Bazaar Girls has teamed up with Longmont Yarn Shoppe in Colorado and other shops nationwide to present Fiberside Chats with famous designers. Register at Longmont Yarn Shoppe and scroll down to find the Bazaar Girls sign-up. It’s a great way to support yarn shops and designers and have fun, too!
October 19
Di Gilpin & Sheila Greenwell
Gansey Knitting and So. Much. More!
We can’t wait to meet Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell, the authors of ‘The Gansey Knitting Sourcebook’ and creators of so much more! They will talk about the history of Gansey knitting, the amazing source material within the book, along with the contemporary Gansey designs for knitters that showcase the best of Gansey motifs and patterns. We’ll learn how Di’s extensive library of designs is created, the process and their uniqueness, crossing between traditions while sometimes creating new techniques influenced by their work in Fashion. They’ll also share the luxurious and unique Scottish yarn ranges they create. We’ll enjoy a discussion of Couture knitting along with all the latest on the new TV series, “The Game of Wool”, of which Di and Sheila are both Judges! Register now, you don’t want to miss this Fiberside Chat!
Bio:
Di Gilpin: In 1983, I took a year off from teaching history to travel, arriving on the Isle of Skye with little more than a rucksack containing a tent, some wool, and knitting needles. I ended up spending 18 years on the island, inspired by nature, landscape, and sea. I worked on my knitting skills, experimenting with different processes, styles, and stitches.
Now based at Comielaw Farm on the Balcaskie Estate in Fife, I create wool ranges, including an organic wool/cashmere in collaboration with Uist Wool. Sheila and I work together designing knitting patterns, garments for different fashion clients, teaching, and conducting workshops. I helped develop the Moray Firth Partnership Gansey Project with the Scottish Fisheries Museum.
I now have a company and work with Sheila and a wonderful team working from the studio. Our brand involves collaborations with designers, including Graeme Black, Paul Hardy, Nike, La Fetiche, and Connolly England. Slow fashion, ethical, and sustainable production are our ethos.
Sheila Greenwell: I come from a Scottish knitwear town and from a family closely connected to spinning and wool, so I could knit before I went to primary school. Looking at old handwritten notes from Gansey knitters reminds me strongly of how I knitted as a learner without the benefit of printed patterns. I met Di 14 years ago, having retired after 30 years of teaching, and now I am lucky enough to share both teaching and knitting with her. The Gansey story always captivates our audiences around the world.
This is a live Zoom Event on Sunday, October 19th at 1:00 pm EDT, 12:00 pm CDT, 11:00 am MDT, 10:00 am PDT, 6:00 pm BST
This Fiberside Chat will be recorded. A link to the recording will be available for one week and shared with registered attendees only.
Registration will close 1.5 hours before the beginning of the event.
October 26
Stephen West
Stephen’s World of MKAL’s, COLOR, and STITCHES too!
Join Stephen as he welcomes you into his colorful, woolly world of Westknits Mystery Knit Alongs. In this 1-hour 15-minute presentation, Stephen will share a first look at this year’s finished design, the Mystery MusiKAL Shawl! Taking a look back at 16 years of MKAL history, he will dissect the clues, share the inspiration for this design, discuss how he chooses his color palettes, and share secrets for how to make your palettes pop. And what about the stitches?! We’ll find out what Stephen’s favorites are – dips, droplets, brioche, and more as he shares how he develops his designs inspired by these and others. Don’t miss this year’s visit with Stephen at Fiberside Chats!
Bio:
Stephen West’s shawl designs and innovative use of color have helped him become an internationally recognized and respected designer. Stephen was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He studied dance at the University of Illinois, where he encountered his first local yarn store, Klose Knit in Urbana. The creative atmosphere of that local shop spurred Stephen to start designing patterns, and he was soon featured in Knitty’s fall 2009 issue with his Colonnade Shawl. Not long after, he moved to Amsterdam, publishing more patterns and launching a series of pattern books under the name Westknits. He continues to produce pattern books and hosts several online knit-alongs each year. His simple, clean, architectural designs have now been knitted by thousands of knitters all around the world. Stephen has taught workshops throughout the United States and internationally in Finland, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Israel, Iceland, the UK, and Amsterdam, where he co-owns Stephen & Penelope, a yarn boutique in the city center. In 2019, Stephen and his business partner, Malia Mae Joseph, realized a long-held dream by launching their first yarn brand, West Wool.
This is a live Zoom Event on Sunday, October 26th at 1:00 pm EDT, 12:00 pm CDT, 11:00 am MDT, 10:00 am PDT, 6:00 pm CET
This Fiberside Chat will be recorded. A link to the recording will be available for one week and shared with registered attendees only.
Registration will close 1.5 hours before the beginning of the event.
November 9
Kyle Kunnecke
Inspired Knitting Designs with Kyle Kunnecke!
Join knitwear designer and instructor Kyle Kunnecke for a Fiberside Chat celebrating the release of his book, Urban Knit Collection: 18 City-Inspired Knitting Patterns for the Modern Wardrobe [Revised 2nd Edition]. Kyle will share the inspiration behind his city-inspired designs and talk about how architecture and everyday surroundings shape his work. He’ll also demonstrate his signature locked floats technique — a practical approach to stranded colorwork that keeps floats neat, balanced, and approachable. Bring your curiosity and your questions for an engaging hour of design stories, tips, and techniques.
Bio:
Kyle Kunnecke is a designer, teacher, and author known for bold colorwork and thoughtful construction. His patterns have appeared in books and magazines worldwide, and his classes focus on helping knitters gain confidence with new techniques. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Kyle designs, teaches, and connects with knitters everywhere who share his passion for color and craft. You can find his work at kylewilliam.com and follow him on Instagram @sf_kylewilliam and YouTube @KyleKunnecke.
This is a live Zoom Event on Sunday, November 9th at 2:00 pm EST, 1:00 pm CST, 12:00 pm MST, 11:00 am PST
This Fiberside Chat will be recorded. A link to the recording will be available for one week and shared with registered attendees only.
Registration will close 1.5 hours before the beginning of the event.