Friday, September 25, 2009
Shirl the Purl Comes to Visit
Last week, longtime friend and fellow knitter, Shirl the Purl (on the right) came to visit. And to add to the proceedings, she brought her friend, Lynne Douglas from Prince Edward Island, knitter and spinner extraordinaire.
We had quite the freewheeling conversation, discussing everything from the outstanding merits of wool to "Why do Newfoundland men wait to be approached by women instead of the other way around?" Lots of laughter, as always, when Shirl is around.
Many of you will know Shirl as the author of the definitive history of knitting in Canada: Canada Knits: Craft & Comfort in a Northern Land.
But she is also a designer in her own right.
Just to give you a taste:
Here are her Scottish Diamond gloves. Such detailed work.
Then for a complete contrast in style, her fingerless mitts:
And her piece de resistance, her chullo pattern:
Can you imagine anything more beautiful than these intricately-patterned caps?
And there's more. You can see quite a collection of Shirl's patterns at Patternfish.
Lynne, too, does beautiful work, spinning and knitting with natural fibres. You can meet her at the Charlottetown Farmers' Market on Prince Edward Island and see her current offerings.
