Eight events and still chipper

We all need a little crazy in our life, especially with art /Image: True Knit

True Knit Art Show is back for another round

Article: Allan Hall – Distribution Manager

On Saturday, Nov. 9, the True Knit Art Show will be holding the eighth instalment of their successful arts and crafts show in the Riddell Center at the University of Regina from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

True Knit is a local arts and craft show run by Cassie Ozog and Kaeli “Cookie” Decelles that showcases and celebrates the eclectic crafting community that exists in Regina. They describe it as a fun, friendly and accessible craft show for renegade crafters and artists in the city. This event has become a regular staple in the growing arts and craft show seen in Regina.

Because of the unique nature of the event, the attendees for True Knit often see some really cool, funky things that they may not have seen at a more traditional crafts shows. In the past, they have had a wide range of items such as baby onesies decorated with skeletons, dresses made from old t-shirts, sculptures out of newspapers, jewelry made from found objects, punky knit sweaters, and numerous other bizarre and fantastic things.

One of the main reasons why Ozog and Decelles created True Knit was to create an affordable event for crafters and artists to showcase and sell their work. For many crafters and artists, the large table fees for most craft shows is a huge enough financial burden that they decide against entering them. For example, the “Our Best to You Art and Craft Sale” held in Regina last weekend, charges between $410 to $1,200 for a participant to rent a single table. This is in contrast with True Knit, which charges only $75 for a table.

“[My business partner] and I wanted to enter into a craft show, but they were so expensive, and we thought ‘gosh we wish that there was a cheaper craft show that was a little bit more affordable that still had access to lots of people,’ [and all of] these other wish list items. Well, then we thought that we could probably do that. We then wrote all of our ideas on a Post-it note and boom that was our business plan and [that was how] True Knit was born,” said Ozog.

[pullquote]“I’ve seen people who came to our very first show and tested the waters and now they were able to quit their jobs because they’ve developed such a successful business.”[/pullquote]

For Ozog, one of the most rewarding things about True Knit has been seeing the personal growth for many of the crafters and artists that have been coming to the event since its inception.

“One of the coolest things that I see is that our show gave an opportunity to people who weren’t sure if they could do this, who weren’t sure if they could sell their art or their crafts. What’s amazing now is that this is going to be our eighth show … and now I’ve seen people who came to our very first show and tested the waters and now they were able to quit their jobs because they’ve developed such a successful business … That’s not everyone’s story, but I see a lot of our return crafters getting more confident, trying new things, doing new unique stuff. And, I think what’s amazing is that we see our family … and they really are family to us because we know them so well now, growing and changing, and improving as artists by every show with new products and new ideas.”

True Knit is also an active supporter of the Regina Humane Society. Instead of charging an entrance fee for attendees like some other arts and craft shows, True Knit has a donation bucket at each show where the attendees can voluntarily make a donation to the Regina Humane Society. Ozog and Decelles also donate a portion of their proceeds to the Humane Society.

If you’re looking to start your holiday shopping early or looking for some really nifty items, make sure that you check out the True Knit Art Show this Saturday.