Hayden & Ella Handcrafted

Kay Ma, the knitter behind Hayden & Ella Handcrafted, always commits 100 per cent to every project she takes on. Creating hand knit items for the modern mom, Kay is tenacious, industrious and painstakingly conscientious. “I don’t even know how many nights that I’ve taken apart stuff and redone it,” she says. “I remember making one custom blanket: I had it done, planned out and I already made one beforehand for myself. But, because it was such an expensive blanket, I took it apart probably 10 times just because it wasn’t good enough ... [I wonder] when she opens it, will she say, ‘Wow! This was worth [the money]!’ I needed that and I didn’t feel it, so I took it apart. When I was done, I knew I did my very best to make it perfect.”

Whether she is researching yarns, experimenting with different weights, fibres and colours; endlessly practicing new techniques; learning to use various needles; or creating her own patterns, Kay is utterly committed to her craft. At Hayden & Ella Handcrafted’s debut market, her appetite for knowledge garnered the interest and respect of a handful of retired nuns living in the building. “They all started giving me patterns,” she says. “The pages were yellow … you won’t find these patterns online.” Another customer gave her a stack of crochet books, and still another took her address and sent her a box packed with skeins of yarn. Kay’s enthusiasm, her desire to succeed, to knit and to knit beautifully, inspires everyone she meets.