ABOUT US
Hello there, Gena here, I’m so excited you’ve decided to join me at Yarn Designers Boutique.
So, welcome to the family. I’m glad you're here, you'll get to hear about all my favorite yarns, knitting and crochet tips, and patterns.
After all, what is life without awesome crafts and awesome people to share them with?
Welcome to my little piece of paradise.
As a child, my family used to dream of owning a yarn store. We used to wander through the large yarn outlets in Seattle just mesmerized by all the different textures and colors. (Yes I know that's weird interest to all have as a family.)
My grandmother taught me to crochet (as grandmothers do), and as a teenager I taught myself to knit from The Knitting Bible. I knit all sorts of clothes and accessories for myself and my sister. I have continued to knit and crochet throughout my adult life.
I hate to say it but I'm totally one of those knitters that starts a LOT of projects and I probably only finish about half.
Years ago, I used to own a futon store (yes, random) this yarn boutique was just a little dream in one corner of the shop.
I actually started it just so I could get a wholesale price on yarn for myself. And because there wasn't already a yarn shop in the local town I decided to share my passion and start selling to others.
Over time, the yarn store expanded to take up the entire space of my old futon shop.
Eventually futons went out of style, and knitting came back in vogue (plus, I got sick of lugging around heavy furniture). So the yarn store expanded to take up the entire space of my old futon shop!
For about two decades I sold yarns in the same 2,000 square foot shop serving the local Big Bear Community. When we first started back in 2004 we were one of the first small yarn stores to have our entire inventory online.
Since then, things have changed a lot and I’ve always striven to keep abreast of them. I’ve had quite a few iterations of the website. Our online yarn store now has over 3,000 products for you to choose from.
Recently I’ve made the switch to be mostly online, I have moved my entire yarn shop to Lucerne Valley, where I fulfill online orders and offer shopping by appointment only.
If there's something specific you're looking for, but you can't find it on the website, give me a call on (909) 584-9715 and I’ll fish around for it.
You Can Even Buy & Redeem Gift Cards Online.
Plus I always offer Free Shipping on Orders over $60 to the continental US.
If you’re in or will be traveling to Lucerne Valley, California, I’d love to meet you! Just give me a call on (909) 584-9715 to book a time to come for some private shopping at my new custom built location and I’ll give you the full behind the scenes tour!
Did you know I dye my own yarn in store?
It's actually one of my favorite parts of the job.
For years I was just amazed at all the colors and different dye effects of the yarns I stocked but never really knew how it was done. I always wanted to learn how to dye but could just never find the right time.
The one weekend I got the opportunity to take a workshop on how to dye animal fiber.
We dyed outside in the sunshine using just basic fabric dyes, vinegar, and water. It was so simple I can't believe I didn't do it sooner!
I was hooked.
Now I dye at least every week in my custom built studio at my homestead. I always try to keep a selection of colors in stock, but often do custom dyelots for when you need all the skeins to look the same.
Have a look, I'd love to hear what you think!
And if you love a certain color, but you need it in a different weight, or fiber, no problem I can do a custom dye for you too!
Just give me a call on (909) 584-9715 to let me know what you're interested in.
Let's Stay in Touch!
I pride myself on bringing you regular inspiration and fun ideas to do on your own, and activities to do as a family to make those extra special memories.
I’m always on the prowl for new patterns and project to share so why not connect with me on Social Media for your daily dose of inspiration delivered where you want it.
I love to gush over projects from you on Instagram and Facebook simply tag me in the photo of what you’re making.
On Instagram you can tag me:
@yarndesignersboutique
If you’re a Facebooker use:
@Yarn Designers Boutique
Plus, you can find knitting, dyeing, crochet and even loom knitting tutorials on my YouTube channel.