If you listen closely, you can almost hear their needles clicking. There are more than a hundred women all over Newfoundland and Labrador, knitting sweaters and socks, hand over fist. Making the best knitwear in the world from their little corner of it, without ever asking for a stitch of fame.
Nina
Two hundred pairs of puffin socks and counting, Nina hasn’t put down her needles in over 40 years. She knits and purls in Lethbridge, a tight-knit town in Bonavista Bay.
YVONNE
Yvonne’s been knitting for 85 years. (Yes, you read that right.) King Charles has one of her cardigans. (Yes, we're serious.) The magic happens in Bristol’s Hope, a historic community with less than 300 residents.
Sandra
A quickdraw with the needles, Sandra makes the best trigger mitts in the world, hands down. She lives and knits in Carbonear, a town with a history almost as deep as her knitting basket.
Evelyn
Evelyn was knitting pramsuits before “onesie” was a word. You’ll find this popular baby shower gift at the store on Water Street, but they come to life in Musgravetown on Newfoundland’s northeast coast.
An Island of Experts
In a world of fast fashion, there’s something special about a sweater made by hand. It’s even more special when you know whose hands made it.
When you buy a knitted garment from Nonia, check the tag to find the woman who knit it, and where.
The Campaign for Wool™
There’s a reason we’ve been wearing wool since the Stone Age. Wool insulates, resists stains, endures any weather, and can be easily repaired. Even when a wool garment returns to the earth, it does no harm. It’s 100% natural, so it breaks down easily in soil and water, leaving nothing behind.
Nonia is a partner in the Campaign for Wool™ – a global endeavour initiated by His Majesty King Charles to champion the benefits of wool. In this throw-away culture, we proudly make clothes for the long haul. As long as there is grass for sheep, there will be wool. And as long as there are humans to knit, there will be Nonia.
Products
Thirst trap, but make it wool. A glimpse at some of the knitwear you'll find at 286 Water Street. Click "Shop All" to visit the Nonia retail site where you can shop it like it's hot.
-
![]()
BRAIDED BRIM HAT
-
![]()
Madrock Pullover
-
![]()
Fortune bay pullover
-
![]()
Trigger mitts
-
![]()
Salt and pepper hat
-
![]()
CUFF socks
-
![]()
kitten bonnet
-
![]()
Cable Headband
-
![]()
Custard's Head Sweater
a tangled history
While men went to sea and war, women kept the family alive and the house upright. They knit clothes for their children and sent socks and sweaters to “the boys overseas“ in WWI.
After the war, their knitting became a true lifesaver here at home. Outport Newfoundland was impoverished, doctors and nurses were scarce, and the infant mortality rate was shockingly high.
So in 1920, women organized to change the course of our history, with knitting at its heart.
The Newfoundland Outport Nursing & Industrial Association (Nonia) enlisted knitters across the island to produce knitted goods, with profits helping to fund nurses’ salaries in their communities.
Nurses were recruited from England for their ability to cope with the harsh conditions of this place, especially after the war. They often had to reach patients by boat, snowshoe or dog team, and performed all manner of care from removing fish hooks to delivering babies.
In 1934 the government took over nursing services in Newfoundland, but Nonia knit on as a cottage industry. At a time when women rarely worked outside the home, selling knitwear gave them a sense of pride and independence. In some cases, it kept food on the table when their husbands died.
Today, Nonia is a modern labour of love with over 100 women all across the island making the best handknits in the world, right here where it all began.
Women’s Patriotic Association, knitting for the war effort, ca. 1915
Nurse Myra Bennett, the “Florence Nightingale of the North,” came to Newfoundland in 1921 and never left.
Lady Allardyce, wife of the governor and founder of Nonia, ca. 1922
An early Nonia “ad”, ca. 1925
Nonia store at 286 Water Street, ca. 1960
The MV Nonia was launched in 1956 with our namesake, serving coastal communities for 20 years.
Early Nonia showroom, ca. 1945.
American servicewomen shopping at Nonia, ca. 1956
A bronze statue to commemorate 100 years of Nonia, a gift from Karen Hickman and family.
Images from MUN Libraries, The Rooms Archives, and the bottom of Sandra’s knitting basket.
Join the Flock.
knit for NONIA.
The demand for handknits is growing, so we’re always on the lookout for new knitters. Think your handiwork isn’t good enough for Nonia? Betcha you’re better than you think.
Partnership Opportunities
Nonia is a non-profit social enterprise. Over 80% of our knitters are seniors in small, coastal communities. The demand for knitwear is strong, but the cost of wool is high. So if you’re a business or individual with a passion for sustaining local legacy, protecting the planet, and rewarding women for their work, please contact us using the form below. We’d love to talk about a partnership that benefits us both.