Yarn venture recognised for creating the ties that bind

Walk into Cringila’s Finzah Yarn Studio and the first thing you notice are the yarn-filled walls.

There are hanks and skeins and balls from around the world such as the nature-inspired cult favourite Noro from Japan, and the famous Scheepjes whirls and whirlettes. And with a Turkish cafe a couple of doors down and burek shops a little way up the street, a visit is a literal feast for the senses. 

But stay for a little while and you quickly realise the real magic of this place isn’t just what’s on the shelves. It’s the owner, Sasha Torilo, and the community of yarn lovers, crafters and artists she has built. Her hard work is being recognised with her nomination for local yarn store of the year at the prestigious Australian Yarn Show.

Sasha was taught to knit by her mum when she was younger, picked up crochet as a teenager and has been teaching others for about 10 years. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022, she took the leap and opened her own studio. 

“Having a purpose, getting up and getting dressed every day, leaving the house and sitting in that little shop stopped me from getting depression,” she said. “It kept me going – and what better place to recover than a yarn shop.” 

When I ask Sasha what makes Finzah special, she replies, “Me. I have customers that come here just to see me … They just come in and have a chat, and people come to show me things they’ve made. It’s a community now and I’ve watched my customers make friends too, which is really, really lovely.” 

And she’s right. While I sit with Sasha and her mum around the table, both crocheting as they talk, a customer comes in, project in hand, to show off her work. By the time I leave, there are five women seated at the table, chatting, creating and discussing what they’ll do if Sasha takes home the store of the year prize. 

Spoiler alert: there’s a lot of anxiety about having to take the stage. For someone so central to the community she has created, Sasha doesn’t like the limelight at all but of the nomination she said, “Being nominated is amazing. That means that 14 people thought that I was good enough [to nominate]. That’s what matters. It feels pretty special.”

Last year’s Worldwide Knit in Public Day (the next is June 13 so get your needles ready) helped to level up the already burgeoning Finzah yarning community. 

“We hosted our first Worldwide Knit in Public day and everyone enjoyed it so much we decided to do it monthly,” Sasha said.

These get-togethers allow knitters, crocheters, spinners and embroiderers to meet at Cringila pub on the first Saturday of each month. These monthly gatherings now see between 20 and 35 people turning up, proving that yarn (and maybe a cheeky beer or wine) really does bring people together.

What’s next for Finzah? Sasha recently relocated the studio a couple of shops down and the space has doubled, which means more room for lessons – I’ve just started my knitting journey there with teacher Mia Do – and guest teachers such as Dear Pru, who recently held several sold-out workshops in the new location.

In August, Sasha will host her first big event, the Yarn Ball, which literally came to her in a dream.

“I had this big event with all this stuff going on and woke up telling my husband about it and went and booked a venue within a week,” she said. It’s going to be pretty special. There will be food, music and trivia, and attendees are encouraged to wear something they have created (we yarning folk don’t need to be asked twice).

“What started as something for my mental health evolved into a safe space for many people to spend time in, to create and meet new people.”

You can find Finzah at Shop 1, 15-17 Lake Avenue, Cringila.

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