Three Stitchers is a boutique needle arts studio carrying handspun yarns, Ashford, Brown Sheep, Kollage Yarns, Universal, Natura Fiber, Skacel and Crystal Palace Yarns. TS also carries tatting needles & shuttles, pattern & instruction books and specialty needles for needle felting, huck weaving, cross stitch and embroidery. Sharon can add special orders onto her regular order from any of the above companies as well as Nordic Needle, Hoffman Distributing (cross stitch patterns), Whichelt, Mill Hill and ship them with minimal shipping charges.
Individual knit, crochet and spinning lessons can be set up by contacting Sharon. Classes can be brought to you as long as 4 students commit to the class. TS provides the teacher, patterns, yarn and needles. TS offers a series of classes developed for a local college’s extended learning program. The series builds on basic knit & purl stitches in scarf patterns and ends with a completed sock. Choose one from the series or schedule the whole series. Class settings have been located at Home Extension Services, quilt shops, libraries and homes. Coffee shops and restaurants are usually quite willing to host a class during slow times.
Spinning demos can be scheduled for women’s clubs, school classrooms, pioneer days, art festivals, etc. On site dyeing can be done using non toxic cake dyes. TS has even particpated in a whole grade level knitting program for the public schools. Demos can feature color wheels, period history of your choice, basic machinery, story telling, spinning in the Bible etc.
Three Stitchers opened its doors January 1996. Sharon was homeschooling her 4 children and saw it as an opportunity to teach them business and people skills. At the time, the kids would help a local shepherd shear his flock, bring the wool home and work it up into various projects. It usually took about 3 stitchers to finish a project. They would visit area Art Shows to demonstrate, teach and sell their wares. The proceeds financed an annual ski trip.
For the most part, the children have gotten married and left home. One has her own Etsy site: Lydia
Lark. Two others still spin and/or knit for their own enjoyment. The youngest is around for a little while and does the dyeing. Technically there are only 2 stitchers now, but why change the name?
Sharon has been knitting and crocheting since she was 7, sold her first piece at 16 and taught her first formal crochet class at 18. She learned to spin in 1983 from a book. She loves the irony of working up yarn on a spinning wheel and selling it over cyberspace from pictures taken on a digital camera. She also designs knitted and crocheted items. Several of her local customers test the patterns for language and mistakes. Patterns and kits can be found on eBay.
Handspun yarn is all made from USA fibers. Most of the white wool is chosen from local flocks at spring shearing. Colored fleeces are either purchased at wool festivals or over the internet from USA growers. Even the commercial roving used is from Brown Sheep Company – a mill in Nebraska. Dyes are designed for wool and are chosen for their colorfastness.
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