Espace Tricot — Montreal Craftsmanship on the Needle

Since its founding in 2010 in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighborhood, Espace Tricot (YouTube: @EspaceTricotPodcast, Instagram:espacetricot, Website:espacetricot.com) has rapidly established itself as a revered institution within Eastern Canada’s handmade knitting and crafting community. Far more than a mere yarn retailer, the boutique is a sanctuary dedicated to natural fibres and exquisite craftsmanship.

The brand adheres to a highly curated philosophy, focusing exclusively on select natural materials such as wool, silk, cotton, alpaca, and linen. Even the small number of yarns that incorporate synthetic materials must meet standards of “exceptional quality” and possess a “unique structure or texture,” underscoring Espace Tricot's firm commitment to material integrity and sustainability.

The store's authority is rooted in its team’s deep collective expertise—estimated to be “over 100 years of combined knitting and crocheting experience.” This wealth of knowledge enables Espace Tricot to offer customers professional, bespoke services, from calculating complex project yardage and providing precise color palette recommendations to guiding advanced techniques.

In 2021, Espace Tricot marked a pivotal internal transition: two long-serving employees, Stephanie Earp and Naomi Endicott, officially took over as co-owners. Originally founded in 2010 by Melissa Clulow and Lisa Di Fruscia, Earp and Endicott had been working in the shop since 2016, accumulating five years of extensive service experience. This transition, led by internal talent, has seamlessly preserved the brand's core values while injecting Espace Tricot with a fresh design vision and innovative energy.

 Stephanie Earp—From Academia to Design Visionary

Co-owner Stephanie Earp’s trajectory is a compelling journey from rigorous academia to an accidental discovery of art. Born in Toronto and educated across various North American academic hubs, including Chicago, Boston, and Kingston, her cross-disciplinary pursuit of knowledge laid a solid intellectual foundation for her later appreciation of structure and aesthetics in knitwear design.

Earp's encounter with the art of natural yarn began with a delightful “mistake.” In her twenties, she inadvertently mistook a copy of the high-end knitting magazine Vogue Knitting for its mainstream fashion counterpart, Vogue. This chance interaction revealed the immense high-fashion potential hidden within the knitting arts. 

Her decision to attempt making one of the magazine’s sweaters not only marked the beginning of her professional career but also immediately positioned her creative perspective at the high-end and avant-garde of design.

This commitment to high design standards quickly earned Earp widespread recognition in the international knitting community. Her work has been featured in the industry's most authoritative publications, including Vogue Knitting, Pom Pom Quarterly, Making Stories magazine, and Laine’s 52 Weeks of Shawls.

As a prolific and stylistically distinctive designer, Earp integrates her keen insight into fashion trends into Espace Tricot's offerings and services. This elevated design focus pushes Espace Tricot's aesthetic beyond the typical boundaries of a local retailer. 

As a major contributor to the brand’s pattern design, Espace Tricot has published over 150 designs, most of which are offered for free download on Ravelry. This strategy has not only broadly disseminated Espace Tricot’s unique style but has also solidified Earp’s reputation as an innovative designer, building a substantial global following.

Naomi Endicott—Craftsmanship and the Power of Community

In contrast to Earp’s accidental initiation, co-owner Naomi Endicott's creative path is one of refinement, built upon a foundation of family influence and professional specialization. Endicott grew up “surrounded by knitters and makers,” a background that instilled in her a deep emotional connection to and respect for the handmade process. 

Her part-time experience working at a local yarn store solidified her decision to pursue knitting as a formal career. In pursuit of technical excellence, Endicott took a pivotal step: she traveled to Scotland to complete a Master’s degree in Knitwear Design, Heritage and Production. This academic specialization provided her with robust knowledge of fibre history, manufacturing processes, and material science.

This professional depth is crucial for Espace Tricot’s rigorous selection process for its “exceptional quality” yarns. After returning to Montreal upon graduation, Endicott established her own dyeing studio, gaining hands-on experience with the full creative lifecycle, from fibre sourcing to finished project. Her partnership with Earp is driven by a shared curiosity and a mutual desire to expand their knowledge of textile craftsmanship.

Their community spirit and professional depth are encapsulated in Knits from the LYS: A Collection by Espace Tricot. Published by the renowned Laine Publishing, the book serves as a symbol of Espace Tricot as a platform for collective wisdom. It features 15 meticulously designed patterns spanning various skill levels and techniques, including work from many designers who have worked at the shop.

This collective approach confirms the collective strength behind the brand's claim of "100 years of experience." Furthermore, they maintain a stable connection with their global community by regularly sharing in-progress projects, new releases, and industry updates through their YouTube podcast.

Craftsmanship Across Mediums—A Collaboration with Babylon Leather

Espace Tricot has built its expertise in the art of natural yarn, while Babylon Leather specializes in DIY leathercraft. Though their mediums differ, both share an identical reverence for "handmade craftsmanship" and "high-quality raw materials."  

Whether it’s weaving softness between fine stitches or shaping the durable silhouette of leather through precise cutting and stitching, the ultimate goal is to transform premium materials into personal items of long-lasting value.

It was this mutual respect for the process of skilled making that inspired Earp and Endicott to embark on an exciting cross-medium endeavor on their YouTube podcast. They demonstrated the joy of integrating leathercraft into everyday life.

They leveraged their own refined techniques to produce a sophisticated Caramel Birkin-Style Bag (get the same kit) and an elegant Red Birkin-Style Bag (get the same kit). This hands-on experience strongly validates the idea that, regardless of the medium—be it yarn or leather—a passion for making and the refinement of craft remain the core drivers of creation.

Part V: The Continuing Journey in Honour of Handmade Art

The story of Stephanie Earp and Naomi Endicott is more than just an exemplar of successful internal leadership transition at Espace Tricot; it is a vivid illustration of how passion, expertise, and an unwavering commitment to quality can build a global community.

They seamlessly integrate their respective deep academic backgrounds and professional techniques into every design and every carefully curated yarn. Through continuous design innovation and community empowerment, they have not only cemented Espace Tricot's status as a Montreal artistic landmark but have also established it as an enduring and authoritative force in the global handmade art movement.