What's an Urban Wolf?

Posted on 5 Sep 15:21

It's a question we get often, and it holds a special meaning to us. Yes, it has nothing to do with yarn, fiber, knitting, crocheting or any other fiber art. However, as you have experienced yourself, there is always something that inspires you. To some it is nature, others it is fitness, or even money. To us it is the amazing spirit of our Siberian Huskies.

Kira

Kira was our first Husky and she was an inspiration in so many ways. Born on
February 3, 2004, Kira was what we now refer to as a special needs dog. By the time she was 18 months old she had her first femoral head ostectomy for hip dysplasia, a few years later she was nearly killed by a bovine virus and spent the July 4th weekend of 2007 in the ICU. That brought on another crisis that nearly took her life. It turned out to be an episode attributed to Addison's disease. She was down to 40 pounds and couldn't keep anything down. Dr. Mark Burton at Evergreen Animal Hospital saved her life after these dual crises. Then she had her second femoral head ostectomy.

Kira's fight, her spirit, her tenacity and through all of it her love for everyone, family and strangers alike, never dimmed. She was the type of dog who could see someone sitting on a park bench who was sad and alone. She would go sit by them and show them kindness that many had not seen in a long time.

About halfway through Kira's ninth year she was diagnosed with lymphoma. She soldiered through six months of chemotherapy, but sadly on December 31, 2013 she lost her fight. It left us broken hearted. But so inspired by her.

This is why the yarns named after Kira are the strong, tough yarns that will stand up to anything.

Kyle

Born on July 30, 2010, Kyle came along when Kira was about six years old. His spirit livened up our lives. He is up for anything and ready to go anywhere. Kyle has helped train for a marathon, served as a walking buddy for a friend going through chemo, and is an all around goof. He gently watched over his sister as she went through lymphoma, and was broken-hearted when she lost her fight. He is sweet, beautiful and intensely loyal. It is hard not to be inspired by a wonderful creature.

This is why Kyle gets the sock yarn named after him. He's sleek, slender and tough, but he's also soft and cuddly. So a bit of merino, with a bit of nylon in a skinny yarn, dyed up beautifully fits Kyle's inspiration.

Kali

When it became clear that Kyle was not recovering from his broken heart we set out to find a match for his spirit and energy. We met Kali six weeks after she was born on February 23, 2014, and she was a tiny little puppy, but so filled with Husky life, energy and, of course, beauty, she liven up the house after a sad time. She never let Kyle or us dwell too much on our loss. She keeps order, gives lots of love and kisses, and makes certain that all of the squirrels know exactly what is up. She has bonded so closely with the family that we hardly go anywhere without one another. Kali's line of yarns are the ones that include fabulous fibres. She's tough, but she's soft, fluffy and snuggly. So she gets the cashmere, yak, silk and other fine blends.

So, Urban Wolves Fibre Arts might be a silly name, and admittedly it has zero to do with fibre arts, but our urban wolves are our inspiration.