Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Anne Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. "The Yarn Harlot") (born June 14, 1968) is a writer, knitter, IBCLC or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and doula
living in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada.
magazines such as Cast On, Interweave Knits, Knitty
, Stranded, and Spin-Off. She also contributed a chapter to the book Knitlit Too. In addition, she has written five books on knitting.
One of Pearl-McPhee's best known works is her blog, which also carries the moniker "The Yarn Harlot". In 2004, she founded Tricoteuses sans Frontières (Knitters without Borders), a group dedicated to raising money for the non-profit Médecins Sans Frontières
(Doctors without Borders). As of the 6th anniversary of Pearl-McPhee's blog (January 2010), they have contributed over $1,000,000 CAD
to MSF/DWB.
In 2006 she started the 2006 Knitting Olympics, a competition for knitters to start and finish one challenging project during the timeframe of the 2006 Winter Olympics
. Over 4,000 knitters worldwide participated. The event was also the catalyst for a 2006 Crochet Olympics, which held the same rules but was organized elsewhere.
Pearl-McPhee often makes personal appearances at conventions, book stores and other craft-related events where she shares her view of life and knitting with fellow crafters. Her 2008 tour included venues across the USA and Canada, including branches of Barnes & Noble
and the Borders Group
, independent bookshops, knitting shops and fibre festivals. The tour included her first ever appearance in Europe, at I Knit London
's I Knit Day in September 2008.
Pearl-McPhee originated the word "kinnear" on August 2, 2007, on her blog. Now cited in the Urban Dictionary
and in The New York Times
' 2007 Word in Review, it is defined as "kinnear v. To take a candid photograph surreptitiously, especially by holding the camera low and out of the line of sight." "Kinnearing" was originated when she attempted to take a picture of Greg Kinnear
at an airport while on her way to Boston, MA. When Kinnear learned of this, he started to try kinnearing others, including his "Flash of Genius" costar Alan Alda. He showed his attempts on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien", where, in the same interview, he declared that Pearl-McPhee is "the Michael Jordan
of knitting."
Doula
A Doula is someone who provides non-medical support to women and their families during labour and childbirth, and also the postpartum period. The term can also be used to describe other supportive roles for other life events such as abortion, death and more....
living in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada.
Life
Pearl-McPhee's grandmother, a professional knitter, taught her to knit when she was four years old. She and her husband, Joseph "Joe" Dunphy, have three daughters, Amanda (b. May 30, 1989), Megan (b. August 15, 1991), and Samantha (b. February 17, 1994). Stephanie and Joe were married on September 30, 2006.Work
Pearl-McPhee has contributed articles and patterns to knittingKnitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
magazines such as Cast On, Interweave Knits, Knitty
Knitty
Knitty.com is an online knitting magazine based in Toronto and published quarterly since fall 2002.The magazine was founded by Amy R. Singer and has been edited by her since its inception. Knitty presents free original knitting patterns, essays, and how-to articles written by professional...
, Stranded, and Spin-Off. She also contributed a chapter to the book Knitlit Too. In addition, she has written five books on knitting.
One of Pearl-McPhee's best known works is her blog, which also carries the moniker "The Yarn Harlot". In 2004, she founded Tricoteuses sans Frontières (Knitters without Borders), a group dedicated to raising money for the non-profit Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
(Doctors without Borders). As of the 6th anniversary of Pearl-McPhee's blog (January 2010), they have contributed over $1,000,000 CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
to MSF/DWB.
In 2006 she started the 2006 Knitting Olympics, a competition for knitters to start and finish one challenging project during the timeframe of the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. Over 4,000 knitters worldwide participated. The event was also the catalyst for a 2006 Crochet Olympics, which held the same rules but was organized elsewhere.
Pearl-McPhee often makes personal appearances at conventions, book stores and other craft-related events where she shares her view of life and knitting with fellow crafters. Her 2008 tour included venues across the USA and Canada, including branches of Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
and the Borders Group
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
, independent bookshops, knitting shops and fibre festivals. The tour included her first ever appearance in Europe, at I Knit London
I Knit London
I Knit London is a knitting organisation based in London, England, UK, comprising a knitting group, knitting shop and knitting events. I Knit London was formed in December 2005, and is run, by Gerard Allt and Craig Carruthers I Knit London (often shortened to I Knit or IKL) is a knitting...
's I Knit Day in September 2008.
Pearl-McPhee originated the word "kinnear" on August 2, 2007, on her blog. Now cited in the Urban Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Urban Dictionary is a Web-based dictionary of slang words and phrases, which contained over 6 million definitions . Submissions are regulated by volunteer editors and rated by site visitors...
and in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
' 2007 Word in Review, it is defined as "kinnear v. To take a candid photograph surreptitiously, especially by holding the camera low and out of the line of sight." "Kinnearing" was originated when she attempted to take a picture of Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
at an airport while on her way to Boston, MA. When Kinnear learned of this, he started to try kinnearing others, including his "Flash of Genius" costar Alan Alda. He showed his attempts on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien", where, in the same interview, he declared that Pearl-McPhee is "the Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
of knitting."
Books
- Knitlit Too (contributor), 2004 (ISBN 1400051495)
- At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much, 2005 (ISBN 1580175899)
- Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter - Hard Cover version
- Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks, 2006 (ISBN 1580178340)
- Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting, 2007 (ISBN 9781580176583)
- Things I Learned from Knitting (Whether I Wanted To or Not), 2008 (ISBN 9781603420624)
- Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again, 2008 (ISBN 0740769472)
- Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter - Paperback version
- All Wound Up, 2011 (ISBN 0740797573)