Janet Russell’s first knitting project was to make dishcloths for her mother for Christmas. After purchasing supplies for a few months at Twisted Yarns, she made the decision to join the staff.

“Had I not gone into a local yarn shop, I probably would have lost interest,” Russell said.

Her passion for the hobby grew, and Russell took over the shop in July 2014 when the original owners, Eve Messick and Shelley Green, decided to sell the business. The store first opened in 2004.

Classes in many yarn crafts are offered at the shop on a regular basis, with an updated list posted each month on the store’s website. Beginning and advanced classes, private lessons and project-specific knitting classes are held to make hats, socks and shawls, or to learn specific techniques, Russell said.

Classes in spinning, crochet and weaving are also offered. Spinning wheels and weaving looms are available for rent if crafters are not ready to buy a device for themselves, Russell said.

Knitting groups are held weekday afternoons except Mondays.

  “What I wanted to do was to have something for everybody,” Russell said. “Each group focuses on a different kind of project and members help each other as they work on the same pattern.”

The store also sells tools, such as knitting needles and crochet hooks, stitch markers, patterns, looms, shawl pins and other accessories. Knitting bags and totes are so popular, Russell said they are hard to keep in stock.

Knitters say the benefits of the craft range from relaxation to improved coordination, Russell said.

“One of the main benefits is that it just helps your hands and your brain,” she said.

The hobby is also aesthetically enjoyable, she said. Knitters delight in following a pattern, watching a design unfold and appreciating the colors and texture of the yarn.

“Everybody has a challenge, and this is your happy place. It’s your safe place,” Russell said.

She said there are many summer projects for the determined knitter in a hot climate, including accessories and toys, and shawls or wraps for indoor areas with cold air conditioning.

Store employees also enjoy knitting.

“It allows me to be creative anywhere I go,” employee Gayle Killian said. “I can always take it with me. I love to work with colors; it’s a visual and tactile experience.”

Debbie Goldenberg, who also works at the store, said she began knitting while trying to sell a house in 2001 and found the hobby to be helpful in getting through a stressful time.

Kris Conner, also an employee, said traveling knitters often visit local yarn stores to pick up a skein of yarn as a souvenir.

“You always have something in common with a knitter,” Conner said.