For our December 2024 Member Spotlight, we invited Mary Tarr to tell us about herself. Mary is a member of TKG’s board of directors and serves as our secretary. Read on to learn what prompted Mary to knit and how much she loves natural fibres.
Tell us about when and how you came to be a knitter.
I came into knitting out of an academic fascination with Angora goats and mohair fibre, after hearing an interesting story on the radio. I discovered that there was an Angora goat farm and woolen mill less than an hour away from me—Wellington Fibres. When I got there, I didn’t know what I wanted. I just knew I wanted something with mohair. The gal in the shop double-dog-dared me to learn how to knit and sold me a lace shawl kit/pattern and a set of Kollage Square needles. Being the kind of person to never back down from a dare, I took the challenge and taught myself how to knit. I watched a lot of YouTube videos, learning what I needed when I needed it, and I have been knitting non-stop in my free time ever since.
Do you feel you have an aptitude for knitting? If so, what skills/abilities come naturally to you?
Yes, I’d say so. I love solving puzzles and have an aptitude for finding things, noticing patterns, and fixing things. I learn best by watching and then going off in secret and figuring things out; I mentally take something apart to determine how it is put together. This propensity has played out in addictions to games such as Tetris, Minesweeper, Solitaire, 2048, Bejeweled, and Candy Crush. Knitting takes up that time now, although I do one Sudoku every day, emailed from my dad.
I also have an unusual affinity toward wool and other natural fibres. When shopping with friends during high school, I was more interested in guessing the fibre content percentages than whether or not a garment looked good on them.
I loved wool from an early age. My parents had several beloved wool garments—Mom for fashion, Dad for function. Mom’s was full length camel wool coat reserved for special occasions. Dad’s was a wool Pendleton shirt that he bought with his first “real” paycheck and a bulky rustic wool sweater that “saved his life” on a cold and wet canoe trip in the Boundary Waters.
I also had many “little lamb” toys as I was the only kid I knew named Mary.
Which weights and fibres do you most like to knit with?
I have two favorite yarns because of the personal connection I have with the Ontario people who sell it and their connection with Kollage Square Needles:
- Wellington Fibres: from its own Angora goats, Mohair/wool yarn milled/spun and dyed onsite.
- Trailhead Yarns: Plant-based yarn with fun indie-dyer colourways. I like the challenge of combining the different bases—Tencel (lace), linen (lace) & cotton (fingering)) to make gauge for a Sport/DK pattern in wool.
How would you describe your knitting philosophy now?
I believe in making mistakes. Tinking and frogging are no big whoop. It just means I get double the money for my yarn.
Knitting provides the visual and auditory satisfaction that I used to get from Candy Crush and other video games. Now, instead of wasting time staring at a screen, I have something to do in real life and in the end produce an item that is hand-made, three-dimensional, and beautiful. My hubby was very supportive of my switch from Candy Crush. Before that, I would be “tuned out” with my device. Now we can hold a conversation while I knit-knit-knit, though he knows not to expect a response when I’m counting stitches. He also loves seeing how much joy I get from knitting and making beautiful things.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I have followed several knitting podcasts since I started knitting. I enjoy knitting along to the conversations, getting the inside scoop on knitting lingo, techniques, patterns, designers, trends, and all the yarn. I love learning something new: I love a challenge. I love colour. I love texture.
I also get inspired by talking to other knitters, seeing knitting through their experiences, and imagining how I can incorporate that new perspective into my own knitting.
What is the biggest improvement you have seen in your knitting over the last 5 years? What accounts for that improvement?
When I first learned how to knit, I made a goal to knit “Lane Pullover,” a pattern by Jennifer Beale, and I strategically built the skills needed, as I do generally when choosing projects.
Who are the knitters that you most admire?
When knitting the “Lane Pullover,” I noticed one of the colourwork charts was backwards. I sent a message to Jennifer Beale (my favorite designer) and was invited to become one of her test knitters. I was thrilled! The challenge of knitting to a deadline as well as knitting along with a group of like-minded test knitters keeps me engaged and accountable. My WIPs get FO’d.
What knitted item are you most proud of?
I am proud of them all. They each had something to teach me, and each lesson I learned was important.
What is your day job? How, if at all, does knitting fit with that?
In my twenties I worked as a wildlife biologist for the US Forest Service studying the Northern Goshawk. In my thirties, I was on the development team for the avionics of AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. In my forties, I provided process assurance for certification of multiple aerospace development projects. Throughout this time I have had hobbies in dog agility, quilting, running, beekeeping, ski instructing, knitting, crochet, spinning, and birding. I love learning new things that keep my mind and my body engaged.
How long ago did you join the Toronto Knitters Guild? What prompted you to join? Is the guild delivering what you hoped for?
I joined TKG three years ago, looking for a local community of fibre friends. During the pandemic, I had (still have) a group of knitting/crafting friends, but they all live too far for regular in-person outings. Last year when TKG had a “call for volunteers”, I raised my hand to participate, and am enjoying learning how the guild operates and the amount of work and care goes into this all-volunteer organization. The people of this guild come from many different backgrounds with a common language of knitting and all-things-fibre. I think that’s pretty awesome.
