbledon. These socks are knit from the toe to the cuff with the gusset increases positioned below the heel and an incredibly squishy honeycomb brioche heel flap. And while my execution of these socks can be improved, (e.g. I bound off the cuff one sock ever so slightly tighter than the other), I plan to knit a few more of these.
For this year’s summer solstice, I’ll be knitting the inverse of the Rhubarb and Custard Socks pattern—that is if I can find a new pink speckled yarn; the one I used in this project is no longer available.
I recently completed my second pair of socks, which were the Seafarer socks from Summer Lee Knits’ book—a cuff-down, cable knit pattern to learn how to work with cables on a smaller scale.
I’m still learning how to better customize socks to my foot measurements but the process of continuous improvement has been great to document.
Martha’s Seafarer Socks
Are you a process knitter or a product knitter?
I’m a bit of both, but to choose one, I would say I’m more of a product knitter mostly because I like the idea of seeing an accomplishment. For me, it’s the difference between running on a treadmill and running on a trail. Yes, they’re the same actions at the end of the day, but the latter allows you to see the process as a bigger picture.
I do enjoy the process of knitting as it gives me something to do with my hands and helps me stay present. But knitting for the sake of knitting wouldn’t provide me with the sense of fulfillment and pride that a finished object does.
How inclined are you to follow standard practices, pattern instructions, and rules? Do you have any unconventional knitting practices?
I haven’t taken the training wheels off yet, but I’m certain that in time, I’ll pick up my own style or a technique that better suits how I want garments to fit my body. Right now, as a novice knitter, I think it’s important to understand the fundamentals and the why behind knitting before you can get creative with adding your own flair.
To date, I’ve knit a small handful of items, and I like each project that I take on to teach me something new. Whether it’s a colour work item or custom measured garment, I want to learn something from each product.
I keep every project that I knit, even if it turns out less than ideal. My notion is that the piece will act as a base line for me to reflect on, as I improve on my knitting proficiency.
If you could tell the world at large one thing about knitting, what would it be?
There’s no age or gender requirement to knit. If you’re even a bit interested, give it a go! You might be surprised by how fun and calming it is. Besides, the world could use some more chill people!
This month we asked Elizabeth from Sweet Paprika to answer 5 questions so we can get to know more about this Montreal-based business run by two sisters.
Q1) What makes your business unique? Tell us about something that we won’t find anywhere else.
We’re a small hand-dyed yarn business based in Montreal. Since the beginning we’ve designed knitting and crochet patterns as well as dyeing yarn, so when we create our dye colourways we’re thinking about how the yarn will look when it’s knit up, not just how it looks in the skein.
We’ve been working with Canadian yarns for a long time and over the years have developed relationships with several farmers and mills. Something that you won’t find anywhere else is our Norwood yarn which is custom-spun for us at Wellington Fibres from Norbouillet fleeces we purchase from Pine Hollow Farm in Ontario. Allison, the farmer at Pine Hollow, calls the fleece from her flock “Norbouillet” as it is a Rambouillet cross that she has been breeding for so many years that it is now specific to her farm. It truly is a special yarn that is both soft and wears very well.
Our interest in bringing unique and local yarns to knitters is what inspired us to start our Beyond Merino yarn club which explores different breed-specific yarns and provides club members with info about what makes each wool special.
Q2) Tell us about your team.
We’re two sisters, Debbie and Elizabeth, who started our business together in 2007. Debbie’s a colour wizard and is the head of our dye studio, and Elizabeth has expertise as a tech editor so focuses more on the pattern side and on our website. We work very collaboratively on planning projects and find it’s helpful to be able to bounce ideas off each other!
The two of us do the majority of the planning and backend work of running the business, but we also have a wonderful part-time dye studio assistant who’s been working with us for over four years now. She dyes yarn, ships packages, and helps us to keep things running smoothly at the studio. With the addition of our yarn clubs, recently we’ve brought in a couple of young employees who help us out occasionally with things like stamping boxes and labeling yarn.
Two of our featured techniques and designers and an example of what each Skill Builder box will look like.
Q3) What are some new and upcoming things our membership should be on the lookout for at your shop?
We just launched a new yarn club! Our bi-monthly Skill Builder Box yarn club focuses on a different knitting technique with each box, from mosaic knitting to steeking to brioche. For this club we’re collaborating with some of our favourite designers to create new patterns showcasing the techniques we’ll be exploring. Each box includes hand-dyed yarn, photo and video tutorials, and an exclusive pattern from our featured designer.
We really enjoy creating educational yarn clubs that combine beautiful yarn with the opportunity to deepen your knowledge. With this new club we’re excited to help people develop their skills and dive into things that might seem intimidating by making them approachable.
We’re also excited about an upcoming collaboration with designer Nidhi Kansal who’s creating a new pattern for our Grazioso yarn. Grazioso is a lovely silk and linen blend, and it’s one of our favourite yarns for summer. We’re planning a big Grazioso restock in early June to coincide with Nidhi’s pattern release.
Grazioso silk and linen hand-dyed yarn
Q4) How does your community contribute to your business?
Our community has always been an important aspect of our business. In the early days we held knitting teas in our living room and eventually outgrew that and switched to organizing meetups around the city of Montreal. Since Covid we’ve hosted monthly knitting teas on Zoom which has expanded our community in geographic terms!
With all the changes and challenges of social media, we’ve moved to hosting our Sweet Paprika online community on the Mighty Networks platform (no algorithm and no ads!). We’ve got a nice group going, so feel free to join us if you’d like to share what you’re working on, ask for advice, share tips and chat with crafty friends.
And of course, we always enjoy connecting in-person too and are looking forward to Knit City Montreal this year where we’ll be vending in the marketplace!
Q5) What project are you dreaming about doing next?
I’m itching to cast on Cuslett which Jennifer Beale designed for our Elora yarn. I adore Jennifer’s designs and loved knitting her La Manche cardigan which I wear all the time.
Elizabeth wearing her La Manche sweater designed by Jennifer Beale and knit in Sweet Paprika Norwood.
In February, I happened to be visiting London (UK) when the Broderers’ Annual Exhibition was on display at a small gallery near the Tate Modern. I was amazed at the variety of materials, techniques and subject matter of the items displayed at this wondrous exhibit, and thought you might also like to see the stunning array of artwork created using embroidery techniques.
The exhibition was organized by The Broderers’ Company in London, who strongly believe that embroidery is fine art and want to provide embroiderers with a platform to gain exposure, display and sell their artwork. While I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of embroidery as fine art before viewing the exhibition, I certainly do now! All of the pieces that were displayed at the exhibition can be viewed here, in their exhibition catalogue. The lead photo on this post, called Fry Up by Caroline Davies won the viewer’s choice award. I’ve added a few more of my personal favourites to the bottom of this post just to give you a taste of the 157 pieces that were on display at the exhibition.
After seeing the exhibit, I decided to learn a little more about the Broderers’ Company, which has a very long history. The full name of the company is the ‘Worshipful Company of Broderers’, and it is a livery company that was first established to regulate the standard of embroidery during the Middle Ages (1331), when embroidery was a major trade in the City of London. It was granted its first Royal Charter in 1561. The Company continues to support the art of embroidery and operates the Broderers’ Charity Trust, which is devoted to supporting, encouraging and fostering the art of embroidery; something they feel is especially important as there are so few professional embroiderers today.
A fun, random fact: each year on Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) in London, all of the livery companies, including the Broderers, have a race outside the Guildhall where they have to run with frying pans containing a pancake while dressed in their full livery dress (regalia), flipping the pancake as they go. It looks like a really fun time.
This month we asked Jess Hirt of The Woodlot to choose some questions to answer so we can get to know more about her and the unique wood products that the Woodlot makes for knitters.
Q1) Tell us about your shop’s history
The Woodlot was chosen as a business name because we have a 25 acre woodlot about 1/2 south of Owen Sound, Ontario. I’m a woodworker, and the majority of the wood we use comes from fallen trees in our bush. In 25 acres a LOT of trees come down every year. I started with an ETSY shop in 2010 and with general craft shows, and then have migrated over the years to mainly attending Fibre related shows. I still have my ETSY shop, and I have my own website as well. I’ve learned a lot about trees and the different woods, what wood is good for what items and which aren’t a good fit too! Lots of trial and error over the years, which has all been a fun learning experience. For me making buttons and jewelry out of wood is a fun way to showcase the beauty of nature, and send a little bit of tree home with people to enjoy for years to come
Q2) Tell us about your shop right now, what’s different and interesting?
New and different – I’ve always made buttons out of branch slices, so the size of the branch dictates the size of the buttons. Last year Darren and I figured out how to add some consistency by making dowels out of logs, which result in uniform buttons. It also allows for some really cool two-toned buttons – because if we cut the square stick out of the section of log where the heartwood and sapwood meet – then we can get a two-toned button! Those ones are kind of my favourite : ) They take a lot more work, because we have to take the log, cut it into squared off “sticks” and then Darren has to run them through a dowel maker (I pass that task to him because you REALLY have to muscle it through!) – and then I have little uniform dowels to slice into buttons, drill them, dry them, sand them, and finish them.
Q3) What made you decide to open your business, and what was that journey like?
I have a Psychology Degree and I worked at a non-profit for about a decade before I had kids. I really loved it, but after having Nessa I was ready for some change. I left that position and stayed home with Ness. I like to be busy, so I sort of fell into woodworking as a hobby, and after a bit of thought and planning figured out how to make it a viable business. It was a win-win because I could be home with the kids (Lochlan followed shortly thereafter) and get to the workshop in the evenings and weekends when Darren was home
Q4) What’s your most popular product?
The thing that I make the most and sell the most are buttons. My mother in law was an amazing knitter, and she used to say that she could never find nice wood buttons. I’ve found that people who put so much time and effort into creating something knit want a little bit of handmade to finish it off. Handmade buttons are a good fit!
Nominations are now open for the Board of Directors of the Toronto Knitters Guild. Looking to expand your job resume? Like working in a collegial group? Want to meet other guild members? Then, by all means, put your name forward!
Nominations will be put forward at the Guild’s virtual Annual General Meeting on May 12th, 2025.
What’s in it for you? Lots.
Board membership offers opportunities to expand your resume by gaining business experience and skills in new areas. Whatever your area of interest, we can create a match to help you enhance your professional credentials. Learn or improve your ability to do a variety of things, including how to:
negotiate contract terms with service providers
review and work with corporate by-laws
connect with knitwear designers, teachers, and authors for our monthly meetings
do basic bookkeeping and financial statement interpretation
plan and run Zoom webinars, in-person meetings and special events
create PowerPoint presentations
use Intuit Quickbooks accounting software
network with local yarn store sponsors and others in the fibre arts community
write newsletter copy
manage website and social media accounts
coordinate and work with teams
prepare minutes of meetings
Board membership is also a way to expand your circle of friends. The TKG Board is a welcoming and supportive team with a positive working environment. We have a surprising amount of fun while creating and delivering high quality programming to guild members.
So why you and why now?
In order to sustain the current level of programming and member services next year, we urgently need more direct involvement and support from our members. The Guild is not only a volunteer-run organisation, it runs on volunteers. If you enjoy your Guild membership, value our programming, and are willing to donate a couple of hours of your time to the Guild each month, we’d love to have you join us on the Board.
At the Guild‘s annual general meeting last May, the Board added four new members, expanding our complement to nine. And we’ve confirmed that our mothers were right: many hands do make light work! The guild benefits from fresh ideas and new and diverse perspectives—your perspectives—that will be reflected in programming, event planning and outreach to our members.
The Board executive meets by Zoom for only 60 to 90 minutes one evening a month from September to June, in addition to attending and supporting the monthly member meetings. We’ve made use of technology to lighten administrative burdens, such as eliminating cash sales, moving to automated accounting software, and transitioning to Google Workspace for data storage and document sharing. Key decisions are taken by functional committees responsible for communications, operations, community engagement and programming, with Board members providing input and guidance as needed.
Our bylaws require that officers and directors transition off the Board after reaching their term limits, and so we must add new directors every year to ensure continuity. Nominees are generally expected to serve for at least two years.
For our April 2025 Member Spotlight, we invited member Janine MacDonald to tell us about herself. Knitting is only one of Janine’s pursuits. She’s a committed crafter and maker as well as a homebuilder, and for her there’s no finish line! Read on to learn why Janine doubts there can be such a thing as a “process knitter.”
What is it about knitting that attracts you and how has knitting served you over the years?
For me knitting is one of many crafts that I enjoy doing. (I quilt, sew, crochet, embroider and cross stitch.) Working with my hands and producing beautiful and useful items makes my life feel complete. If I do not have some art/craft project in hand, I feel a void and inevitably, I will find something.
I started knitting as a child. My mother was always generous with her time and knowledge. She would show the basics and then leave me to figure it out, allowing me to make mistakes so that I could learn. Very frustrating at times, but ultimately, instructive and helpful.
Do you feel you have an aptitude for knitting or is it something you have to “work at?”
I think it is necessary to “work at” anything I undertake whether that is knitting, drawing blueprints for a renovation, throwing a pot, or relining a vintage jacket for my sister. In every case, I want my results to be as good as I can make them; it doesn’t matter what it is. So I look for information, techniques, advice…and all of them allow me to bring the things that I undertake closer to my vision.
I am also blessed with an aptitude for absorbing some of this information and applying it, as I have “the ability to visualize three-dimensional entities from two-dimensional displays – a ‘gift’ that has relevance for artistic things, design matters, creativity, problem solving and systems development” (so says the skills/personality report based on testing in 1975—go figure!!)
As I tackle each project I find ways to make things better, and practice results in improvements. For instance, with the Izzy dolls that are my current preoccupation, I am using double pointed needles and I am finding my hands are getting “smarter.” Working with those needles in such a small space was a bit of a chore with the first doll, but it is getting easier and easier. I love that!
Improvement also comes from exposure to lessons by way of other knitters, knit retreats, knitting guild resources, internet resources. These are a rich trove of information and inspiration.
Image: 3 of Janine’s adorable Izzy Dolls, lying on her Noro blanket, which is mentioned below.
What is your professional and/or academic background? How, if at all, does knitting fit with that?
I have multiple degrees—MBA, Graduate Diploma in Gerontology, and, later in life, I spent four years at Sheridan College for Crafts and Design, specializing in ceramics. These degrees are related in the sense that they are all about learning—a skill needed in knitting among so many other endeavours.
Which weights and fibres do you most like to knit with? And what kinds of things do you knit?
I will knit with any weight of yarn. It depends on what I want to make. I mix yarns, I deconstruct yarns…all in the service of the idea of something.
I knit hats mainly—love hats! I am inspired by images, things other people are wearing, patterns… This winter I knit 17 hats. It started with hats for a sister who was going through chemo, then one for each of the grandkids….and now it has run its course. I am sure I will make hats again at some point in the future, but now my attention has turned to Izzy dolls and bears. Again, images, patterns, colours, different yarns. (I just disassembled a boucle/accent yarn and I am using the boucle with a mohair thread to make the bear and am very happy with the resulting texture).
What knitted item are you most proud of? What did you learn while working on it?
A blanket that is truly reversible! Every square can be “read” from either side. I frogged a Noro vest to make it, and it took ten years to complete.
After frogging, I deconstructed the Noro yarn into its constituent colours (in other words, short little bits of yarn that I wanted to knit into the blanket. What possessed me, who knows?) The design involved individual squares that I joined together. I reknit each of those squares three times as I was not satisfied with the result and, as I learned new skills, it gave me the chance to get closer to the result I had in mind.
While knitting the blanket, I used a wonderful technique I learned at a knit retreat—“spit splicing.” My goodness, what a revelation! It allowed me to create each square seamlessly.
Later, I learned “provisional cast on” from my sister. This solved another problem standing in the way of getting the finish that I had in mind. So, I knit all of the squares again!
Anyway—love that blanket—use it every day—and pleased with the fact that I persevered.
Do you consider yourself to be a process knitter or a product knitter? Give us an example?
It is hard to see how a process can be evaluated without an end in mind, so I don’t really think there can be such a thing as a process knitter. Creativity and productivity must be built upon techniques. In other words, process doesn’t stand alone. It undergirds product in the service of one’s vision.
How inclined are you to follow standard practices, pattern instructions, and rules?
I find it hard to faithfully follow a pattern. I am apt to make changes on the fly, to try something without swatching, to look at something and think “I can make that” and then just start. This can get me in trouble and then I have to take it out and start again.
I have been working hard at recording what I have done so I can replicate it later—not always a strength of mine—and then I don’t have to reinvent the wheel again!
Right now, with the little bears, I made myself follow the pattern the first time, but…..well, not happy with the foot finish, so I used provisional cast on to get the finish I was looking for. Then I didn’t love the way the head of the bear looked, so I added a row in the middle of the pattern to come closer to my vision. I wanted a decorative flower, and with the lesson from a friend, managed to get a flower/leaves that I was happy with.
How long have you been a member of the Toronto Knitters Guild? How has the guild contributed to your knitting skills and knowledge?
I joined the guild in 2021. The guild is wonderful. Resources, monthly meetings with interesting experts (love that the talks are available for later viewing – in the event I cannot participate in real time), encouraged me to join Ravelry (which is a treasure trove as well), and access to special events like the tour of the quilts at the ROM and the tour of the fabric art at the AGO.
Tink and frog are words that knitters quickly learn. In knitter’s language, the words signify a mistake; we undo our work to correct an error or oversight. Back we go. We unravel stitches voluntarily, albeit reluctantly. But what if our knitting unravelled spontaneously? Or was rent by forces beyond our control? How unsettling might that be?
For author Alice Brière-Haquet and her illustrator Michela Eccli, knitting is a metaphor. With knits and purls, they invite readers into the disruption of forced migration.
A family of mice lives happily in a seed stitch house of sturdy red yarn, girded with a 7 mm needle. All is well. “Knit one, purl one.” The rhythm is familiar and comfortable—until the house begins to unravel, one stitch at a time. The foundation starts to disappear. “Oh, no—there goes another stitch.” And another. And another. “Until it’s time to run.”
Yarn and coloured-pencil drawings move readers through the experiences of a displaced family. The mice escape down a stairway of kinked, unravelled yarn. They run past a dragon breathing fiery orange fibres. They brave outsized waves, clinging to a knitting needle with crudely cast on stitches.
Eventually, the mice reach land populated by unfamiliar creatures where they scavenge yarn in colours and fibres not seen before. Slowly, slowly, with the help of strangers, using “threads of ourselves…spools of worry” and bits of new yarn, they knit themselves a new seed stitch house. Its colours are novel, except for a partial row of red stitches near the foundation.
The story concludes with the mice in a home where they can be themselves.
Thread by Thread tells a gentle and optimistic tale of migration where safety and joy are only tinged with sorrow. It is a book intended for young readers of tender disposition. So, houses unravel over time; they’re not blasted to rubble in an instant. A migrant family bobs on a knitting needle in the waves but arrives safe and dry; their overloaded boat doesn’t capsize in open water. And the members who leave the red seed-stitched house resettle whole and hopeful in a welcoming community. Such subtlety makes Thread by Thread a charming read for young children and a sensitive introduction to what adults, knitters and non-knitters, must recognize as a challenging contemporary issue.
As my knitting progressed and I completed a few sweaters, I wanted to personalize my work—use stitch patterns from stitch dictionaries, redo the math to accommodate a larger bicep or add waist shaping, or knit a sweater that fell between the designer’s published sizes.
Enter Ann Budd, a knitting superhero who helped me take my knitting to the next level.
Ann’s expertise is unparalleled. She has sixteen books to her name, and she retired after twenty-plus years on the editorial staff at Interweave Press. To say she knows her stuff is an understatement.
During COVID, Ann transitioned her in-person classes to Zoom and extended them from single-day workshops to multi-week sessions, allowing students to learn concepts in depth while knitting at a comfortable pace. Her top-down sweater classes consider all aspects of construction, including circular yokes, raglan, saddle shoulder, and set-in sleeve styles. Each construction style covers six, two-hour lessons spread over eight weeks, with recorded sessions available for playback.
Included in each class is a valuable worksheet that helps you design a sweater using your choice of yarn, needles, and gauge. Participants need Ann’s book, The Knitter’s Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters, that costs approximately $41 CAD and is available in print or e-book from her website (see below).
In class, Ann guides your use of her book so your gauge and measurements align with your desired design. Participants can ask questions during class, learn from fellow students, demystify knitting math, and have a strong supporter cheering them on!
I have taken several of Ann’s classes, including her custom-fit pleated skirt class and some of her tutorials, such as fixing mistakes, and I can attest to Ann’s generosity in sharing her knitting knowledge. Her empathy and practical approach make complex concepts accessible.
If 2025 has you yearning to enhance your knitting skills from the comfort of your home, Ann Budd’s classes are an amazing investment. Whether you’re an advanced-beginner, an intermediate knitter looking to expand your repertoire, or an advanced knitter seeking refinement, Ann’s guidance will elevate your craft.
For more details, visit Ann’s website at annbuddknits.com/classes.
Sydney Whitwell identifies herself as a strong intermediate knitter. She learned to knit “a few times” and joined the Toronto Knitters Guild in 2023, looking for like-minded makers. Read on to be impressed by Sydney’s command of fibre arts, her rapid knitting progress, and her commitment to an inclusive knitting community.
Tell us about when and how you came to knitting.
I am originally from British Columbia where I learned to knit a few times—first at weaving and knitting class as a young child (Thanks, Mom, for taking me!), when I was in elementary school from a neighbour, and in middle school knitting class. I could knit only a flat square and knit for fun or to keep my hands busy.
In the spring of 2023, a friend recommended crochet, and I loved it! I am still close friends with the person who taught me to knit in middle school, and she encouraged me to re-try knitting when she saw how I took to crocheting. I haven’t looked back since! Something about being confident in crochet, a similar skill, helped knitting click.
As I still feel new-ish to knitting, I don’t make many changes to patterns other than easy modifications like lengthening the sleeves or body. I am not yet confident enough to adjust a lot of the pattern. I do sew, but have never tried to sew through a knitted garment, an idea that makes me nervous!
What is your day job? How, if at all, does knitting fit with that?
I’m a graphic designer and design student (I am taking my degree online, which is convenient to be able to knit and listen to lectures!) Knitting and my other fiber arts go well with that; it helps in pairing colours or making other visual decisions for my projects.
Do you have an aptitude for knitting or is it something you have to “work” at?
I’d say it’s a combination of aptitude, working at it, and being someone who can get really obsessed with a project and not want to put it down (ha).
Initially, knitting presented a learning curve. But crochet and my prior experience helped a lot. Once I was able to read a pattern and could knit, purl, cast on, and bind off confidently, I felt I could take on most things. I’ve since enjoyed complicated-looking patterns that are achievable when the steps are broken down. I feel really comfortable with knitting now and can finish a big project in less than a month if I really work at it! Brioche and 3-colour colourwork have yet to be tried.
What prompted you to join the Toronto Knitters Guild?
I joined the Toronto Knitters Guild in November 2023 on my return to knitting. I had heard about the guild at a local yarn store or one of my other guilds (maybe spinning?), and it felt like a good time to join. I wanted to be part of a local community, having moved to Toronto from British Columbia in 2021.
I love the guild’s welcoming environment, especially at in-person meetings, and the opportunity to talk to people who “get it.” By contrast, people in my daily life can’t identify my sweater as handknit and don’t ask for the pattern. So, it’s special to be at a TKG meeting!
Are there other fibre arts that you practise?
I sew, quilt, spin, process my own fleece sometimes, and crochet! I joke that once I learn to weave and dye, I’ll have completed the set. I have also needle felted a bit—I did a wool model of a cross-sectioned kidney for a high school science class.
Spinning is one of my absolute favourite things to do and I find it really relaxing and meditative. It is done largely from feel rather than counting and watching stitches, so it can be a great break from technical knitting (and then I get to knit with the yarn I make!) A few months ago I spun the first fiber I hand blended (two colours of alpaca with Corriedale, silk, and iridescent angelina for sparkle) and then knit it into a sweater vest in a week because I was just so excited about it. Hand spinning doubles the sense of pride from telling someone I knit what I’m wearing; I can also say I made the yarn!
What is the biggest improvement you have seen in your knitting over the last 5 years?
As I get more settled into knitting, my stitches are nice and even. I find myself frogging less and generally being less worried as I start a pattern and move through its parts. This improvement came with practice and support of knitting friends—my friends in British Columbia who knit, friends at stitch nights and craft groups, and of course TKG!
I am excited to see where knitting takes me in future, as I’ve only been “seriously knitting” for less than two years.
What knitted item(s) are you most proud of?
If I think of technical skills, I am most proud of a “Ranunculus” I knit for my mom. It was the first lace project I tried, and I learned the importance of keeping track of stitch counts in lace. Halfway through the lace part of the yoke in the middle round of eyelets, I found I was one stitch off. I decided to restart the garment, which was tough, but I love the finished project.
I also just completed a “Macaron Cardigan” that quickly became my most worn handknit; it’s a goes-with-everything kind of sweater. The cardigan was my first button band, which didn’t take as long as I thought it would and was actually very fun!
I mostly knit fingering, sport, and DK, and I love to knit sweaters and tops (though lately I’ve knit two “Musselburgh” hats just because it’s such a nice pattern to put in my bag and knit everywhere). I have not yet knit toys. I find stockinette in the round very meditative, but I have also really come to enjoy lace, which is less intimidating than it seems! With lace, I love seeing the pattern appear with each round.
Do you consider yourself to be a process knitter or a product knitter? Give us an example.
Product knitter! As I said, I completely restarted my “Ranunculus” because of a row being one stitch off. That made me worry about other mistakes, so I opted to begin again. I love the process of knitting, but if I had to pick process or product I am probably a product knitter. I knit to ultimately wear what I make and I want to love it, or when I gift knit I want it to be as perfect as possible for my recipient.
Who are your knitting “heroes”?
My knitting heroes would be my favourite pattern designers (Andrea Mowry, Jessie Maed, Tin Can Knits, to name a few), my friends at Yarns Untangled whom I see often for stitch night and were also very kind and helpful to me when I started re-learning to knit (thank you Amelia, Annabel, and Alison!). There’s also Nicole of The Spinnacle who taught me to knit in middle school and has been an amazing cheerleader, friend, and knitting hero for years. All of these people brought something helpful and inspiring to my knitting journey. I would not be the knitter I am today without them.
How do you access reference materials?
I access reference materials mostly online (Ravelry, YouTube, Instagram), and I have recently started reading classic knitting books by Amy Herzog and Patty Lyons through the Toronto Public Library’s ebook side, which is really convenient! I have checked out books on spinning and sheep & wool through them as well.
What didn’t we ask you that you wish we’d asked?
The only thing that comes to mind is maybe what I feel is important in the knitting world or would like to see more of, and that’s inclusivity! Both size inclusivity and accessibility for disabled knitters. I’m a wheelchair user and some yarn stores seemingly forget that disabled people knit too, and I don’t see very many pattern designers releasing screen reader compatible versions of their patterns or large print options (though Ysolda Teague does, which is amazing!) Overall, I have seen great advocacy for size inclusivity in the community, and would like that to continue—plus more accessibility. Knitting itself is a very welcoming art that many people can enjoy, and the community should reflect that.
Celebrating the Joy of Yarn
Monthly meetings from September to June on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, starting at 7:30 p.m.
