On October 4th River City Yarns hosted a knit-along with freelance designer Jane Ellison. Jane is the designer and author of The Mirasol Collection, which contains patterns for the Mirasol yarn collection: Sulka, Hacho, Cotanani, and Miski. Although they were all lovely, the favourite was Miski, a baby llama yarn that’s as lofty and soft as a whisper.
About twenty of us took part, and knitterly contentment and camaraderie were evident throughout the event, which took place in the J Café next door. Coffee, tea, and spiced wine were served along with canapés and dessert squares that were to die for.
Each of us was offered the opportunity to purchase two skeins of Hatcho, and knit the Carlos gloves from page 61, which are knit flat with rows running vertically so they knit up quickly and easily. While we knit (and nibbled), Jane talked about her work in the fashion industry, working with Debbie Bliss, and her eventual involvement in the Mirasol project, a fair trade venture that uses partial proceeds to build schools for the children of remote Peru. She also described her visit to the Andes mountains where she met the people and absorbed the world that inspired the collection. |
In the Mirasol book, Jane comments on her visit to the area, “Although the poverty is extreme, you get a sense of community and peacefulness. There was none of that anger you associate with city life. It is also very humbling, things I would normally worry about at home seemed unimportant.”
Jane showcased samples from the collection, to the ooos-and-aaaahs of the crowd. Sweaters, hats, scarves, and gloves passed from table to table so we could all see and touch the items up close. The Juliaca, a ribbed sweater with cable accents at the cuffs and bottom edge, was knit up in the prettiest shade of blue I’ve ever seen. One knit-along’er offered up her handsome sons in exchange for one of the sweaters. There were giggles all around, but Jane had to decline. Check out www.mirasolperu.com to see pictures of these designs and read more about this humanitarian project.
Her conversations with many knitters drive Jane’s passion to design elegant knitting projects that are fun and easy to knit. After her talk, she moved from table to table, sitting with us and sharing pictures, design sketches, and stories of her Mirasol work. The evening was a smashing success, and we all floated out of there with Miski sweaters dancing in our heads. Great job ladies. Can’t wait for the next one!
by Shelley Reichelt
Creative Writing Solutions |
