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Success Stories
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Author: Lauren Falkner - FM Business Journal
Fargo, ND - Two acquaintances that both love knitting and teaching others are still unlikely business partners. They are partners Anne Larson and Keatha McLeod and on October 10 they opened Prairie Yarns at 2615 University Dr S in Fargo.
ver the past few years, Anne and Keatha had met and passed by each other often while shopping at a local yarn store. Each did not know that the other had the urge to go in to the yarn store business. But, when the owner of the former Yarn Renaissance store announced she would be closing its doors the subject came up, and Anne and Keatha quickly decided to open Prairie Yarns in the same location. Daughters Amanda Larson of St. Paul and Jenaah McLeod-Hanson of Singapore are also in partnership with Anne and Keatha.
Anne said that forming the partnership with Keatha is more like entering in to an arranged marriage…that they jumped right in not knowing each other well and that it was a passionate decision to form the business. Anne and Keatha agree that going in to business together has been a great leap of faith for both of them. So, how will these partners run Prairie Yarns?
Anne and Keatha have exciting plans in store for the Prairie Yarns. They will be striving to get people excited about knitting and fibers and providing a relaxing place to knit. They will also offer a solid and varied selection of yarns and good and attentive help by master knitters to assist people as they work on their knitting projects. All in all, Anne said that she is excited to offer a setting where people can bloom through learning new knitting skills.
Anne and Keatha plan to get children involved in knitting. They have several Girl Scout troops scheduled soon to learn finger knitting. Knitting skills from beginner to advanced to master levels will taught and will appeal to every knitter from a person just learning to knit to a 90 year old wanting to learn a new stitch.
Anne and Keatha also plan to focus on community activities that affect and benefit others through knitting. Prairie Yarns will offer discounts for yarn used for compassionate knitting-knitting for vulnerable people through church ministries, and for such items as chemo caps, baby caps and knitted blankets.
Computers will be set up within Prairie Yarns so that people can search for patterns and information and take advantage of a revolving pattern library. Anne and Keatha said that they may even offer a Men's Night Out because many men in our area knit.
A long range business goal is to locate Prairie Yarns in an old house and offer a retreat-like setting for knitters. But for now, the day-to-day operation of Prairie Yarns will add to Anne and Keatha's terrifically busy schedules. To get the store up and running, Anne and Keatha are working 12 to 14 hour days setting up Prairie Yarns.
Besides owning Prairie Yarns, Anne is the Services Learning Coordinator for Moorhead Community Education and is also very involved as a community volunteer. She serves on the board of directors for HERO, the Golden Living Center and is on the volunteer committee for ReStore. Anne graduated from Concordia College with a business major and minors in art and textiles.
Keatha has been a foster parent for many years and has five children at home. She has been very involved in child advocacy and served on the Children's Services Coordinating committee and has spent time working in a local Head Start program. Keatha was a nurse for 35 years and has an associate degree in nursing from Montana State Northern University.
Knitting wellness issues interest Keatha very much and she is looking forward to sharing this information and the peace that comes from knitting, with others. Keatha said that as we knit we exercise both sides of the brain and that the act of knitting decreases blood sugar and blood pressure. Keatha mentioned that the yarn itself is also very therapeutic and added," Yarn is very tactile, nurturing and soothes the soul."
Whether it is knitting for pleasure or fulfilling community needs, Anne recited a quote by William Butler Yeats, ‘Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of the fire.' In other words, we never quite arrive when we have passion to learn a craft or to help others.
For more information call at 701.280.1478 or visit www.prairieyarns.com.
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