Rowan Yarns Digital Magazine Rowan Yarns Autumn Winter Newsletter | Page 10

YARN STORE FOCUS WA S AT C H & WO O L Margaux’s favorite Rowan yarns vary with the seasons. This spring, she knit Brookings by Marie Green in Rowan Kid Classic, which became her number one selling project. For summer, her best-selling yarn has been Denim Revive, shown on Margaux in the photo below. Moving into fall, she will be featuring the MODE at Rowan collection in the store and at Stitches Salt Lake consumer market in October, as well as Moordale, and finishing with Sultano and Sultano Fine for luxury knits this winter. Park City, Utah, USA “If you like the winters, you are going to love the summers!” This favourite saying of locals in Utah rang true to Margaux Kelleher, who first visited the scenic Park City, Utah for a ski vacation almost 30 years ago and continued to visit annually until she was able to relocate from her New Jersey home with her husband five years ago. Framed by the Wasatch mountain range, the Park City area features outdoor activities throughout the year. There was a definite need for a yarn store and as the couple made the move in July, 2014, Margaux already had created her business plan. By November, Wasatch and Wool was a reality, with 600 square feet of natural fiber yarns and design inspiration. Margaux’s philosophy of knitting is simple and reflects the beauty of the Wasatch and Park City regions – to create carefully made natural-fiber garments that help steward our environment and mirror the seasons of nature. With mass- produced garments easily available, the three-four beautifully handknit garments her customers create annually are the ones that they will treasure forever, and Margaux trusts in Rowan Yarns to help nurture these beliefs. Wasatch & Wool Rowan was one of the first yarn brands purchased for the shop. Margaux invested in the successful Kidsilk Haze and Felted Tweed lines then branched out to Summerlite DK at the beginning. Interested in expanding her Rowan selection, Margaux attended Rowan’s first session of Retailer workshops in Chicago in April, 2018, and was on her way to becoming one of Rowan’s Flagship stores in the western United States. Classes are an important part of the Wasatch and Wool community. The most popular class is Colorwork. In a ski town, there is much demand for traditional (and untraditional) Fair Isle hats, sweaters and accessories. Margaux includes lots of options in her store – with a mix of design inspirations from both traditional and independent designers, as well as Rowan. Wasatch and Wool also offers many drop-in classes, led by two very experienced, versatile teachers. With so many tourists, these flexible classes can cover anything from simple finishing to learning aran and brioche techniques. This encourages repeat customers who, like Margaux’s family, enjoy visiting the area every year. 10 Newsletter October 2019 | Autumn Winter Newsletter October 2019 | Autumn Winter 11