Route 49 • Elkland, PA www.ElklandChevy.com
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12 New & Used Corvettes In Stock
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Wooly Minded
n a chilly winter day, with stainless steel-colored skies hanging over the Gaffer District, the warmth of Wooly Minded, at 91 East Market Street, is enough to fog your glasses. Maybe it’s the stacks of yarn in every hue imaginable, already giving off the cozy feel of the sweaters, scarves, and socks they will become. Maybe it’s the charming English accent and sparkling eyes of owner Jean Gray. Or maybe it’s the laughter of the circle of ladies around a table near the window, chatting easily while they knit. Asked about why they come to Wooly Minded and the answers have their own common thread. “Comfortable.” “Encouraging.” “Supportive, regardless of your ability.” Jean, who is indeed a native of England, opened the shop nine years ago with the defined goal of offering an alternative to big box store craft supplies. She wanted to stock higher quality yarn and pair it with the kind of expert advice a true neighborhood business can provide. The result is a real community of crafters who share project ideas to help each other out. As the holidays approach, the window-side table fills up with crocheted snowflakes and knitted miniature stockings. Several times a year
the store orchestrates the making of baby items for hospitals or warming shawls for a domestic violence shelter. Jean oversees the work like a cheerleader, and steps in whenever needed. Doing so has provided her with special moments she will remember forever. “An elderly lady came in with an afghan that her late mother had started, but never finished. I helped her complete it. It made me feel good to know that family story will live on in that blanket,” she smiles. Wooly Minded (www.woolyminded. com) offers classes year-round, with Jean working up schedules for each quarter and deciding what to teach via an effective, albeit low-tech, system. “I ask them,” she laughs. “I come right out and ask my customers what they want to learn. Some classes fill up, others don’t. That tells me what I should offer again and what I should drop.” Jean’s customers run the age gamut from seven to seventy. That range bodes well for the future. “Even Millennials have gotten the bug. Knit and crochet are social happenings now, not solitary endeavors. It’s been on the upswing for fifteen years. I don’t see that ending.” ~ Maggie Barnes
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