Toronto Fibre Event 2024

No Knitters Frolic event is scheduled for 2024, but fear not, there will still be opportunities to
celebrate the joy of yarn with us at Knit City Toronto , May 17-19, 2024 at the Westin
Harbour Castle . The Toronto Knitters Guild is a sponsor of Knit Social’s inaugural 2024 Knit
City Toronto in-person fibre event, which will feature an extensive vendor marketplace and
three days of knitting workshops and instruction. Refer https://www.knitsocial.ca/event-info
for current information on ticket sales and registration for participation in the Vendor
Marketplace or Workshops.

April 2022 Faux Frolic

It’s here! Come Frolic with us this weekend!

The Toronto Knitters Frolic has been the premier fibre event of the season for nearly 20 years. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so many things, but our love of yarn and our fibre community remains as strong as ever. 

We hope you will join us for a virtual Frolic! We have an amazing weekend prepared of talks, workshops, and, of course, our wonderful vendors during our Faux Frolic weekend April 23 & 24, 2022!

What your ticket gets you:

Your ticket grants you access to a full weekend of programming*, vendor activities, and a TKG 25th Anniversary Knit Night event on Saturday night, and unlimited access to the virtual vendor marketplace.

• full access to all speakers presentations*
• full access to the virtual vendor marketplace (see the list of vendors below)
• full access to all vendor activities, including a trunk show with Sweet Paprika and special guest Michelle Porter, a #FauxFrolic Live Chat With Meg Anderson Kilfoil and Ron and Victoria of indigodragonfly, a Mini Tapestry Lesson with Everlea Yarn and more
• opportunity to purchase a ticket to knitting and design workshops
• *Your ticket provides full access to the recorded Speakers presentations on YouTube for 30 days after the event. 

We want to make sure everyone has the chance to attend this awesome event. If the ticket cost is a challenge for you, please reach out to frolic@torontoknittersguild.ca.

Our Awesome Vendors

Vendor names are shown below in random order. The virtual vendor marketplace will open to attendees on Saturday, April 23rd.

Get to know some of our vendors via our Vendor Q&As on YouTube or Instagram Takeovers!

Schedule

We have a line up of amazing talks for Frolic Weekend, with panelists tuning in from many different places! All sessions are be included in your ticket cost and all times are ET.

Saturday, April 23

10:00 AM – Knitting Saved My Life

Speaker: Lotta Lundin a.k.a KnittingLotta 

Lotta Lundin shares how she turned a life challenge into a positive new chapter by harnessing the therapeutic aspects of knitting. In this presentation, Lotta shares the process of designing her patterns. Her artistic talent comes through in the more than 200 mittens and blanket patterns she has designed, accurately capturing musicians, actors, politicians, wildlife, flowers and so many more incredible designs. 

11:00 AM – Vendor Event: Live Dyeing Session with Stitch Noir, Lake Knit Yarns & Colorista Yarn

11:00 AM – 12 noon – Vendor Event: #FauxFrolic Live Colourway Dyeing Session with indigodragonfly

12:00 noon – Contrasts – Textured Knitting: Book Launch and Design Chat

Presenter: MeijuKnits, Meiju K-P, from Helsinki, Finland

Meiju’s Knitting Creation Stories
Meiju will discuss the designs in her new book, Contrasts – Textured Knitting. She will share the inspiration and stories behind the designs in her new book, which is published by Laine Publishing, and her design philosophy. 
Meiju has been designing knitwear for 10 years and her passion has been focused on cable knitwear, however, she is also exploring colourwork. 

This designer’s fearless creativity allows her to incorporate new techniques into her knitting. She has recently taken to YouTube to provide knitting tutorials and even hosts a knitting podcast.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Vendor Event: #FauxFrolic Live Chat With Meg Anderson Kilfoil of CustomFit Knits & indigodragonfly

2:00 PM – Things We’ve Learned About Fibre Arts in Canada

Speakers: Kate Atherley and Kim Werker of Digits & Threads

From the growing or raising of fibre, to its processing, to the crafters and artisans who work with it, to the objects we create and why and how, to what happens to those objects when we discard them, we are desperately excited to explore it all — with you.

Fibre and textile arts have rich local histories and contemporary practices throughout the world. We love learning about them all. From what’s being made in Canada by those whose ancestors have been here all along, to the projects and work of those who came during and after colonization, we embrace it all.

3:00 PM – Vendor Event: #FauxFrolic Live ”Social Hour” with Artisanthropy Fibre Arts

featuring a review of staff-selected colour combos for the upcoming Road Trip KAL slated to begin on LYS day. Bring your knitting and join us.

4:00 PM – The Life of a Canadian Woolen Mill

Speaker: Maddy Purves-Smith, Custom Woolen Mills  

Experience a virtual tour of Custom Woolen Mills with co-owner Maddy Purves-Smith. Learn about the mill and how the wool is processed to get their quality yarn to you. Maddy will talk about and share many of the yarns made by Custom Woolen Mills. 

Bring your questions because Maddy will be delighted to provide answers.

Custom Woolen Mills is a small, family owned, and operated woolen mill located near Carstairs, Alberta in Canada. Using turn-of-the-century industrial revolution machinery, they have been providing quality woolen and exotic fibre products to their loyal customers for more than 35 years.  

Custom Woolen Mills is one of a very few remaining vertical woolen mills in North America. This means, raw wool, which has just been shorn from the sheep, enters the mill and transforms into yarns, wool-fill bedding, and knitted goods, using 100 per cent Canadian fibre.

The wool is sourced from farmers in Western Canada and through the Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers. It is then hand-sorted at the mill where each step of the processing – from washing and dyeing to spinning and knitting to quilting – results in products to that please fibre enthusiast’s needs. 

7:00 – 8:30 PM 25th Anniversary Knit Night

Join the TKG and some very special guests as we reminisce and celebrate the past 25 amazing years of the Guild and toast to 25 more years!

We are very honoured to welcome Sally Melville and Shirley A. Scott to our 25^th Anniversary Knit Night Party.  Sally and Shirley will reminisce and entertain us with stories of the guild’s beginnings. To celebrate our 25^th Anniversary, we will kick-off our TGK25KAL, an event that will run through to January 2023.  Let’s start celebrating all the wonderful memories made in our guild.    Please join us with your knitting and your pattern ideas! 

Sunday, April 24

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – A visit to Margaree Valley in Cape Breton, NS with historic hand knitting expert Lynne Pascoe

Lynne has been a hand knitter since childhood, a machine knitter for almost fifty years, and a teacher since her teens. A lifelong love of knitting led to the opening of a cottage industry in the beautiful Margaree Valley of Cape Breton Island in 2002. Training local knitters, developing patterns, and researching traditional ways of knitting have become the cornerstones of Sheep’s Clothing. 

Lynne’s interest in historical reproduction clothing and loving a challenge led to creating costumes for the films Sea Wolf and the cult classic Hobo with a Shotgun, and living history museums including Colonial Williamsburg, The Halifax Citadel, and Memory Lane Heritage Village.

11:00 AM – 12:00 noon – Vendor Event: Dyeing Duet with Pretty Little Yarns & Stix and Stones

12 noon – Spycraft: Knitting in Code | Historical Knitting meets Theatrical Drama

Presenters: Claire Ross Dunn and Kirk Dunn (a.k.a. The Knitting Pilgrim)

Kirk and Claire Dunn will present the historical knitting research they did for their play “Spycraft,” and share a new, original pattern Kirk has designed for the show, the Spycraft Socks. Their latest work is about a Special Operations Executive female agent who spies on the Nazis in occupied France in WW II by knitting code into ordinary garments.

Kirk will share how he worked a coded message into his Spycraft Socks, and how you can knit messages in your knitting.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Vendor Event: Sweet Paprika Designs zoom trunk show with special guest Michelle Porter of Fondle Patterns

2:00 PM – Muse Arts “We Have A Dream“

Presenter: Paola Gomez – Muse Arts 

Arts in the Community: MUSE Arts shares the arts and social justice awareness within the community. Now it’s time to broaden its scope and extend its community outreach with a physical space for everyone in the community, to create, explore, and hold art-based education programs.

In the We Have a Dream presentation, Paola will share how the arts uplifts and connects everyone to work together for a greater goal of exploration through creativity.

Almost 10 years ago, MUSE Arts wanted to create a space for emerging artists from equity-seeking groups to showcase their work, access opportunities for professional development, and to engage with communities. 

Today, the group is that much closer to making its dream happen by building connections in the community through art and social justice awareness, thereby strengthening community connections.

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM – Vendor Event: Everlea Mini Tapestry Lesson with Janna Vallee of Everlea Yarns

Our Speakers

Kate Atherley, co-founder and editorial director Digits & Threads

Kate Atherley is an internationally known knitting teacher, designer, author and editor. She has published nine books, and her focus in all her work is the empowerment of knitters, illuminating both the methods and mechanics of the craft. 

The combination of her university degree in mathematics, professional experience in software development, technical writing and usability, and training in garment and fashion design give her a unique perspective.  

Kirk Dunn, actor, writer

Kirk is the creator of Stitched Glass, an installation of three tapestries, knit in the style of stained glass, exploring the commonalities and conflicts between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Kirk and Claire Ross Dunn co-wrote The Knitting Pilgrim, a one-hour performance to tour with Stitched Glass that explores Kirk’s artistic and spiritual journey creating the project. 

Paola Gomez, co-founder and director of Muse Arts

Paola Gomez is a human rights lawyer, community organizer, public speaker, artist facilitator, writer and dreamer. Her work integrates the arts, community engagement and anti-oppressive frameworks.

Lotta Lundin a.k.a KnittingLotta, knitwear designer

In 2018, Lotta went from a successful graphic designer from Stockholm, Sweden to suffering the effects of burn out. She turned to knitting as a way to relax, calm her nerves and turn her anxiety into success. Soon after, she started designing her own patterns. 

Knitting Lotta has one book published, Sticka vantar med Knitting Lotta (Knit Mittens with Knitting Lotta), which is not printed in English. Her second book will be released in August.

Meiju, knitwear designer

Meiju has been designing knitwear for 10 years and her passion has been focused on cable knitwear, however, she is also exploring colourwork. Her fearless creativity allows her to incorporate new techniques into her knitting.
She has recently taken to YouTube to provide knitting tutorials and even hosts a knitting podcast. Meiju’s patterns are tech edited and test knit, and are available in English and Finnish.

Sally Melville, TKG alum and first meeting speaker and retired knitwear designer

Before the DKC, there was the K-W Knitters’ Guild, established by Sally Melville and friends. Toronto knitters would come to K-W for events until they decided to establish a guild of their own. Sally was honoured to be invited as their first guest speaker. For 10 subsequent years—until her move to Ottawa in 2008—she was invited to come once a year and speak. It was always a joy to re-establish her connection with her knitting friends in Toronto.

Over the 40 years of Sally’s knitting career, she wrote seven knitting books—including The Knit Stitch (which sold 300,000 copies) and her last and favourite book, Knitting Pattern Essentials. She also taught extensively, which took her around the world (and to Denver where she put much of her teaching expertise onto the Craftsy platform).

Sally retired in 2019, although she still puts the occasional pattern on Ravelry.

Lynne Pascoe, owner Sheep’s Clothing Inc.

Lynne has been a hand knitter since childhood, a machine knitter for almost fifty years, and a teacher since her teens. A lifelong love of knitting led to the opening of a cottage industry in the beautiful Margaree Valley of Cape Breton Island in 2002. Training local knitters, developing patterns, and researching traditional ways of knitting have become the cornerstones of Sheep’s Clothing.

Lynne’s interest in historical reproduction clothing and loving a challenge led to creating costumes for the films Sea Wolf and the cult classic Hobo with a Shotgun, and living history museums including Colonial Williamsburg, The Halifax Citadel, and Memory Lane Heritage Village.

Maddy Purves-Smith, owner Custom Woolen Mills

Current Co-owner of Custom Woolen Mills, Maddy comes from a line of hard-working and caring owners, starting with her parents, Fen Roessingh and husband Bill Purves-Smith. Today, Custom Woolen Mills is a hub in the community, a multigenerational family enterprise, and a producer of quality, Canadian grown and manufactured wool products.  

Rooted in the Canadian raw wool business, Custom Woolen Mills has been in business for more than 35 years.

Claire Ross Dunn, writer

Claire Ross Dunn is a writer, story editor and producer who has worked on award-winning shows and movies for television and streaming. Her credits include the critically acclaimed Little Mosque on the Prairie for CBC and Hulu, Degrassi: The Next Generation for CTV and Nickelodeon, and Falling for Look Lodge for Hallmark, among many others.

Shirley A. Scott, aka Shirl the Purl, knitwear designer and past TKG President

Shirley A. Scott sometimes known as Shirl the Purl, has been writing about knitting, designing knitwear, and publishing patterns for many years. She is the author of Canada Knits: Craft and Comfort in a Northern Land. She is passionate about teasing out the connections between history and craft. A Newfoundlander by choice, her creative life has flourished in her adopted home. She lives to knit in St. John’s.

Together with Christine LeGrow of Spindrift Handknits they have collected and studied mittens from across Newfoundland for the past 40 years. Recognizing the value of these artifacts, they have expertly and painstakingly recreated more than 20 heritage patterns for today’s knitter. Together they have authored the beloved Saltwater Knits series; Saltwater Mittens, Saltwater Classics, Saltwater Gifts and the soon to be released Saltwater Socks.

Kim Werker, co-founder and publisher

Kim Werker is an editor, author, instructor, and speaker. Over her sixteen-year career in crafts she has written seven books; founded, run and eventually sold an online crochet magazine and community; served as editor of Interweave Crochet; and spoken and taught at conferences across North America. Through her Mighty Ugly project, she helps people have more fun making stuff. Working in craft-focused editorial is her professional dream, with values of sustainability, equity, inclusion, and diversity at the centre of her work. 

Workshops

Workshop sales have closed for this year’s Frolic.

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VENDOR CALL – Closed for 2022!

The call for vendors for the 2022 Frolic has closed.

To be contacted for Frolic 2023, please complete this form.