Oban Lodge is compiled of simple, handmade goods. Samantha Delaney is the girl behind Oban Lodge. She's always had a thing for crafting; making and creating with anything from a paintbrush to a power drill.
She taught herself to knit and found a passion in the endless creative possibilities. She loves experimenting with color, patterns and texture.
Hailing from Mira Road, Cape Breton, Samantha did live in Halifax for a while but her heart belongs to Cape Breton and it's wild beauty, so she moved back to Sydney a few years ago. Since then she started her maker business. Her goal is to create classic knitwear to keep you warm on your own wild adventures!
We are thrilled to have Oban Lodge with us at La Quaintrelle.
We had a chance to get to know Samantha a little better. Check out her Q&A below!
When and why did Oban Lodge start?
Oban Lodge officially started in November of 2015. I had been knitting and crocheting for friends and family for years, and after hearing “You could sell these!” from them I decided to test the waters and see if anyone else out there liked what I made. I was always making things in my downtime anyway! It was a slow process with a lot of learning curves, but I was lucky to have, and still have, a lot of support.
Where did the name "Oban Lodge" come from?
Oban is a tiny, rural community just outside of St. Peter's, Nova Scotia. Oban is pronounced OH-ben and is Gaelic for “the little bay”. My late grandfather, Tanner Delaney, and his friends had a hunting and fishing cabin here they had dubbed “Oban Lodge”. By the time I was a kid, it was a place to relax and spend time in the quiet of the outdoors. I have great memories of exploring the woods, seeing wildlife up close, and fishing in Cook Lake. I wanted to honour my grandfather and the spirit of finding time to do something you love.
What does your creation process look like?
Through a lot of trial and error over the years, I’ve found styles that work and stuck with them. It was my intention from the start to go for quality over quantity. I have a limited variety of styles, but they are well-made and tested before I stock them. I want to make things that last so I like to stick with classic styles and colours. I am slowly moving out of my comfort zone of neutrals and offering more colours this year.
Where is your favorite place to knit and what is your favorite item to knit?
I knit everywhere! If I’m sitting, I’m knitting. I’ve knit at my friend’s houses, at work, in my car, during Trivia Night at Breton Brewing, at the movies, at Ingonish beach, around a campfire and during music festivals. Chances are my knits are well travelled by the time they’re worn by anyone. I love making mittens!
What does creating knits mean to you?
There’s nothing like seeing something you’ve created with your hands and imagination being used and loved. I think any maker feels that way. I never get tired of that feeling.
What has been your greatest challenge and success?
Self-doubt can be a huge challenge to a lot of creative people, I think. It certainly is for me. That’s why it’s so lovely that we have a large creative community here in the Maritimes, one that acts as a supportive group and a source of inspiration and motivation. The friendships and connections I’ve made along the way has definitely been my greatest success. Though, I should add that when I very first started selling my knits I thought “Wouldn’t it be great if I had my things in La Quaintrelle?”. I have to admit I did a little happy dance the first time I saw my things in the
store!
When you think of the future of Oban Lodge, what do you see? What's in store?
I’d love to be able to offer knit apparel like sweaters in the near future, as well as throw blankets, I’ve also started making some of my hats in children’s sizes and stuffed toys, and I definitely see that expanding. I’m really excited to work on my craft and give people things they can use and wear for a long time.
To purchase Oban Lodge items, click here: Shipyard Hat and Maritime Mittens
