by Jenny Bachynski | Kyla Leslie is the creative force behind Kove, the gorgeous crochet line made right here in Vancouver. When I stumbled on her work awhile back, the colours, quality, and meticulous attention to detail really stuck with me and got me excited. I needed to know more…

Who are you and how did Kove came to be? Born and raised west coaster, aspiring yoga teacher and corporate drop-out; lover of textiles, travel, fashion and Indian food. Kove has been this amazing experiment-turned-success. I came home after my last trip to India and started playing around with the crochet hooks for the first time in years (my mom and grandmothers had taught me in my pre-teens). I put a little collection together, photographed it and opened my Etsy shop with no real expectation of what was to come. I just made the kinds of pieces I like to wear and hoped others would like them too.

When did you realize that this could become a job? It was sometime this fall (probably in the middle of the night, working on orders) I realized this not only could be a full-time gig, but that I really wanted it to be. What Kove grows or evolves into, we’ll have to wait and see, but I’m really excited for what next season brings.

What has been the most exciting thing that has happened to you since you started Kove? Successfully pitching for a pop-up shop space at Rize House in October. Designing the concept for the space, putting the shop together and then using it as a showroom for the line was absolutely one of the highlights of this season.

What do you think makes your work stand out, compared to the other designers around? Being so close to my work, that’s a hard question to answer. I think the most obvious difference is that my designs are crocheted, and the majority of what is out there is knit. Like any designer I’m always trying to learn new skills, and this season I spent a bunch of time working on a more traditional style of crochet that you can see in some of the more intricate textures, like the boot warmers, for example.

What do you think is the most valuable skill to have when starting a business? To know what your skills are and when you need to outsource the expertise of others.

What is your favourite thing about owning your own business? I love that most of the time work is just this great evolving project that I get to spend my time on. Having my own schedule is something I really value. As for least – well, who likes doing their own bookkeeping?

What is the best advice you were given when you started your business? Who was it from? Having started Kove on a lark, the support and encouragement to keep going has been the biggest boost. I have a group of entrepreneurial friends and family members who make a great sounding board for ideas and are always around to answer questions.

If you could hire anyone in the world to work for Kove, who would it be? Living: I’d actually love to hire a farm and produce my own yarn. Deceased: My grandma.

What is your favorite Vancouver small business? Is this the part where I shamelessly plug my (very talented) friends? I could never choose just one – this city is full of creatives doing fantastic things.

If the world was going to end this week, what would be the last thing you would make? Something like this would be perfect, don’t you think?

To learn more about Kove visit www.kove.ca and www.facebook.com/kovehandmade.

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Jenny Bachynski was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. In her teenage years she packed up her bags and headed to Vancouver to pursue further education in fashion design. In 2009 she started her own small business Jenny Andrews Recycled Leather Goods, as well as her blog Jenny Loves. After starting her blog, Jenny discovered that one of her greatest joys was stumbling upon beautiful and interesting things, and sharing them with anyone who would listen.

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