Who Is Lily Chin?
We were so excited that we were having Lily Chin teach workshops at the store in June we were a bit stumped when someone asked us “Who is Lily Chin?” We struggled with superlatives and came up with very little concrete – she’s the instructor that fills up classes fast…who designs…has her own yarn line…. So we did a little bit of research and this is what we came up with.
Lily is a true New Yorker. She was born in the Bronx of immigrant parents. She learned to “knit” when she was eight. We mean knit. She was only taught the knit stitch, so after miles of garter stitch scarves, she gave it up. Who can blame her, really? She learned to crochet soon after, and took to that like a duck to water. In fact, by the time she was 12 or 13 years old, she was selling her crocheted items to her teachers! In high school, she was allowed to wear a mini-skirt because she had crocheted it herself.
Undaunted by her prior boring experience with knitting, Lily went back to teach herself everything she didn’t learn the first time around. Obviously she mastered it. Her first pattern was published in 1981, and in the last 26 years, her work has appeared in many knitting magazines. One of her knitted bathing suits (yes, a knitted bathing suit) was even in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue one year!
Lily is also the author of four knitting and crochet books. Her first book, Mosaic Magic, was first published in 1999. It uses a surprisingly simple crochet technique that creates mosaic blocks of color. Next was Urban Knitter in 2002. Here Lily began her focus on shape and fit in garments. There are even two patterns for sports bras in this book.
Lily has also written one of the seminal books on combining knitting and crocheting with beads, as evidenced by the aptly title Knit and Crochet with Beads (2004). This book has some wonderful projects and includes instructions for several different techniques.
Lily’s most recent book, Couture Crochet Workshops, takes crocheted garments to another level by emphasizing style, fit and drape. All of these books are available at the shop and Lily will be here to sign them on Monday, June 18th.
This woman clearly never sleeps. Not only does she have her own yarn line (which you can see at the store), she’s been on TV shows such as David Letterman, Martha Stewart and the CBS Early Show. She even hosted her own show on Oxygen. Not only that, she still finds time to be the representative for charity projects such as The Red Scarf Project, Warm Up America, and Caps for Kids. Lily feels strongly that every time a non-knitter or non-crocheter sees someone who enjoys those crafts, there’s an opportunity to bring them into the fold.We couldn’t agree more.
Our workshops have something for every skill level, so consider signing up for more than one. We know you will learn a tremendous amount and enjoy Lily’s energy and enthusiasm for our favorite craft.
Add comment May 8th, 2007
