“Ewe Can Knit” opens in Verona

Julie Druker | Aug 19, 2015

Heather Woodyard, who has resided in Verona for just three years, never expected that she would enter the retail business. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens.

It was a lack of jobs in her specific field of study that led Heather to open Verona's newest yarn store, called Ewe Can Knit. Heather returned to school at Loyalist College in Belleville to become a community and justice services worker, but after graduating with a diploma in 2012, she and her 90 other fellow graduates got the news that the Kingston penitentiary would be closing, which meant that hundreds of students would be vying for fewer jobs.

After having no luck at landing a job in her field, Heather decided to create work for herself and was determined to “do something that I love and am really passionate about”. She looked to the past and the years she spent in Toronto working at Lewiscraft, where she had learned to knit and crochet, pastimes that she continues to be very passionate about. “After coming to Verona I realized that there is nowhere between Kingston and Perth to buy knitting and crochet supplies so I decided to open up my own shop.”

The store is located at 6667 Highway 38 in Verona just next to Verona Convenience and it fronts onto Walker Street. The 650 square foot store is bright and airy and has ample parking. Inside, Heather is busy unpacking supplies that have just arrived, and a long stretch of shelving across one large wall displays a veritable rainbow of coloured yarns. She stocks a wide variety of yarns and wools including two major classic lines, Paton's and Bernat and also offers everything from sock and baby yarn to bulkier yarns as well. She sells merino wool and alpaca blends, and will also be carrying fine hand-dyed yarns from Fleece Artist and Hand Maiden of Nova Scotia. Along another wall hang a wide assortment of knitting and crochet needles as well as a variety of patterns designed for hobbyists at various levels of ability.

While Heather said that she has received “a lot of positive response” on her current inventory, she added that she is happy to order other items that customers might want. “I know that people like different things so I am happy to stock different items that customers might request.” Heather has future plans to also offer a variety of all-ages knitting and crochet classes in the near future.

Though the store officially opened on Tuesday, August 4 and is currently open for business, Heather is planning a special official grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10am - 6pm. Guests will be able to enter a draw for a gift basket and cake and refreshments will be served free of charge. The store is currently open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am - 6pm and on Sundays from 11am - 3pm. For those who have never knit or crocheted, Heather encourages them to give it a try. “It's a lot of fun and an excellent hobby to start. If I can do it, having taught myself, I am sure that anyone can learn.” For more information call 613-374-3000.