It’s Almost Toque Time!

If you’ve found my website, it could be because you are a knitter or it could be because you’re looking for a knitting pattern tech editor. One new pattern designer I’ve been building a relationship with is Andrea Bowers, and she has released a fun and warm toque pattern, the Kenora Thistles Toque!

I asked Andrea to share a little bit about herself and her toque pattern:

Hi, I'm Andrea!

I have been a Background Painter in the Animation industry for close to two decades, and some recent shows I've worked on are: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Rosie's Rules, and Let's Go Luna. I've always loved drawing and painting and many other creative outlets, but I only started knitting more seriously when my kids were little. I made tiny socks and hats for them, frequently adjusting a pattern or working a pattern from memory only to make my own variation of it in the end. I love playing with colours and textures and the way that certain design choices, all made in the background, can say so much about a finished piece.

For my recent Kenora Thistles Toque pattern, I took inspiration from the beautiful Northern Ontario community that some of my favourite people call home, and of course a unique claim to fame for Kenora – their historic team of hockey player underdogs who went on to win the Stanley Cup way back in January of 1907!

While it's hard to tell from old photos, I figured it was likely that the original Kenora Thistles' jerseys had been hand knit, and that the yarn used was probably some type of lovely, rustic wool. With a yarn choice for my pattern in mind, I decided I wanted a folded brim, and a simple 2-colour chart for the body of the hat where I could distill concepts into images that help share the story of the Kenora Thistles. I could not resist adding a pom-pom on top to create that iconic hockey toque silhouette.

In the end, I managed to corral my ideas into an actual pattern, but I know fully completing it would not have been possible without hiring an amazing tech editor to help polish and refine everything. My pattern is now a much more enjoyable knit. A big, heartfelt thank you to Pam for all her kindness, wisdom, and expertise!

I hope you will check out my Kenora Thistles Toque and perhaps knit one as a warm and fun gift for your favourite hockey fan.