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In this hand knitting pattern collection, we have together created six pieces - two cardigan designs, a vest, a scarf, a pair of socks and a hat. Each design is inspired by the unique experiences of our grandparents, which provided us windows into who we are and how we use the craft of knitting to express our anguish, heartbreak, and understanding of the hardships they endured through the internment and beyond.

The collection uses all Canadian yarn brands, including Hinterland yarn from Victoria B.C., Briggs and Little from Moncton, N.B. and Illimani yarns from Montreal, QC.

Haruko, our maternal grandmother, taught us how to knit. Haruko means “spring child” and Haru ga Kita meaning “Spring Has Come” is a song taught to Japanese children to signal the arrival of Spring. “Spring Has Come” is our title for this collection, not just because Haruko is our grandmother’s name, but for the themes of hope and new beginnings that Japanese symbolism builds into the coming of Spring with the changing seasons representing the permanence and impermanence of human existence.

This collection is to honour our ancestors — the lives and the stories of our grandparents and the JC community.  The designs are simple, yet each one was designed with intention, informed and embedded with memories of pain and resilience.

The designs in this e-book are intended to be worn by people of all genders. Garment patterns have been graded with nine sizes, equivalent to industry standards of sizes XS through 5XL, and to fit actual chest circumferences of 76 (86, 96, 106, 117, 127, 137, 147, 157)cm / 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62) inches.