40 years of knit 2, purl 2

Knitting. It's been around for over a thousand years. It was once a male-only occupation. Has gone in and out of fashion for the last two centuries, and saw a new revival in the early 2000's. Knit alone or with a 'knitting circle', it is one of the most popular leisure hobbies today.

On June 11, 2011, The Knit & Stitch Shoppe celebrates forty years since it first opened its doors at Westlynn Mall in Lynn Valley. North Vancouver resident Edith Mutsaerts always dreamed of opening a knitting shop so when her husband Paul gave her $5,000 in start-up capital as a birthday present, she opened her first store, and stores at Park Royal Mall, Arbutus Village Mall and Lansdowne Mall soon followed.

Edith's daughter Ingrid remembers getting her first part time job at the age of seven, working Saturdays for her mother. Ingrid took over the business, which had been pared back to its current location in West Vancouver's Dundarave Village, when her mother passed away in 1998.
Now Ingrid's young daughter, Annie, appears to be following in her mother's and grandmother's footsteps. Ingrid, who began knitting at the age of four, keeps the store open seven days a week, with just one employee.

Ingrid has expanded her business to include "knitting for movies". Check out those mohair cardigans on Halle Berry in Catwoman. Or Rowley's snowman sweater in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. She also works on set, ensuring continuity on any scene where an actor is required to knit. "And there should be more of them!" jokes Ingrid. But mostly, this busy mom can be found at her little shop in Dundarave, taking care of her customers, many of whom have been coming to The Knit & Stitch Shoppe throughout its entire forty years, and many more who have come from around the world to buy her wide range of specialty yarns.

Lively and engaging, Ingrid's mantra is "Knitting forever, housework whenever!". To celebrate forty years in the business, Ingrid is writing her first book of knitting patterns which she plans to devote to baby clothes and especially hard-to-find patterns for baby boys.

For more information about the The Knit & Stitch Shoppe, contact Ingrid Mutsaerts at (604) 922-1023 or insheepwetrust(at)hotmail.com

TOP PHOTO: Ingrid and her daughter Annie from 'The Knit & Stitch Shoppe"

Vancouver - Vancouver City News