When I started this business 8½ years ago, it was not part of some carefully mapped master plan. It was pure happenstance.
The last of my seven children had moved out of the house, and suddenly it was very quiet—too quiet. After more than 40 years of raising children, there had always been noise, activity, laughter, tears, and constant motion in our home. Whether good or bad, fun or sad, something was always happening. And then one day… it wasn’t.
At the time, I was volunteering at my church as Missions Director, which was fulfilling, but I was home a lot and not interacting with people daily. I found myself getting quite lonely. The big house felt empty, and my husband was still working long hours. I realized I needed more connection.
So I decided I was going to get a job.
I told my husband I wanted to work somewhere that I didn’t have to bring anything home at night—I was a retired school teacher, after all. I even thought about going back into a school setting, maybe as a teacher’s aide or working in the copy room. I remember this moment very clearly. We were pulling out of the driveway one day when I told him how lonely I felt and that I was going back to work.
He promptly said, “No.”
I said, “Oh yes, I am,” and explained why. After listening, he asked me a question that changed everything:
“What have you always wanted to do for work in your life?”
Without hesitation, I said, “Own a yarn store.”
Then I quickly added, “But you’ve always said there’s only room for one entrepreneur in this house.”
He looked at me and said, “If you want a yarn store, I’ll get you one.”
And just like that, the adventure began.
My sweet, sweet husband became my angel investor—and not only that, he chose the location. It was perfect: close to home, with great access from Highway 99. The first year was slow. Very slow. I knitted many samples for the shop and spent a lot of time sitting wistfully on the front porch, hoping for a customer to walk in.
My husband thought it was just a hobby.
Ha.
I surprised him—especially when I was able to pay the rent by the end of that first year and cover most of my bills. He still marvels at that today.
What truly shifted my mindset was a book my son-in-law, Charles, gave me about how following your passion can create a delightful business. That was when I began to see Yarn Store Boutique not as a hobby, but as a real business. After all, I couldn’t expect my angel investor to cover expenses for a five-year lease commitment.
Now, after 8½ years in the yarn business, I’ve discovered another passion: journaling—and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.
So Yarn Store Boutique is slowly branching out into fountain pens, inks, stickers, and more. It has been such a joy to teach journaling workshops, and the response has been wonderful. In the new year, we’ll be adding more to this product line—within reason and within the space I’ve thoughtfully allotted—because let’s be honest, yarn is still my first love, and it will never be shortchanged.
That means I have to be very strategic in my planning. I want this space to feel curated and intentional—not like a junk closet. Or, should I say… not like my closets at home.
And if things continue moving forward, another goal for this year—or perhaps late summer—is to complete my pottery studio at home. Many of my customers love pottery and have expressed interest in learning how to make it. Yet another passion, and another way to create and connect.
You never quite know what we’ll be up to next—but I promise, I’ll keep you posted.
At the heart of all of this—yarn, journaling, pottery, and whatever comes next—is community. Creativity has a beautiful way of bringing people together, of opening conversations, and of reminding us that we are not meant to do life alone. What began as a quiet house and a longing for connection has grown into a space filled with stories, laughter, learning, and shared inspiration. When we follow our passions, we often discover they were never meant just for us—they are meant to be shared. And that, truly, is the greatest joy of all.
