Yarn Garden Celebrates 15 years
Deb Malewski
Contributing Writer
Not every creative soul is able to channel their creative spirit with a mind for business. But Lindsay Potter, “head gardener” at the Yarn Garden in Charlotte, seems to have it all figured out. For 15 years now she has grown her business and incorporated her passion for yarn into a nationwide enterprise. The business began on Lawrence Street, across from the old courthouse, and in 2017 they moved to their current location at 131 S. Cochran, a larger building located in the very heart of Charlotte.
Via the internet and creative marketing, the Yarn Garden is now shipping its products around the country. Her husband, Jason, is also involved in the business and has beefed up the e-commerce part of the business so they can reach even more knitters and yarn lovers.
Potter offers live videos every Friday, where she talks about projects and things going on in the shop. She also does live sales videos, where watchers can purchase what they see online.
“Even with COVID, we’re not only surviving, but we’re also thriving,” Potter said.
“You’re a beacon shop,” a customer called out. “They come far and wide to shop here.”
Another added, “I hope you’re here for another 15 years.”
The store bustled with customers during the anniversary celebration. They admired and touched the colors and textures of the yarn, studied the needles and other notions, and stroked the completed samples throughout the store. Some brought gifts and floral arrangements for the Potters in celebration of this accomplishment.
In celebration of the occasion, she released a new hat pattern that she created, along with six new colors of her own line of yarn.
That yarn is her newest endeavor. This year Lindsay began a new yarn dying company, Gnome River Yarns. Her basement at home is now her dye shop. Through trial and error, a class, books, and a little help from YouTube, she has created a line of yarn for her customers who prefer the more natural, homespun types of yarn rather than mass-produced products.
“I’ve done a lot of solids that work well with the variegated yarns from the indie dyers out there,” she explained.
Her next goal is to find some sheep. “I would love to find a local source for the wool to dye,” Lindsay said. “Most of the local lambs are not bred for their wool, but for meat. We would love to find someone with lambs that are bred for their high-quality wool.”
“It’s exciting to be a maker in this, rather than a merchant,” Potter said.
Another exciting development for the Potters is the transition of the second floor of their 120+ building into a rental space known as 131 Event Space. This space will seat up from 40 to 80 people, depending on the presence of chairs and tables in the room. It can be for a party, a class, a meeting, or any other event, and is reasonably priced.
The Yarn Garden is open from noon until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturdays. You can reach them by phone at 517-541-9323, by email at yarngardenmi@gmail.com. Visit them on Facebook at #TheYarnGarden or their website yarngardenmichigan.com
