Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool

Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool – Plymouth

Fabulous Fabrics

Creativity Rules at Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool

Writer / Julie Yates
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool, open since August of 2020, has not only breathed life into an old building, but it’s also created a sense of community for anyone who loves textile arts. Located in Plymouth, owner Susan Kessler renovated the site to make it cozy and inviting. The shop has become a spot where people feel free to pop in and gather while working on individual projects.

Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool

“The building was built in 1907 and at one time was a neighborhood grocery store,” Kessler says. “It had been vacant for eight years, and half of the ceiling was coming down. We spent most of the end of 2019 and spring of 2020 working on it.”

Kessler was a high school health careers teacher in South Bend for almost 30 years and still has a home there. When she found out her mother was seriously ill, she closed her two bed-and-breakfast locations and retired from teaching so she could care for her mother. Two years later her mother passed away.

“Life takes you different places,” Kessler says. “I was so used to being busy all the time. After my mother was gone, I felt I had to do something. Working with yarns and sewing is something I have done my whole life since high school. I had done some business in Plymouth with a place, now closed, that rented booths. At that time I knitted sweaters that were sold for British teddy bears. I decided I wanted to get back into knitting when I found the building. All I wanted was a way to support myself so I could buy yarn and pay the utilities. I never started this to make money. I’m so pleased how it has brought people together. My mom would have just loved this and would have been here every day. The shop has a knitting area named after her – Maxine’s Snug. Snug is a British word for a cozy living-room area.”

Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool

In fact, the comfortable space partly became Kessler’s living area while she worked on getting the store ready for business. Since she was there every day, her house in South Bend was rented out and an apartment was put in above the shop. Any time she was working out in the yard, people came out to express their excitement about the shop and asked when it would open.

As soon as it opened, the shop was welcomed by the surrounding community. Supplies, tools, kits and projects available are not just for knitting and crocheting, but also for several different types of crafts such as appliqué, felting and rug hooking. Kessler hopes she will be able to add a spinner and a loom in the future. Plans are already being made to add on to the building this summer.

The shop sells a varied assortment of fibers. For projects that are heirloom-worthy, natural animal fibers are offered such as cashmere from goats, mohair from rabbits and merino wool from sheep. The finished products from natural materials can be passed down to future generations since they last almost forever. However, man-made yarn such as acrylic is also available. Kessler is careful to have a variety of price points that are affordable for everyone.

Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool

Classes offered can be seen on the shop’s Facebook page. Some classes feature a quick project such as Hat of the Month or Sock of the Month. Others are offered for those with a more advanced skill set, but classes for beginners and advanced beginners are offered as well. A fee is charged for most classes but there is a monthly Free Friday, for which all attendees need to do is to buy some yarn.

For anyone needing to purchase a gift, finished garments are for sale on consignment. Kits with everything needed to make a project are also for sale. Gift cards are available that can be used for classes or products.

Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool

“It’s really been something,” Kessler says. “Anyone can come in when we are open and sit down to work on a project. Great friendships have been formed here. Sometimes it’s just buzzing. It’s wonderful. It feeds me.”

Blueberry Cottage Yarns and Wool is located at 825 North Center Street in Plymouth. For more info, call 574-261-3178 or visit facebook.com/fiberartsinplymouth.

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