In Case You Missed It — OCTOBER 28, 2025, Olga Buraya-Kefelian VISITED THE GUILD
Olga Buraya-Kefelian – Creating Imaginative Yet Versatile Knitwear
Olga Buraya-Kefelian, aka Olga Jazzy, came from Alexandria, Virginia to inspire us. Her mantra as a designer and for all creative people is “Inspiration is everywhere.”
She started off with her origin story. Born and raised in Belarus, her mother was a professional seamstress and father was in the Russian military. Her mother taught her to knit at age 4 to keep her away from her sewing supplies. She grew up wearing beautifully crafted sewn and knitted garments made by her mother. Good quality yarn was a precious commodity, so garments were worn until they no longer fit, then either passed on to another or unraveled to reuse the valuable fiber. Her mandatory school curriculum included needlecrafts.
Trained as an English linguist, Olga married an American military man. As a transient military spouse, working outside the home was difficult, so she returned to her crafty roots to knit and design garments.
Her first published pattern was in 2007 for Knitty. In addition to appearing in many publications, she now has over 170 patterns on Ravelry.
Members were given a glimpse into her creative process and how she is inspired by everyday objects. Her three-dimensional garments and embellishments are a wonder. She brought many samples for members to examine and perhaps figure out their construction.
— Tania Marshall, Secretary
