For Immediate Release: November 15, 2010

Download a pdf with more information about Working With Wool.

Watch a video of Sylvia speaking about Working With Wool.

New Release: Working With Wool: A Coast Salish Legacy and the Cowichan Sweater
by Sylvia Olsen

“Sylvia Olsen has told the story of the Coast Salish woolworkers with compassion, respect, humour, and a clear sense of the importance of the story, not only for First Nations people, but for all Canadians.” —Katherine Gordon

Sylvia Olsen is well known for her award-winning books exploring the complex territory that lies in the place between First Nations and non-First Nations culture. Olsen is also a knitter who was involved for many years in all aspects of the production and marketing of Cowichan sweaters. After moving to the Tsartlip First Nation almost forty years ago, Olsen was drawn to the woolworking taking place in almost every home. “My mother-in-law, Laura Olsen, was an amazing knitter and she taught me to make wool and spin.”

Olsen finds all aspects of woolworking fascinating. After many years of participating in and studying the Coast Salish woolworking traditions, her new book, Working With Wool has at long last been released. “The story is so fascinating I thought it should be shared with as many people as possible.”

Though everyone has seen (or owns) a Cowichan sweater, few know the story behind the ubiquitous garments. “There are a lot of assumptions about Coast Salish people,” Olsen says, “but very few stories that describe their industry, innovation, and ingenuity. There is no better story than this, about any people, to illustrate those qualities.”

Blending her own experiences working with knitters and sweaters from the late ‘70s to the early ‘90s, her desire to learn as much as possible about how government and business intersected with knitters and purchasers, the stories of the knitters themselves, and more than a hundred archival photographs, Olsen has woven a fascinating narrative, a cross cultural story that involves all British Columbians, First Nations, settlers, governments, and churches. “We have all been touched by, or involved with the sweaters in one way or another,” she says.

Given how interesting the subject is and the number of people affected in one way or another, it’s a little surprising that nobody has tackled the story in book form before. “Knitting has been seen as neither art nor First Nations’ culture,” Olsen suggests. “Knitting is a cross cultural topic that falls through the cracks because on the surface it may appear mundane. Who wants to write about knitting?”

Fortunately, Sylvia Olsen wants to write about knitting, and for that, we should all be grateful.

Download a pdf with more information about Working With Wool.

Watch a video of Sylvia speaking about Working With Wool.

Working With Wool: A Coast Salish Legacy and the Cowichan Sweater
ISBN 13: 978-1-55039-177-0; 1-55039-177-1
History, 180 pp • 100+ photos • 9 x 8.5 • cloth • $38.95 •
Please contact Diane Morriss at Sono Nis Press to arrange an interview or request a review copy 1-800-370-5228
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it • www.sononis.com