“I have been selling my knitwear for many, many years; as my business grew, I knew I needed help creating my designs...the logical choice for me was to engage local women whom I knew were good knitters. I knew the yarn would be in loving capable hands that would create my designs with the attention to detail that it deserved. It gives me a great feeling that my community is engaged and I contribute to the livelihood of our region”
Knitting and community go hand in hand for Joan Kane, who operates Ewe Design in Trinity Bight, Newfoundland. Together with many home based knitters, she has been able to combine a love of fashion with rural self-sufficiency. Ewe Design is best known for a line of contemporary toques and beanies: fresh stripes that alternate between forest and fruit colours, cozy woolens accented with textured novelty yarns, and Icelandic wool hats embellished with delicate hand embroidery. Hats and mitts are some of the accessories that complement the product lines. Many things fuel Ewe Designs flair for eye-grabbing colour, "Sometimes, it's just the wool in my basket that looks right or the colour combinations might come from nature." Her Jelly Bean Row hats are based on the bright coloured houses that line the streets of St. John's.
In 2006, Ewe Design won the Heather Stone Award for best new product at the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Wholesale Trade Show for her contemporary knitwear line, The Triffy Collection. Ewe Design products are all hand knit using traditional Newfoundland patterns and my own designs. My product range from hats, mitts, scarves, socks and small accessories. They can be found in Trinity and in various locations across the province and Atlantic Canada.
If you have any inquires about my products please feel free to send me an email at: joanshavekane@gmail.com