From a small seating area nestled underneath an illuminated pergola near the back of her new location, Lindsay Potter cannot hide the passion she has for her business. Though she’s owned the Yarn Garden in downtown Charlotte for the past 10 years, she’s always known the look and feel of her business wasn’t quite complete.
That all changed with her new location — 131 S. Cochran Avenue — which opened in early April. The move provided an opportunity for her to put her creativity to the test, and design the kind of store she knew the Yarn Garden could become — a Charlotte destination.
“I’ve always had a passion for making,” Potter said. “My family has always been very crafty. I love the passion of making … whatever that may be, whatever avenue that means for someone. Doing something with your hands and making, whether it’s cookies, a scarf or card to send to someone to cheer them up, I think that’s really important, especially in the technology driven age we live in. We don’t put our hands on things very often anymore.”
Lindsay’s hands were involved in designing every aspect of the new store, something she didn’t have when she purchased an established business in 2007. In celebration of 10 years of business and the launching of a new location, she also felt it was time to rebrand a little, creating a new logo for the new space. This Yarn Garden is completely hers, reflecting the creativity and whimsy found in her life.
“I’ve always wanted to take more of the garden theme and build on that, it just seemed overwhelming with a storefront that was already full,” Lindsay said. “So having an empty space and building owner that was excited to work with me and my vision was awesome. It was exciting to build on a theme I’ve kind of played with a little bit, but never fully developed.”
Many of her customers, though apprehensive of leaving behind a space they had grown to love, have been left speechless by the new design.
“I had one customer that said, ‘the other space was you, but I can definitely tell that all of this was dreamed up by you,’” Lindsay said.
Though the new space provides a mere 250 additional square feet, designing new displays and a free flowing layout allowed her to create an entirely new experience for her customers. She hopes the new location means offering new services as well.
“I’m hoping with this move that I can offer some different kinds of crafts and making opportunities to the residents of Charlotte and beyond,” Lindsay said.
She said the new location has already increased her visibility with local residents. An established business when she purchased it, the Yarn Garden’s main customer draw comes from outside the Charlotte community. Lindsay said she is hopeful that changes in the near future.
“It’s been awesome the people that have come in excited about another downtown space being filled,” she said. “Shelly (owner of Dragonfly Boutique) and I have collaborated on a few pieces that she painted for me. I’m excited to see what the Flipping Redheads have to offer. I think this block is going to be awesome.”
The Yarn Garden offers a variety of knitting and crocheting materials, specializing in a wide variety of yarn. Customers can find natural and synthetic fibers in a multitude of colors. Samples made by customers are also available for viewing at the store.
The Yarn Garden is open Tuesday from noon to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, follow @yarngardenmi on Instagram, The Yarn Garden on Facebook, or call (517) 541-9323 to sign up for the monthly newsletter.
