Published: Monday, August 17, 2009
Country Yarns: Snohomish knitting shop keeps its staff of one busy and happy
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Mark Mulligan / The Herald
Knitters gather around a table at the Country Yarns store in Snohomish during a Thursday knitting group. Knitters, crocheters and spinners work on various projects, socialize and share ideas.
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Yarn fills the shelves at Country Yarns in Snohomish.
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Mark Mulligan / The Herald
Yarn fills the shelf at Country Yarns in Snohomish.
SNOHOMISH -- As a child, Teresa Wilson wanted nothing to do with knitting.
Eight years ago, she changed her mind.
The colors and textures of yarn -- the coarseness of virgin wool, the exquisite softness of merino, the subtle change in hue of hand-dyed fiber -- spoke to Wilson, now in her 50s, calling her back to the craft she shunned in her youth.
After a few years of buying and collecting yarn, as knitters do, Wilson knew she had to make a choice: either cut back on her knitting habit or make a living out of it.
She chose the second option.
In 2003, Wilson and her sister opened Country Yarns in downtown Snohomish. Her sister left the business two years later and Wilson has been at it alone ever since.
"It has just been the most incredible journey," she said. "I love every minute of it."
On a Tuesday morning, about a dozen women gather around the table in Country Yarns for one of two weekly "knit-ins." Wilson walks barefoot around the group, answering questions about a crochet stitch or a knitted purse pattern and taking her turn at baby-sitting a customer's child.
Topics change as fluidly as stitches -- from knitting needles and airport security to hot flashes and the recent heat wave to a recent knitters conference and the knitting competition at the county fair.
It's exactly the kind of gathering that Wilson wanted her store to provide.
"What I truly like best is the pulling together of people, the creating a community," she said.
People often live far away from their families and friends. Knitting groups can help fill the void, lessen the isolation and give people a place to call home.
"That is what I like about the shop. It has a life of its own," Wilson said. "Everyone who comes in has something to add to the store."
Prior to opening Country Yarns, Wilson worked a variety of jobs: real estate agent, music teacher, professional dancer and costume designer. Much of her previous work experience highlighted her creative streak and her affinity for teaching.
At the yarn shop, Wilson offers knitting classes in the evenings. And she's more than happy to field customer questions during the day.
"You can always bring in a project and have me look at it," she said.
In the world of knitting, there are two kinds of people: process knitters and product knitters. Wilson is proud to care more about the process than about finishing a product.
"I do not need to finish something once I've learned how to do it," she said. "I'm the poster child for start-itis."
That's partly of how she's learned so much about the craft in a relatively short time. Wilson, like many of customers, always strives to pick up new techniques, to learn new things. And that includes learning about business.
Wilson started the shop not because she had a strong business model for Country Yarns but instead because she had a passion for it. She's relied on her past experiences and the advice of good friends to help guide her.
To help draw in knitters in a tough economy, Wilson recently began opening up the shop's back room on Mondays to spinners, offering up the spinning wheels free of charge.
Still, Country Yarns is a one-woman act. Wilson tends the shop six days a week. She teaches knitting classes after the shop closes and does the store's inventory, purchasing and marketing.
Much of the time, Wilson says she's "up to my elbows in cashmere.
"Who wouldn't love that?"
Country Yarns
119 Ave. B, Snohomish, 360-568-7611
Eight years ago, she changed her mind.
The colors and textures of yarn -- the coarseness of virgin wool, the exquisite softness of merino, the subtle change in hue of hand-dyed fiber -- spoke to Wilson, now in her 50s, calling her back to the craft she shunned in her youth.
After a few years of buying and collecting yarn, as knitters do, Wilson knew she had to make a choice: either cut back on her knitting habit or make a living out of it.
She chose the second option.
In 2003, Wilson and her sister opened Country Yarns in downtown Snohomish. Her sister left the business two years later and Wilson has been at it alone ever since.
"It has just been the most incredible journey," she said. "I love every minute of it."
On a Tuesday morning, about a dozen women gather around the table in Country Yarns for one of two weekly "knit-ins." Wilson walks barefoot around the group, answering questions about a crochet stitch or a knitted purse pattern and taking her turn at baby-sitting a customer's child.
Topics change as fluidly as stitches -- from knitting needles and airport security to hot flashes and the recent heat wave to a recent knitters conference and the knitting competition at the county fair.
It's exactly the kind of gathering that Wilson wanted her store to provide.
"What I truly like best is the pulling together of people, the creating a community," she said.
People often live far away from their families and friends. Knitting groups can help fill the void, lessen the isolation and give people a place to call home.
"That is what I like about the shop. It has a life of its own," Wilson said. "Everyone who comes in has something to add to the store."
Prior to opening Country Yarns, Wilson worked a variety of jobs: real estate agent, music teacher, professional dancer and costume designer. Much of her previous work experience highlighted her creative streak and her affinity for teaching.
At the yarn shop, Wilson offers knitting classes in the evenings. And she's more than happy to field customer questions during the day.
"You can always bring in a project and have me look at it," she said.
In the world of knitting, there are two kinds of people: process knitters and product knitters. Wilson is proud to care more about the process than about finishing a product.
"I do not need to finish something once I've learned how to do it," she said. "I'm the poster child for start-itis."
That's partly of how she's learned so much about the craft in a relatively short time. Wilson, like many of customers, always strives to pick up new techniques, to learn new things. And that includes learning about business.
Wilson started the shop not because she had a strong business model for Country Yarns but instead because she had a passion for it. She's relied on her past experiences and the advice of good friends to help guide her.
To help draw in knitters in a tough economy, Wilson recently began opening up the shop's back room on Mondays to spinners, offering up the spinning wheels free of charge.
Still, Country Yarns is a one-woman act. Wilson tends the shop six days a week. She teaches knitting classes after the shop closes and does the store's inventory, purchasing and marketing.
Much of the time, Wilson says she's "up to my elbows in cashmere.
"Who wouldn't love that?"
Country Yarns
119 Ave. B, Snohomish, 360-568-7611
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