Kate Atherley (she/her)
Kate was taught to knit as a child by her grandmother, Hilda Lowe, a legendary knitter in her own right.
A mathematician and refugee from the technology industry, Kate has written four books on knitting including Beyond Knit and Purl, Knit Accessories, Pattern Writing for Knit Designers, and her most recent, Custom Socks: Knit to Fit Your Feet. In addition to being an avid writer, she is also Knitty.com’s Lead Technical Editor and a regular contributor to books and magazines.
Kate teaches regularly at events in Canada, the US and the UK, and we count ourselves extremely privileged to have her on our roster. If you come early for your class with her, chances are you’ll get to meet her challenging but mostly adorable rescue hound Dexter, who stops in the store for treats any chance he gets.
Alison Cooley (she/her)
Alison began knitting as a teenager, and has long looked to this craft as a source of community, an ongoing chance to learn and challenge herself, and an opportunity to deepen her understanding of handmaking traditions and expression. She comes from the visual arts, and her experiences in gallery and museum education inform how she approaches her teaching: with an adventurous attitude and a strong belief in learning-by-doing.
When she’s not knitting, she finds other ways to keep her hands busy—including writing, ceramics, and nerding out about tabletop games.
Annabel Gomizelj (she/her)
Annabel is a proud Brit but made the move across the pond when she inconveniently fell in love with a Canadian. She now lives in Toronto with her husband and a beautiful white cloud named Roudina. A longtime crocheter, Annabel discovered a talent for knitting while waiting for her immigration papers and has barely put down the needles since.
Annabel is also a proud Registered Early Childhood Educator. This passion for education can be seen in all her classes, which are taught with patience and enthusiasm! She loves helping her students dive fearlessly into projects and showing them how to discover the endless possibilities a length of yarn can bring.
Amelia Lyon (she/her)
An avid knitter from a young age, Amelia has been teaching students to knit since 2007, first in her living room, and then branching out into stitch nights and yarn stores in Montreal and Toronto. One of her favourite things about fibre arts is being able to customize designs and garments down to every last detail, thus allowing the knitter or crocheter to create exactly what they have in mind. She has spent many hours learning the ups, downs, ins, and outs of how stitches fit together, and excited to pass on what she has learned to as many people as possible.
