Holli Yeoh Knits

Last weekend I attended a knitting event at the Surrey Museum called Pic-Knit. What a great event! It was their first year hosting this knitting get together and I would say it was a success. There were many vendors including yours truly. They also had knitting demonstrations and a short film on Cowichan knitting in their theatre. Linda, the organizer asked me if I would be interested in perhaps teaching a workshop at next year’s event. Yes!

I had such fun meeting many new knitters and putting faces to names I’ve only known on the internet. Audrey, it was great to finally meet you! Your name has been on my email list for so long and you were the first to sign up for the new email list on my new website. You’ve been more than kind in your emails to me in the past and I think you’ll probably recognize your words in a couple of the quotes that appear on my website.

Carol, I just had to snoop in your knitting bag when you said that you have a Ruby on the needles. Thank you for sharing! What a great colourway.

Karen, what a thrill it was to hear someone say, “Oh! I saw this in Vogue Knitting!” Yes, indeed the fall Vogue Knitting has hit the newsstands and I have proof. My Mum went all over Edmonton looking for the issue on August 5th, the day it was supposed to be available. Her LYS, River City Yarns had already sold out, but the local magazine store and Chapters didn’t have it out yet. I found it at my local London Drugs in Vancouver and we’ve since seen it at Chapters in Edmonton. It’s out there now! Of course, I have yet to receive my subscription issue. That will take some time yet based on past experience.

My new website went live on Monday! Go take a look, I’ll wait. There are still a couple tiny things to complete on it but I’m so so happy with it. Thank you Jackelyn for all your hard work.

I love my new logo. Denise Tade is my graphic designer and she did a great job. Thanks so much Denise! It was pure genius for her to think of placing the stitches on the ball of yarn. And can you believe that she’s not a knitter?

It’s time for me to say good-bye to my old logo. I also loved my Bee’s Knees Knits logo. Here’s a little known fact. Did you know that Sivia Harding designed that logo? She also designed my original home page.

Good-bye kids - I loved having you climb all over my home page. Good-bye first website - you served me well for over three years. Good-bye bee. I’ll miss you all! (But I must also confess, I’m really looking forward to getting to know my new logo and website too!)

It’s just a matter of hours before my new site will go live. Here’s another sneak peek of the wonderful work that Jackelyn has been doing for me.

There are testimonials that change every time you click on a page. My “fan club” is glowing in their praise and comments and I’m so appreciative when I receive their emails.

I received my advance copy of the Fall Vogue Knitting the other day and I’m really pleased with what Lee Ann Balazuc wrote about me in her “Made in Canada” column. The whole issue is fantastic with many, many Canadian designers represented in their own editorial fashion spread. There’s also a Canadian resources section with advertising from Canadian retailers and businesses. So refreshing to see us so well represented!

My website designer, Jackelyn Thompson has been working hard for me - even while on a road trip with her family. Now that’s dedication to meeting our deadline!

There will be lots of images and adorable children scattered throughout the pages. I spent all morning sorting through these images trying to decide which ones to use. My friend Mechelle took these pictures for me about a year ago. Aren’t they great?

There is much about my old site that I love and plan to keep like the little groups of three tight detail shots. I call them eye candy.

Naturally we have new things on the website too - like this call to action box. Just love the little meandering line of yarn around the outside.

With the end of a school year and a new one around the corner, it’s a time for growth. I always feel the anticipation of new beginnings at this time of year - especially after a lazy, hazy summer. This summer I am not so lazy, but working hard towards those new beginnings.

I’m changing my business name from Bee’s Knees Knits to Holli Yeoh. For the past couple of months I’ve been working hard on design briefs, interviewing graphic artists and web designers and more recently collaborating with them. It’s really starting to come together.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the preliminary logo sketches and a little snippet of the final logo.

My deadline is not the start of the school year but earlier - the plan is to coincide the relaunch of my website with when the Fall Vogue Knitting hits the newsstands in August. I was interviewed last Spring and will be featured in the “Made in Canada” column of the upcoming issue. I want to be wearing my Sunday best when people come calling to check out my website.

The last week of school went by in a blur. There were lots of school activities in the last week or so. Devan’s school had a crazy hair day and you know, I’ve always wanted to give him a mohawk, so I pulled out the clippers and buzzed the sides of his head.

His mohawk was still standing when I picked him up at the end of the day. (Devan’s striking his Guitar Hero pose here.) The next day, the kids kept asking him why he still had a mohawk. They didn’t seem to understand that his hair was cut that way. We’ve since been to the barber for Devan’s very short summer haircut.

I went into D’s class one afternoon in the last week of school to show the kids how to felt wool. We had fun making little felted balls. I was really pleased with how interested and eager they were. Mind you, it could have been because they had fun making a very soapy mess in one corner of the classroom. At least the desks and floor were quite clean by the time we mopped it all up. I’ll definitely talk to the teacher next year about doing more fibre related projects in the classroom.

The last day D’s school had a B-B-Q scheduled and it was freezing! “This is June people - time for some summer weather,” is what I was thinking. Well, by the weekend it was lovely - beach weather, in fact. We are so lucky to have a number of beaches right in the centre of the city.

Yesterday I went to Granville Island for a visit with my good friend Carmen who was one of the artisans in the Public Market that day. Our visiting was sporadic which was good for Carmen - that means there were lots of interested customers …

… like devilish Danny in his new Devil hat.  How cute is he?!

While I was waiting for Carmen I managed to finish off a pair of socks. Project specs later when I get a picture of them on my feet - and yes, they’re for me!

I love the walk to Granville Island. There’s a community garden along the old railway tracks and at this time of year it’s just beautiful with all sorts of flowers.

Carmen wrote a list of her favourite things about Granville Island in a recent blog post. Let’s see if I can come up with 10 things too, in no particular order:

• the inspiration I derive from all the great artisans selling in the Public Market and on the island

• gloriously fresh produce - especially all my summer favourites (berries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, …)
• Maiwa now carries yarn! (although it doesn’t appear to be available on their website yet)
• creative and thoughtful fine craft at Crafthouse (where I used to sell my jewellery when I was a jeweller) run by the Crafts Association of British Columbia
• the ball machine commissioned by Ocean Concrete

• watching Devan play at the waterpark (this photo was taken when he was two)
• the great programming at the False Creek Community Centre
• the Indian food at Curry 2 U in the Public Market

• meeting friends (especially Beth and Lucy) for a visit and play
• the Granville Island ferry rides

Upon rereading Carmen’s list, I see we enjoy many of the same things. What do you enjoy about Granville Island?

I was so busy assembling kits, dealing with last minute details (like buying a second-hand tent) and knitting furiously before the Victoria Knit-Out that I didn’t have a chance to share with you the final specs on some of the samples I finished (and didn’t finish ;-)) for the weekend. As they appear from top to bottom of the pile …

I started this Avery pullover ages ago and managed to finish up the corrugated ribbing for the neckline and shoulder placket. The blues in this colourway will look wonderful with a pair of jeans.

Project Stats
Pattern: Avery by me - pattern available from Holli Yeoh or ask at your LYS.
Yarn: Opal Petticoat (1293) and Opal Uni Dark Blue (1269)

I showed this sweater to you earlier. Chloë is a sweet little cardigan with interesting visual texture in the reverse stocking stitch ridges. In this design, I let the yarn dictate what stitch pattern to use next. It’s fun to swatch with a new self-patterning yarn and see what you come up with.

Kieran is one of my favourite sweaters I designed for my son. I loved seeing him wear this design when he was younger. I just might have to upsize it for this coming winter. Maybe I’ll even make it in this colourway - I love the golden highlights and the hint of mauve in some of the striping.

Project Stats
Pattern: Kieran by me and available for purchase at Holli Yeoh or ask for it at your LYS.
Yarn: Opal Elements 1073 and Opal Uni Mocha (1416)

I cheated a bit with this Lucy cardigan. My Mum knit it for me. (Thanks Mum!) It looks just great in these bright orange colours and received a lot of attention at the Knit-Out. I first chose this colourway to knit a pair of the Guess Who? gloves for Devan. Once I saw it knit up, I knew it would look great as a sweater too.

Project Stats
Pattern: Lucy by me and available for purchase at Holli Yeoh or ask for it at your LYS.
Yarn: Opal Hundertwasser (1430) with Opal Uni Orange (6) and Red (10).

Even though I didn’t get a chance to finish this JoJo cardigan, the colourway is so wonderful that it helped me sell it anyways. I had my work in progress sitting out on the table and it received more attention than many of the finished samples. I just love the strong jewel tones paired with black. Someone said it was like a stained glass window.

All of these are available as kits. Email or leave a comment if you’re interested. They will make their way to the website sooner or later if I don’t sell them first.

Last weekend I attended the Victoria Fibre Festival and Knit-Out. Nigel and I took the ferry to Victoria and had a lovely weekend of knitting and fibre-related events. I arrived in time to drop off a couple of samples for the fashion show on Friday evening. The mocha one is Kieran which I managed to finish by sewing on the buttons at the last minute. The orange one is a recently completed Lucy, knit by my Mum.

Saturday I taught an eager group of knitters out at Boutique to Laine in Oak Bay. I had never been out there before. They have an intimate little shop and then a great big classroom around the back with shelves of sale items. It was very distracting (in a good kind of way) seeing all the yarn on the shelves looking for a good home!

Saturday evening we attended a talk given by Sivia Harding. I first met Sivia about four or five years ago at a Guild meeting. We’re lucky to live in the same neighbourhood in Vancouver and sometimes when our schedules permit, we get a chance to catch up over a coffee. Sivia showed us many of her lovely lace and beaded shawls. I had the honour of modeling her Phoenix Rising Shawl designed for Make One Yarn Studio ’s Year of Lace 2008. 

Sunday dawned nice and sunny. We made our way out to Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt to discover that it was going to be a windy day. After a mad scramble the day before we left for Victoria and much thanks to Nigel, I was able to lay my hands on a second-hand tent for the event. Here’s a very windswept shot of my little tent. Just look at the rakish angle of those little sweaters on display.

Met lots of friendly knitters and had a great day enjoying the sunshine and talking knitting. Many people entered my draw for a free kit and once I process all those little slips of paper and try to read all that handwriting, I’ll get Devan to close his eyes and select a winner.

Saturday was World Wide Knit in Public day. Devan (with is knitting spool), Nigel and I ventured out to the grassy area adjacent to Kits beach to participate. I was surprised at how few knitters I knew at the event. I’m the president of the West Coast Knitters’ Guild and we have quite a large membership - over 90 knitters. There were just a handful of as at this event. The wonderful thing was to see the non-guild knitters out at this event and touch base with them.

Now time for a little name dropping … attending the event were:

Kim Werker, editor of Interweave Crochet and who has more links than one person needs! Find her here, here, here, here, here, here, and here!   

Rachel who you can see here and here - thanks Rachel for sponsoring the event! It was a great turnout.

Chrissy who’s started a new knitting podcast.

Talented Miss Ripley who was a pleasure to talk to.

I met Barbara who works at my closest LYS and I didn’t even know it!

Knit Knigel, step-father extraordinaire and great guy to pal around with. He’s just changed his blog name and I must update the link in the side bar.

Paulette, past president of the Guild who has an amazing wealth of knitting knowledge and contacts. She was working on two socks using Opal Zebra.

Marjorie, another Guild member who ran off to the driving range - it was such a beautiful day.

Heather was wearing a stunning Clapotis. You know, I don’t think I have ever seen one in person!

There were many more people there, but I didn’t catch their names.