Celebrating 5 years in business
- Gabriela
- Oct 3, 2024
- 8 min read
Looking back…. A trip down memory lane…..
The saying “time flies” is so true. It is hard to believe that on September 2nd, 2019, Pineview Designs Knitting Club opened its doors for business.
Looking back, it is amazing how quickly we were able to get my business off the ground. Our plan was to open in Jan 2020, however in August 2019 we received some information that meant it was time to move on and we needed to get everything done to open the doors for Sept 2019.
This could not have happened without the unwavering support of my husband, son, now daughter in law and my parents, friends and members of my knitting team. For that I am so grateful.
While I was a little bit nervous about whether my knitting team would be able to follow me to my home studio, I was so overwhelmed that not only did they come on day one, but most are also still with me today.
As well, I am most happy that my knitting team has grown to include new knitters. Again, I am most grateful for their support.
On a personal note, we have had some ups and downs over the last five years. My choice is to focus on the happy times.
While there has been many, two that stand out as “happy place" times, are:
(1) my son Lance getting married in October 2023 and getting a daughter in law who is an amazing addition to our family.
(2) when my “boys” joined our family, Macko in Jan 2021 and Teddy in March 2023. Both happily greet you when you come to class, visit the Yarn Shed or just come to visit my family and me. They do keep me on my toes!!!
Having said that do not worry if you have concerns, let me know in advance and I will be at the gate to let you in.
We were off and running and all was going well then COVID stopped the world in March 2020. Since we could not meet in person, we decided to have Zoom meetings so that we could stay in touch. Although we did not run classes it was a great opportunity to stay connected, seeing and helping each other.
Fortunately, during the summer months, we were able to meet in person in our outside knitting lounge for knitting therapy and classes.
My knitters tell me they while they were appreciative of the Zoom meetings they were so happy to be able to meet in person, even if we were socially distancing, wearing mask and some with face shields.
We had our first yarn sale in the fall of 2019 with plans to have two each year. It was not meant to be. Because of the government shut down, we were not able to have any more until Sept 2021.
In 2020 I took inventory of all of my UFO’s to discover that I had over 90 projects that were samples from my classes just waiting to be finished. I decided to challenge myself to finishing 1 project a week and I am pleased to say that I met the challenge.
Because most of the UFO’s were in progress meant that I now have many needles and markers to add to my collection.
This was also one of the reasons why in September 2021 the Yarn Sale became Yarn and Garments by Gabriela Sale.
Recently I noticed that the number of UFO’s are growing again. Maybe it’s time for another challenge....
The good news is we have continued to have two sales a year ever since. We hold them in our outside tented knitting lounge and surrounding areas.
It is a great way for me to meet new people and help people with their knitting projects.
In 2022 we expanded my business to add “The Yarn Shed” for my customers to be able to purchase yarn, garments and accessories at their convenience. Of course, this also becomes parts of our annual Yarn and Garment Sale.
And we just had our annual Fall Sale on September 21, 2024. Chef Chris provided another delicious brunch.
Our Annual Holiday Potluck (held in December) changed to be at the same time as one of our Yarn sales. As a matter of fact, the very first yarn sale potluck was held at lunch and some of the ladies generously stuck around to help with the yarn sale set up. It was a fun way to get it done so quickly!!!
It goes without saying; however, I do want my yarn sale volunteers to know how much I appreciate the work they do on set up day, sale day and take down.
It would take me many hours if I did this on my own. I might even have to pull an all-nighter to get it all done. It just shows what a great group of people I have in my knitting group and what special family and friends I have.
Pineview Designs Knitting Club has sponsored several events since we opened for business.
Our first road trip was to Fibre Spirits in Barrie Ontario.
The next one was when we rented a school bus and went to the Kitchener Knitters Fair on Sept 14th 2019. Many thanks to our talented Vivienne (fellow knitter, photographer, model and professional bus driver) for getting us there and back safely. While Vivienne was doing just that, a great time was had by all of us while we were showing off our purchases and getting some knitting done.
In 2019 we also participated in the Fall Colours Yarn Crawl that included 3 separate trips to eight yarn shops in Ontario. Even though some of us made it to all eight location and some of us to less, we had an amazing time. It was so much fun and a great time to connect with fellow knitters and seeing new places.
Muskoka Yarn Connection in Bracebridge
Sheldridge Yarns in Gravenhurst
We also supported Chef Heather Goodman with her Cooking Knit Nights at the Superstore. We sat, knit and sip while Heather prepared scrumptious meals and entertained us. I am sad to say that COVID also put a halt to these amazing evenings.
We sponsored the Enchanting Rhine & Yuletide Markets River Cruise that was originally scheduled for December 2020.
However, because of the travel restrictions it was postponed until December 2023. IT WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!!.
Our personal travel agent Zelda B made it all possible for us and organized everything to have the trip run smoothly!!!
We were a group of 12, some knitters and some not. We had so much fun that we are in the process of planning another one for 2025.
Utlinde's Wollbefinden in Dusseldorf
I have a great passion for teaching and was invited to teach at Fibre at Fern in Orillia in 2023 and 2024 and am most pleased to be invited back in 2025. If you have not attended check it out on the Events page . It is an all-inclusive weekend fibre event at Fern Resort in Orillia, including classes, marketplace, fashion show, delicious food and drink, resort amenities, and a weekend away with friends.
This year I was also invited to teach at Fibre Spirit in Barrie Ontario. It is a one -day festival dedicated to yarn, fibre and all things related to knitting. It includes locally hand dyed fibres and yarns, dazzling beads, notions and embellishments, all manner of knitting gadgets, exciting new kits, patterns and books, fashion walks, floor demos and morning and afternoon class workshops. Again, if you have not attended it out on the Events page.
Pineview Designs Knitting Club offers many specialty classes and in some cases a project will “catch the eye” of many, and they can not wait to get started. Over the five years we have had several of those so thought I would share a few.
ErpelEnne Blanket
This stranded blanket is knit in the round, then steeked and cut to make it flat. A border is added to hide the cut edges. To avoid long floats on the back, the running yarn is crossed with the working yarn after every 3rd or 4th stitch catching the floats! The blanket starts at the bottom and ends at the top. What a beautiful piece of art and a fantastic heirloom!!!
Jane
Kim
Maureen
Sonia designed "Suns" for her first granddaughters blanket. Great job!
Brighten Up Cowl Kit This happy cowl is the perfect transitional piece for your wardrobe— a light layer that will add color and flair to any outfit! This bandana-style cowl is unlike any you’ve knit before. It’s filled with stitches that are easy to work, though the unique construction will require a leap of faith to see it all come together in the end. I’ve created a video tutorial to guide you through the challenging parts, and the results are unmistakably joyful! Shop for yarn or dive into your stash, choosing colors from dark to light!
Ann
Dianne
Elizabeth O
Gabriela
Liz
Sonia
Thea
Zelda
Constellate Hat This stitch pattern is absurdly simple (knit some ribbing, occasionally reach down through your fabric, and pull a couple of extra loops of yarn through), but it ends up looking gorgeous. It really shouldn’t be that pretty. Or at the very least, it shouldn’t be that pretty and be that easy. If it’s going to look that good, you should have to work for it! And, as lovely as it is worked in one color, somehow it gets even more delightful if you work the ribbing in one color and the loopy bits in another, which gives you all sorts of ways to play with color. Oh, and just in case that wasn’t enough, it even looks good on the wrong side of the fabric. That’s just too much awesome for one project. It can’t possibly be fair. I’m pretty sure it breaks some sort of rule.
Ann
Elizabeth D
Elizabeth O
Gabriela
Joanie
Sally
Zelda
Killer Queen Sweater and Cowl
A fantastic way to show off a variegated colorway against a semi-solid, this pullover gets it inspiration from the Killer Queen Cowl. Like the cowl, the slip stitch patterns (no stranding!) resemble bubbles fizzing up from champagne flutes. Slightly blousy sleeves give you a modern look with a bit of flexibility with the length. Finish up one of these, and you’ll toast yourself with your own bubbly. For variegated yarn we are using Sublime Elodie and have many solid colours for you to choose from.
Jennifer
Ann
Gabriela
Liz
Sonia
Butterfly Pavilion Cowl and Shawl This stunning cowl/shawl looks intimidating however it is only knit stitches and short rows create the wavy lines. This cowl/shawl looks lovely in either a long transition mutli-colorway or in fun computer died yarns.
Elizabeth O
Liz
Louise
Gabriela
Liz
Hugo Poncho The Hugo Poncho is a very easy, seamless top-down poncho. It is knit in an Aran weight yarn with cable accents.
Elizabeth D
Gail
Nancy
I am forever grateful to my “knitting family” for helping me through some rough times and for continuing to support me and my business.
That’s why we call it Knitting Therapy!
Knitting really is the best therapy where we fix the worlds problems one stitch at a time.
People ask me: What’s the plan for the next 5 years?
I am usually a "One day at a time" kinda gal,
but I would like to continue to do what I love most (besides my 2-legged and 4-legged family): Helping people to discover what joy knitting can bring.
Seeing the happiness and amazement on a person's face when they have completed a wonderful project is really the best thing!!!
There has been so much research done on the benefits of knitting, here is an
excerpt from an article in the New York Times:
“Once you get beyond the initial learning curve, knitting and crocheting can lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce harmful blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
But unlike meditation, craft activities result in tangible and often useful products that can enhance self-esteem.
“When my hands are busy, my mind stays focused on the here and now!”
I would also like to expand The Yarn Shed to make more room for new yarns from other distributors. Yes boys (Chris and Lance), that means you need to strap on your tool belts.
I hope this blog inspires and encourages you to come by for a cup of tea or coffee and check out the lay of the land.
My ladies always comment on how peaceful it is to sit outside when they come, listen to the birds, the waterfall and knit amongst like minded people.
No matter what happens in that crazy world of ours, people usually leave more relaxed than when they arrive.
So, please keep those needles and hooks moving, keep creating and enjoying the process as much as I do.
Happy Knitting
Gabriela
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