Aoibhe Ni (AY-vah NEE) is an Irish Tunisian crochet designer, teacher, and the creative force behind Yarn Towers. Known for her mythology-inspired Legendary Shawls and her pioneering "short hook" method, Aoibhe designs intricate lacework that requires nothing more than a standard crochet hook and a sense of adventure. In this Maker Spotlight, she shares how growing up in rural Ireland shaped her craft, what it's like to design without a mind's eye, and why there's no such thing as a mistake in crochet.

This week, we’re shining our Maker Spotlight on Elysia of Yarn Ink, a woman-owned and operated hand-dyed yarn company based just outside of Calgary, Alberta. Elysia’s colorways are every bit as bold and expressive as her creative spirit. What began as a stay-at-home mom’s experiment in hand-dyeing has grown into a thriving business celebrated for its vibrant hues, fearless messages, and heartfelt connection to the fiber community. From her unforgettable F*ck Cancer colorways to her love of collaboration and color, Elysia’s work reflects both resilience and authenticity -- two things we can never get enough of. She was randomly selected from the generous group of sponsors who donated prizes to this year’s Knit for the Girls fundraiser in support of breast cancer research, and we’re so thrilled to share a glimpse into her journey. Q. How did your business get started? It all started after my daughter was born and she’d wear wool longies I knit over her cloth diapers. At the time I was a stay at home mom and we were on a limited budget so I couldn’t afford the super fancy hand dyed yarn. A friend of mine learned how to hand dye yarn and taught me the basics and the rest is history. Q. Do you have a favorite project or piece that you've ever worked on?  Honestly my favourite project has been f*ck cancer and I was so nervous when I first shared it because it’s a super sensitive topic (for obvious reasons) but I was shown nothing but insane support. So many vulnerable stories were shared about themselves, friends, family. I realized that I hit something with it because so many people felt that was the only way to say it. Q.  If you could collaborate with any designer, dyer, or maker, who would it be, and why? Oh wow this one is tough, there are so many! If I could only choose one though…. Wool & pine would be one of them for sure! I love their aesthetic and style. Q. What do you like to listen to while you're working? Honestly a huge mix, podcasts including Mel Robbins, The Birds Papaya, music if I just need to zone out and recently I’ve been rewatching Desperate Housewives. Thank you, Elysia, for sharing your color, creativity, and heart with the fiber community. Your work reminds us how making can spark connection and joy in so many forms! You can discover Elysia's vibrant creations -- and bring a little of that color into your own projects -- on Instagram and at Yarn Ink. love,

Today's’s Maker Spotlight takes us to the rugged beauty of Newfoundland, where Pamela of Windswept Fibres and Design captures the spirit of her coastal home in every skein. What began as a way to share locally dyed yarn with visiting knitters soon became a thriving fibre business, rooted in pride for her province and a deep love of colour. From her shop in St. John’s, Pamela continues to craft luminous yarns that celebrate Newfoundland’s natural magic: each hue telling a story of sea, stone, and sky. Q. How did your business get started? My business started in early 2022. I was working in our LYS and we daily had tourists dropping by looking for locally dyed yarn. I approached the owner, Katie, and mentioned that I was interested in trying to dye high quality yarn for the shop to fill that need. I have always been a very proud Newfoundlander so the chance to show off our culture through beautiful fibre was the drive behind the brand! We launched on LYS Day in April of 2022 and thankfully it was a success right from the start. Unfortunately a couple of months later Katie announced she was selling the shop and it ended up leaving the city so I started on my own. In 2024 I opened my own shop on Water Street in St. John’s and it is thriving!  Q. Do you have a favorite project or piece that you've ever worked on?  It’s very hard to choose a favourite “child” but Labradorite has definitely been the most popular of my colourways. It is layers of blue, greens, greys and golds to try to replicate the look of the Labradorite gemstone. I only do it on Paradise silk sock which is 50% silk as it shines.  Q.  If you could collaborate with any designer, dyer, or maker, who would it be, and why? I don’t think I could ever narrow down my choice of favourite designer to just one but it would be amazing to collaborate with designers such as Jennifer Beale, Joji Locatelli, Isabelle Kraemer or Ankestrick! Their designs have always been personal favourites as they are so well written and beautifully designed but still very wearable. I have also been a huge fan of Thread and Maple for years and have quite a collection of beautiful leather binders and tools that I use on a daily basis! My favourite would have to be the On the Go that I carry everywhere. To collaborate on something like that would be a dream!  Q. What do you like to listen to while you're working? Surprisingly enough I don’t usually listen to anything when I’m working! I’m usually humming or singing something to myself but I tend to be thinking and planning something as I dye and I really enjoy the quiet!  With every dye pan, Pamela captures the textures and tones of Newfoundland’s coastline: yarns that glow with warmth, movement, and a sense of place. Pamela also joins us as one of the talented sponsors for this year’s Knit for the Girls fundraiser, helping support breast cancer research through her generous contribution. You can explore her stunning yarns and find a bit of that beauty for yourself on Instagram and at Windswept Fibres and Design. love,

Lifelong knitter Jen Davies of Bur Oak Studio turns old aluminum knitting needles and crochet hooks into beautiful, sustainable creations --  from jewelry and wind chimes to garden markers and memorial keepsakes. In this Maker Spotlight, Jen shares how her love of fiber arts and commitment to recycling inspire her one-of-a-kind designs and community connections.

We’re thrilled to share the full Q&A with Bernice, the creative mind behind Yamagara Knits. She's been kind enough to share with us a behind-the-scenes look at her design process, favorite projects, and the little details that make her patterns so thoughtful and engaging. From yarn-inspired ideas to clever stitch tricks and projects that surprised her, Bernice shares insights, inspirations, and stories that knitters of all levels will enjoy. Q. You’ve mentioned that many of your ideas begin with a yarn and its story -- is there a moment you can share when the yarn itself inspired a design, and if that story might have influenced the final design? Indeed, many of my designs begin with the yarn itself. The ZZ Bag, for example, came to life simply because I saw "felting instructions" on the Zealana Tui yarn label and felt compelled to explore intentional felting. The bold zigzag chevron pattern plays with the black and white colourway I chose, while also subtly referencing the letter Z—for Zealana and New Zealand, where the yarn originates.Another memorable instance is the Luminos Tee, inspired by the dramatic "Squid" colourway from Hedgehog Fibres. It reminded me of hotaruika, the bioluminescent firefly squid that lights up Toyama Bay in Japan each spring. To echo that deep-sea shimmer, I paired Squid with HHF’s blackest shade. I was thrilled with how the colours evoked bioluminescence. Taking the idea further, I added decorative crochet lines along the shoulders, connecting with thin stripes on the front and back. Together, they suggest the shape of the Chinese/Japanese character for light or fire, 火. Can you see it? Q. Your designs include thoughtful details like box pleating in Himmel, and the double-waistband in your Two in the Afternoon skirt; is there a favorite “clever detail” you love that knitters might miss, or one you hope they notice? It’s interesting that you mentioned box pleating in Himmel. The neckline shaping was actually achieved through the natural structure of the chevron stitch pattern. The box pleat at the hem started as a practical solution to straighten the bottom edge of the chevron stitch but ended up adding visual interest and fun to the knitting process. Since then, pleating and chevron patterns have become two of my favourite design elements. You’ll find them, in various interpretations, in Lapis, Manis, Luminos Tee, Shophouse Tee, Wild Forests, Taihi Cowl, A Chic Scarf, ZZ Bag, and Solarae Top. I’m continually exploring new ways to incorporate them into my work. Lapis Back to Himmel, perhaps only those who have knitted the design know this. Instead of purling in the round, the reverse stockinette stitch on the hem is worked by knitting in the round on the wrong side. This is not a new trick but there is a neat little detail to doing this without leaving a gap in the fabric when you turn your work to the wrong side and continue knitting in the round. The answer is a double stitch at the beginning of the round, similar to when working German short rows, then working the double stitch as one knit stitch when you come back to it. Perhaps this too isn’t a new trick, but I was very pleased to come up with this solution when I came across the problem.  Q. Can you share a favorite project you’ve worked on that surprised you -- either by how it turned out, or how others responded to it? One project that truly surprised me was New Terrain, an updated version of my older Terrain Tee, originally designed in collaboration with We Are Knitters for their 2021 Makers Around the World collection. I did not expect much attention. After all, it was a refresh of an existing pattern, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. Perhaps those who support New Terrain appreciate that it is more than just a rename. It features thoughtful improvements: it’s now seamless, worked top-down in the round, with added shoulder short rows for a better fit, a wider size range, and a refined cropped silhouette. I was delighted by how well it was received and excited to see knitters making it their own in different yarns and colours. Q. What part of the design process do you find the most satisfying? Is there a part that you secretly dread (but power through anyway)? I enjoy every part of the design process, but the most satisfying moment is putting on the finished sample for the first time and showing it to my husband and daughter. Getting their nods of approval always feels special. Grading was a real challenge when I first started designing, but over time, it’s become something I genuinely enjoy. The only downside is the physical strain from spending long hours at the computer writing and grading. I have to remind myself to take breaks and stretch! Chorus Wrap We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Bernice and her thoughtful approach to knitwear design. From clever stitch details to projects that delight and surprise, her work reminds us that every knit has a story -- and a little bit of magic. You can cozy up with Bernice’s latest creations by following her on Instagram or exploring her patterns on Ravelry.  Thank you for joining us on this Maker Spotlight journey, and we can’t wait to see how Bernice’s designs continue to inspire the knitting community. Love,

Discover knitwear designer Alicia Plummer in this Maker Spotlight Q&A -- where she shares her design philosophy, favorite patterns, and the heartfelt stories behind her timeless, wearable knits.