Sep 17, 2010

Closely knit plans: Yarn store to offer local, natural crafts and giftsBy M.K. LutherNVDaily.com

Middletown, VA – Three local women are going to start spinning yarn in Middletown.

When Valerie Kellam, a lifelong knitter and crocheter, reached a crossroads in her life, she joked with her husband about how she might just junk it all and open up her own yarn shop.

What started as a passing joke is about to become a reality for Kellam and business partners Joan Pembleton and Rebecca Stalcup, as the three women prepare to open Hooked on Fiber and Gifts in Middletown.

Kellam, who formerly worked as a veterinarian technician in Charles Town, W.Va., contacted her friend and fellow fiber artist, Pembleton, and found that the timing was right for the two to begin a business venture.

As inveterate knitters, both women had experienced frustration with the dearth of natural fiber yarn shops. The majority of retail stores carry imported yarn, Kellam explained, mainly because of the small amount of U.S. processing mills. Both women have been actively involved with the annual Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival, and were aware of the little-known artistry that is available through naturally processed fibers.

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