When Krystal Chin wants to de-stress, she grabs a ball of yarn, a latte or a pint depending on the time of day, and makes something. So when it came time to decide if she was going to return to her career as a hydrologist after having a baby, she found herself unwinding more than a few balls of yarn.
The water scientist moved to Squamish from Calgary just a year and a half ago, and when she found herself contemplating a return to work — which could mean routine field visits of a week or two —her husband suggested she consider something else entirely.
"At the same time I was looking into knitting groups to join, just to meet people in Squamish, and I couldn't find any. So I just thought ‘I'm just going to start a knitting company and make my own community!'"
And so Wöll was born. Built as a business on the go, Wöll offers a series of workshops around town for those interested in learning, socializing, and experiencing what different local businesses have to offer in terms of food and beverage.
"I just want to get everyone out of the house and get them psyched about knitting," Chin said, adding that the umlaut over the 'o' in the company name is an inside joke between her and her older sister, who is a linguist.
"It's fun to say… Wöll. We are always adding the two dots on top all the vowels we see and seeing how we can incorporate it into sentences — it kind of became a thing," she said, laughing. "She's always been a big supporter, a fan, of me doing this."
Wöll offers workshops in spaces like A Frame Brewery (where the cost of the workshop includes a tap beverage), The Ledge Coffee House, and Green Olive Café.
"I love getting knitters out of the house and introducing them to different venues.
"I'm using their space, but as a business, I'd like to showcase what they have. Like at the Green Olive, the couple who owns it is from Greece and they are professional musicians — their music selection is awesome, and the food that they carry in their market is food that they know and love. So, little things like that. Getting to know people more intimately, getting communities together."
Blending a favourite hobby with a good hot drink or craft beverage is just icing on the cake.
"I really like to drink and knit. I do that at home anyways, but this way it becomes a social thing. When I'm with my girlfriends and get together sometimes we don't actually get a lot done," she laughs. "I come home, and my husband asks me what I did, I can be a bit sheepish."
Ultimately, Chin wants her clients to go away with a sense of accomplishment, pride in what they've created, and the ability to continue building on their newfound skills.
"I want to provide people with the tools so you can understand the basics, follow a pattern, and eventually — one day — be confident enough that you can freewheel a bit. But everything that I start off with is super easy. Not everyone has touched knitting needles or even a crochet hook before. I want to give people the confidence to do all sorts of things — not just toques."
Clients can choose from baby projects, patterns on her website that are great for newbies, including the "loggers cap" and "Tantalus scarf." All classes include the cost of supplies, and sometimes a beverage from the local retailer.
"Knitting is another thing to do to relax. Some people watercolour paint, or do adult colouring books. I mean, winters are long here, you might as well make a scarf out of it!"
