About Toqu Tigu

why Toqu Tigu?

At the heart of Toqu Tigu’s craft are three key elements:

shape/geometry (what you see)

texture/feel (what you touch)

storytelling (what you feel)

Through meticulously crafted knitting patterns, our goal is to inspire and encourage all makers to connect to their own creative source within, and to find genuine empowerment in all acts of making. 

Who is toqu tigu?

Ainur Berkimbay is a knitwear designer and the founder of Toqu Tigu. Immigrating from Kazakhstan to the US in 2013, she has since called Upstate New York home, where she balances work life with being a full-time mother of two children. Ainur’s background in teaching and her love of math come together to produce knitting patterns that are engaging in their unique, off-the-beaten-path constructions, in which care is given to ensure the knitter feels well supported through their working of a project. 

Coming from an enduring lineage in and lifelong exposure to the fiber arts—her mother, both grandmothers, and great-grandmother were talented sewists, knitters, spinners, and cross-stitchers—as well as having wool in her DNA (in Kazakh nomadic life, wool was at the very heart, utilized not just clothing but for essential dwelling, as a key component of yurt construction), Ainur’s relationship to creating with wool has bloomed into a spiritual practice through which she can honor her ancestry, share her love of and fascination with wool, and reclaim her identity as a Kazakh woman.

What is toqu tigu?

Toqu is a Kazakh word that means “to knit.” Tigu means “to sew.”

Ainur believes in the transformative power of creating by hand, and a central precept of her work is that  every maker should feel supported, encouraged, and empowered in their journey. Just as importantly, the finished object of well-fitting and comfortable clothes can be an affirming hug from a loved one, or a protective shield and confidence booster for challenging days.

Growing up in a turbulent time of the USSR collapse and ensuing poverty, Ainur witnessed the power and magic of making the most of what you have and making something out of nothing, using resources wisely and not wasting. This helped shape her belief that it’s not necessarily the most expensive materials that create beautiful garments that bring you joy—it most often comes down to the quality and intention underlying the work itself.

 For further reading, see information about pattern support, collaborations, and test-knitting.

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