Artist Jill Wieder

It all started with scarves, she explains; “When a local retailer admired my scarf, he asked me to knit a collection for his fall/winter season.” Jill Wieder of purlygirl knits started selling her one of a kind knitted pieces 10 years ago. With a background in art and design, she owned an art gallery for 15 years where her expertise was in buying, merchandising and marketing.

​She has a keen eye when it comes to color, texture and balance. This is evident in the exquisite women’s accessories she hand knits and then embellishes with various repurposed materials. “It’s all in the details”, she explains when referring to the decorated embellishments that support each piece. “I derive such enjoyment as each creation transforms with yet another detail. I love mixing materials. Leather, metal, wood and glass… smooth, hard or shiny surfaces against the nubby texture of the knitting give each piece it’s unique character.”

Two to four strands are intermingled into each stitch, which contain combinations of wool, silk, cotton, mohair and synthetic yarns. A completed piece may contain up to 25 different fibers. Once the knitting is complete, the finishing touches follow.  Each purlygirl knit is embellished with recycled materials such as vintage buttons, old jewelry, leather or felted wool fabric, which add more dimension, depth and personality to each creation.

Her repertoire has grown to include hats, headbands, fingerless gloves and scarves. No two items are alike she passionately explains, “I treat each creation as a work of art. I study each piece as it evolves, adding to and taking away until I have achieved the perfect balance of color, texture and design.”

From sophisticated to fun, the textured yarns, the depth of color and unusual trim make each purlygirl knit a unique work of art.