Who We Are
Momtrepreneurs on a Mission
Small team, big heart, and a deep love for craftsmanship.
Proudly Canadian
We are a Canadian women-owned small business based in Montreal. We partner with both local and international craftspeople to bring our designs to life.
We Are Makers
We are makers at our core and take pride in our craft. Our ethos is creating products that we would love and use ourselves.
Nature Lovers
We seek to incorporate elements of nature into our products and our homes. You will find maple wood, cork, leather and cotton throughout our collections.
Strive to Make an Impact
We feel passionate about giving back and strive to make a positive impact. We have raised and donated thousands to causes close to our hearts.
It all started with a doodle...
Our Story
Thread & Maple is the brainchild of long-time friends Samantha Perrault and Olga Paskalenko. Sam is a pro knitter and founder of Scrumptious Purl (now run by her mom, Stephanie, who is also our Operations Manager!). Olga is a techie serial start-up starter, but seldom finisher - until now!
Sam had been nursing the idea of expanding into knitting accessories for years. Olga was determined to leave her corporate career and pursue a more creative path. Through a serendipitous series of events, the two found themselves chatting into the wee hours of the night about what they could build together.
Those calls quickly produced an outpouring of feverish sketches of product designs, all aimed to create elegant solutions to integrate the knitting craft (and all its chaotic mess) into the home with function and style. And thus, during a late-night phone call in November of 2019, Thread & Maple was conceived. And after months of designing, testing, sourcing, and planning, we opened our virtual doors in July of 2020.
Now, Olga is running T&M solo, as Sam stepped away to focus on her growing family. The two remain very close friends and their paths inextricably cross, with Sam's mom running T&M's operations, keeping it in the family!
Our Mission
Our founders
This is Olga
I started knitting when I was 8 years old, living in Ukraine. I would make outfits for my dolls with the other girls who played in the 'dvor' (common space between apartment blocks). I delighted in creating whole worlds of plasticine furniture, crochet rugs, cross-stitch wall-art and knitted outfits for my Barbies.
Somewhere along the way, I lost touch with my creative side as I embarked on studies in computer science, like many immigrants in Canada. I met Sam in 2015 while living in Malta (where Scrumptious Purl was born!) and we quickly became close friends. Seeing her beautiful knitted pieces inspired me to try my hand at it again. She helped me knit a lovely shawl for my mom's birthday. Since then, I've rekindled my love for the craft and enjoy feeling that twinge of pride when a stranger admires my son's handmade ushanka hat. Most of all, I love designing new products and connecting with fellow makers in the fiber community.
I'm very excited to share our creations with fellow lovers of the craft.
Our Founders
This is Sam
I’ve been knitting since the age of 5 and have been working in the industry for over a decade now. One of the biggest constants in my life is my knitting. I knit when I’m happy, sad, bored, lonely, anxious, excited... As a result, we have always had knitting notions and yarn scattered around our house on the daily. There is never a time when there aren’t stitch markers on our dining room table or darning needles on a coffee table or near a bathtub… (Wait, not everyone knits in the bath?). Not for lack of trying, I haven’t ever really found a solution for all my notions that works in our home. Knitting is such an integral part of who am I and therefore quite an integral part of our home. I want to be able to store these items in a beautiful way.
Our products have been curated to the style and vibe that makes us feel most at home and cozy. Living in a space that feels alive and natural has always brought me comfort. Our products have been made with that in the forefront of our minds. This may sound a tad dramatic, but I’ve never been more excited to pull out a darning needle. Also, we get to work with like-minded small business owners to create these amazing products… what more could we ask for really?
Thread & Maple — Fast Facts
- Founded: 2020 in Montreal, Canada
- Team: 60+ artisans and craftspeople in Ukraine, plus small fulfillment, marketing & ops team in Canada and U.S.
- Specialty: Premium leather organizers, project bags, and accessories for knitters and crocheters
- Signature Product: The Needle Binder — an industry-favorite organizer recognized across the knitting community
- Global Reach: Sold in 20+ countries through direct-to-consumer and luxury yarn stockists
- Community: Tens of thousands of engaged followers across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Awards & Accomplishments
Maker Collaborations
- Journey with GG with Gaye Glasspie (GG), The Lamb & Kid, and Tif Neilan
- Collectif Spindle Bag with Andrea Mowry, Hedgehog Fibers, and The Spanish Peacock
- Patterns with a Purpose with Lavanya Patricella, Maxim Cyr, Olga Putano, Denise DeSantis, and Melanie Berg
- Nivalis with Teti’s Knit Garden and Hinterland Yarn
- The Perfect Match with Tanis Fiber Arts, Sonder Yarn Co., Magpie Fibers, Hue Loco, and Madelinetosh
- Sisters United with Andrea Mowry & Farmer’s Daughter Fibers
Fundraising Leadership
- Knit for the Girls: Annual breast cancer research fundraiser (2021–present), raising tens of thousands of dollars each year in collaboration with Louie & Lola Yarns and The Grocery Girls Knit.
- Hundreds of donated prizes contributed annually by dyers, designers, and yarn shops,
Industry Recognition
- Featured at international fiber festivals including Rhinebeck (NY Sheep & Wool), Maryland Sheep & Wool, Flock Fiber Festival, Knit City, and Vogue Knitting Live
- Products highlighted by leading yarn shops and fiber influencers globally, including Grocery Girls Knit, Teti's Knit Garden, Knit Picks, Gotham Knits and more
Charitable Contributions & Causes Supported
Thread & Maple believes small businesses can make a big impact. Through collaborations and special bundles, we’ve raised funds and awareness for:
- Breast Cancer Canada — $200,000+ raised+donated in annual Knit for the Girls donations supporting breast cancer research.
- Sisters United — $20,000+ raised+donated for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women initiatives and scholarships.
- Action Nouvelle Vie — Over $400 donated from sales from the Corkalicious Sock Set donated to support families in need in Quebec.
- Mission Blue Skies — Over $500 donated from sales from Journey With GG bundles donated to make cancer therapy more manageable for veterans and their caregivers.
- Help Heal Veterans — Over $4,000 donated from Pattern Binder sales to fund therapeutic craft kits for veterans recovering from PTSD, brain injury, and other wounds of war.
- C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital & Ronald McDonald House Charities — Over $4,000 donated from sales of The Collectif Spin Bag LE in honor of Andrea Mowry’s family.
- Unicef Children in Ukraine Fund — Over $500 donated to support displaced Ukrainian children and rebuilding schools.
- Hospitallers Medical Battalion (Ukraine) — Over $900 donated to direct medical aid delivered to paramedics in conflict zones.
- Every Mother Counts — $400 donated to help improve maternal health outcomes in underserved communities worldwide.
- The Alzheimer’s Association — Over $1000 donated to support research and care initiatives in memory of our crochet collaborator Vincent’s grandparents.
- The Loose Ends Project — Over $2,000 donated to help grieving families by completing unfinished craft projects.
- The Hunger Project — $400 donated to empower women and local communities to sustainably end hunger.
- Lionheart Foundation — Over $500 donated to support adolescent girls’ mental health and resilience.
- First Book Canada — $200 donated to help create equal access to books and learning resources.
- Women for Afghan Women — Over $600 donated to community-based programs and support for displaced families.
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