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Hello and thank you for visiting our website. I'm Mary Ann Gingles, the current "owner" of Yarns Unlimited. I'm not fond of the word "owner" unless it's referring to something material in nature. I don't like referring to myself as the owner of my beloved dogs, but rather, I consider myself their guardian, and I feel the same way about Yarns Unlimited--I am its guardian or steward at the present time. The shop's mission since the beginning has not changed, and that is, to promote and support the fiber art traditions in our community.
The two previous stewards, Betsy Blumenthal and Suzanne Halvorson--both accomplished weavers--nurtured the shop lovingly during their tenure. Betsy, who now lives in Colorado, continues to be a friend to the shop, and we keep in touch with her occasionally; Suzanne, who lives locally, is still very much a part of the shop and is our lead weaving instructor. They both worked hard to ensure that the business is sustained to serve the fiber crafts community, and like them, I'm committed to continuing this legacy. I'm also committed to have weaving continue to be a vital component of the shop. Though I've dabbled with weaving a bit on my rigid heddle loom, I am primarily a knitter and secondarily, a crocheter. I'm thrilled that Yarns is not just another knitting store but also a workshop that counts among its staff and instructors experts and masters in the field of weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting, dyeing, felting and more. These instructors teach and train people to become experts themselves. It's a place where creative ideas are exchanged, talents are shared, and lasting friendships, made.
I learned to knit a few years ago when I took a beginning class at Yarns, followed by a class on crochet. It got me hooked, and I have been obsessively knitting and crocheting since, as evident by the numerous samples or projects I've made that are now hanging in the shop. I can't think of anything I would rather be doing when time permits. Unfortunately, my responsibilities operating the business sometimes get in the way. If you've been in the shop and are familiar with my work, you know that I have a preference for chunky knits and contemporary styles, which add to the variety of other styles that the our staff and instructors bring to the table. We are certainly a diverse group in more ways than one. By the way, I've been known to almost never stick to patterns; I like to personalize my projects and improvise as I go--which makes me unpopular with our knitting instructor!
I hope you will share my passion and dedication to the fiber crafts tradition. I feel fortunate to be working in and running a neighborhood yarn shop. It brings me joy to see people make beautiful handcrafted items. It's a place that provides opportunities for creative collaboration and meeting of kindred spirits, and best of all, it is good for the soul. A Buddhist monk in town to attend a seminar by the Dalai Lama, once said to Suzanne after visiting the shop, as he bowed and smiled, "right livelihood". It is, indeed!
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