Beg:
Born & raised in Flensburg, Germany, Maike came to Canada about 17 years ago to study @ UBC. She met her husband and has called Vancouver home ever since. Proud of her hometown, she pointed out that Flensburg has a connection to BC…the city build the last 3 BC ferries!

Casting on:
Maike’s continental style knitting began in home economics class at school in Germany. Her Mother, a knitter, and her Grandmother, a crocheter, both encouraged her love of all things fibre.

KFB & PSSO:
This year, along with some talented friends, she’s knitting for their booth at two Christmas craft fairs. Maike, who works part time, also enjoys spinning with a drop spindle, bobbin lace making & crocheting. An avid reader, she plays piano & loves to travel. Her favourite place to date…South Africa.

Knitting Knowledge and Know How:
Her most dog-eared knitting magazines include Vogue Knitting and Verena, a German publication. The challenge of designing her own patterns makes knitting more fun for her. She currently has three projects “on the needles” using her own designs or adaptations of patterns found on Ravelry.

Cables and Lace:
Maike’s most memorable knitting project was the sweater she secretly knit for her husband for their first Christmas together. He was so surprised and thrilled that it brought him to tears. Where is it now, you ask? Well…he outgrew it!

Steeks, Tinks and Frogs:
A multi-coloured angora sweater, started about 20 years ago before she came to Canada, was rediscovered about two years ago & entirely frogged. Some of the colours had faded and the design was very eighties. With enough white angora to start another sweater, it remains unfinished! Maike promises to bring it to “show & share” when complete.

Dye Lots:
Maike loves to knit with shades on the cooler side of the colour wheel, especially blues, greys & purples. Her New Year’s resolution for 2013 is to go outside her comfort zone & work with yellows, greens & browns. Favourite yarns to knit with…merino, alpaca & silk.

Fibre Fantasy:
“If I had unlimited time, and resources I’d knit…a skirt and matching jacket, a coat and a dress…in that order! The suit would be made of sport weight wool in a classic colour, like grey, navy or red.”

Guild Gauge:
As a fairly new member of the WCKG, Maike especially enjoys the speakers and fibre related topics presented at the meetings. She loves the exchange of ideas and the successes and challenges that members share. Networking with other fiber crazy people and membership discounts at our LYS are wonderful bonuses!

Purls of Wisdom:
“I love all fibre related crafts because they nourish my creative and technical sides equally and I have something to show for it at the end”. “Knitting balances my life”.

Beg:
Born in Vernon, she moved to North Vancouver with her family at a young age. She moved for school (Kingston, Ont, and Newcastle, England) and then for work (Ottawa, New York City) and came back to Vancouver with her husband a few years ago. She’s glad to be back!

Casting on:
Glenda first cast on in her early 20’s with encouragement from a friend and cousin. She says that early knitting blogs were also helpful, but were hard to navigate and patterns were not always easy to find. Today’s sites such as Ravelry & Etsy make her addiction much easier!

KFB & PSSO:
Glenda is the owner of one of Vancouver’s newest LYS, Wet Coast Wools, which opened in August 2012. This beautiful shop allows her to indulge in her own knitting and crocheting addiction, as well as encourage others with knit nights and now movie nights…check it out! Her love of vintage knitting patterns is a nod to her educational background…she has a Ph.D. in Ancient Medicine. When she doesn’t have needles in hand, Glenda & her husband enjoy the outdoors, especially camping, and is quick to admit that a knitting project always comes along. She hopes to get to Haida Gwaii in the near future & dreams of life on a sailboat someday!

Knit knowledge and know how:
She loves knitting books (her shop has lots) and is a special fan of Elizabeth Zimmerman & Debbie Bliss. Her favourite is “Knitter’s Handbook. A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Techniques of Handknitting” by Montse Stanley.

Cables and Lace:
Her most rewarding project to date has been the christening outfit she knit for her nephew. She redesigned & revised the original Dropps pattern and adapted it from fingering to DK weight yarn. The beautiful off white lace set includes gown, shawl, booties & hat.

Steeks, Tinks and Frogs:
Glenda admits to unraveling a lot! She describes her “octopus” sweater as a particular challenge. Seven sleeves were made for one sweater she knit for her hubby. She has an afghan that’s been around for about ten years & is resolved to finish (at least fifteen) all the projects in her stash. She tells new knitters that “frogging is just a part of knitting”.

Dye lots:
A “cool” person she loves blues & purples with a special passion for tweeds. She’s a lover of real, scratchy wool…the closer to the sheep, the better!

Fibre Fantasy:
Her dream project would be a giant, bulky cable knit sweater made from “real” scratchy wool.

Guild Gauge:
Glenda joined the Guild to find a community of like-minded people who enjoyed knitting as much as she does. She’s made several new friends, which has been a wonderful bonus.

Purls of Wisdom:
Advice she finds herself giving to friends and customers… “Don’t tie knots…always leave long enough ends to weave them in” and “Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself”.

Look her up on Ravelry

Beg:

Born in Calgary, Bev moved around Canada with her Engineering Air Force hubby, eventually making Vancouver her home in 1978. She is one of the founding members of the WCKG, and has been a member- at- large, secretary & past president.

 Casting On:

One of Bev’s fondest childhood memories is coming home from school and joining her Mother’s and Grandmother’s weekly knitting circle. Neighbourhood ladies would gather to knit & gossip & enjoy fancy sandwiches & sweets. At about aged 8, Bev picked up some needles and hasn’t put them down much since!

KFB & PSSO:

When she’s not knitting, Bev’s reading, walking & enjoying traveling to all parts of the globe. Her current favourite spot is Italy, but with a trip to Africa planned for the fall of 2013, she thinks that might just top the list.

Knit Knowledge & Know How:

Bev is an avid fan of all books written by Sally Melville. To make her miniatures (she’s famous for these!) she often refers to Jean Greenhowe, noted knitted toy designer.

Cables & Lace:

“I like everything!” She knits for several generations in her family & can’t pinpoint one project she enjoyed more than the other. Bev can’t sit without knitting & recalls that when the airlines restricted carrying needles on board, she crafted her own out of chopsticks & knit cotton dishcloths on an overseas flight. She even knits at the movies, and remembers being so excited when she realized that the drink holders would hold her ball of yarn…now that’s an addict!

Steeks, Tinks & Frogs:

A ponchette she’d knitted several times before has given her grief. Knitting one for herself, she frogged it many times until she declared, “I don’t think I’m meant to have one.” Undaunted, she rewound the yarn & set it aside for a future project.

Dye Lots:

Bev just can’t stay away from greens & blues. She knits with anything that “feels nice.”

Fiber Fantasy:

Bev says she often lies in bed, staring up at her yarn stash in the overhead loft, and dreams about knitting sweaters and putting yarns and designs together.

Guild Gauge:

Bev enjoys the inspiration that comes from fellow Guild members. The camaraderie of being with people who have the same passion as she does makes the WCKG a great fit.

Purls of Wisdom:

“Sometimes the yarn won’t become what you want it to be. Be brave enough to try a new pattern with the same yarn.”

Beg:

Born in Banff, Alta., Linda moved to Vancouver so her husband could attend UBC.  A retired lawyer, Linda now indulges her passion for knitting both at home & at work.  She is a long time employee at one of WCKG’s knit friendly shops…Three Bags Full.

Casting On:

Linda admits to learning how to knit for a Brownie badge as a young girl, and says that had she been aware that she could actually make more than a square, she might have stuck with it! As a young woman, she got hooked when she took knitting lessons with the Beehive yarn (now Paton) representative at the Calgary Hudson’s Bay store.  After her first beginner projects, she knit herself a mohair jacket!

KFB & PSSO:

Linda says she reads more than she knits (which must mean she reads A LOT) and enjoys hiking and camping.

Knit Knowledge & Know How:

Churchmouse & Teas patterns are a favourite & she uses Ravelry to see what is current & trending in the knitting world.  A creative knitter, Linda has created garments from her own designs.

Cables & Lace:

One of her most rewarding projects was an Aran knit sweater she knit for herself many years ago.  She loves Cat Bordhi mobius scarves saying that “Cat made me fall in love with knitting all over again when I took a weekend course with the Guild”.  Linda won the Guild contest a few years ago for knitted rectangle.  Her entry was a “Pretend Sweater” , which was in the Pattern a Day series.

Steeks, Tinks & Frogs:

Not too many projects get the better of her, but she says that the Churchmouse linen-stitch scarf drove her crazy with all the fringe.  She frogged it after about 3 inches.

Dye Lots:

Linda loves to knit with reds, blues & turquoise.  Her enjoyment increases when the she’s knitting one of these beautiful colours in mohair or alpaca.

Fibre Fantasy:

Her dream would be to knit a sweater from qiviut (the soft under wool of an Arctic muskox) or cashmere.

Guild Gauge:

A member since 2003, Linda joined after hearing about the Guild from customers.  She quickly became a member of the executive, serving as Vice President.  A fan of show & share and the inspiring guest speakers, Linda also enjoys the evening catching up with knitting friends.  Linda is the designer of the WCKG logo…the winner of a contest held a few years ago.

Purls of Wisdom:

As a knitting instructor, Linda stresses the importance of making a test swatch (something bigger than the recommended 4” square) & challenging yourself with new stitches & patterns, however…
“Don’t read through the pattern so minutely that you scare yourself.  By the time you have knit to the part that puzzles you, your fingers will know what to do.  Trust me.”  She also encourages members to volunteer  with the Guild…”you will learn a lot and enjoy your Guild experience much more.”