cottageknits.com Blog

Shella Ebenkamp turned fourteen yesterday. She took a few minutes out of her big day to come to the cottage to visit with her knitting friends and family. While some might find that odd, i am not surprised.
Shella lived right around the corner of the former location of Cottage Knits and was frankly heartbroken (well, at least sad) when the shop moved to our current location. She would no longer be able to run down the street for her knitting fix and visit with the many women that came to know her and think of her as family.
It was three years ago on a Labor Day Weekend that we packed everything up and loaded it into trucks and cars to move nearly a mile down the road. All of the yarn, books and knitting notions would have a new home…and Shella would miss her daily visit with all the women who had come to think of her as their own. She was right there with us, packing boxes and bags vowing to keep knitting. After hugs and tears we all moved on and although i would hear from her from time to time we all get busy, and i talked with her less and less.
But with age comes more responsibility and the day arrived that she could ride her bike to the cottage to come and resume her rightful place in the “Peanut Gallery”…but i have noticed how much she has grown up. No longer do i have to keep an eye on her and remind her to mind her manners. In fact, she has even helped me teach a family to knit~she always did tell me she would own Cottage Knits someday…
It just makes me thankful to so many of you who have taken the time to invest in her life… Her parents Billie and Keith Ebenkamp allowed her to spend time with us, encourage her to keep up with her knitting and shell out cash for this hobby. Not to mention all the kids who would come by the house for Shella to host neighborhood knitting lessons!
It does take a village to raise a child and i’d say Shella is a good reflection of that. I am proud to be a tiny piece of her life and grateful to the many women who have taken the time to encourage and love her.
Happy Birthday Shella…we are expecting great things from you!

It’s like we took the place and shook it upside down…literally. I think you will be surprised when you walk thru the doors at the cottage…it’s a fresh new look and just in time for our celebration activities ~ Cottage Knits turns five this month! Watch for specials, treats and great fun the week of the 19th…after all, who doesn’t love a party?
Cottage Knits has become a place of encouragement and community for so many folks. It is more than a yarn shop…it’s a place for retreat and refreshment. I often hear that sometimes just running in for a quick color fix is all it takes to give folks a lift in their spirit…and with that in mind the goal continues to be to create a “happy place” where one can leave the hustle and bustle of the world behind, if just for an hour or so.
An i just have to say, this just would not be possible without the support and encouragement of many of you…and my family.
My “business partner” and husband Mark labored for hours and hours another Labor Day Holiday. He keeps the place standing tall and gets little credit for mowing, watering, scrubbing and general maintanence labor. Thanks to him for all he does to make this all work.
Son-in-Law Matt did his share in the shuffle too…without him we would still be moving stuff around.
It really does “take a village” to run a village…

In some ways it seems only yesterday…we choose Labor Day Weekend 2007 to move Cottage Knits to Pennsylvania Street.
The little shop on 7th Street was bursting at the seams and it was time to find a larger space~but Cottage Knits couldn’t move just anywhere. When Mark and I first looked at the space located on the corner of 17th and Pennsylvania i knew it was the perfect place to set up shop….and that’s what we did with some help of family and friends (and lots of hard work). Without missing a beat we re-located and opened the doors on the Tuesday following the Holiday.
Three years later i have the itch for a new look….so i have been scheming and dreaming and i think i have a plan. Once again it involves a little help of a few friends and family, some hard work…After all, it’s Labor Day Weekend, right???
And in just a couple of days, i will open those doors and greet all who stop by, refreshed and excited to show you what we have been up to…and the party begins. After all, it’s birthday month for the Cottage Knits Adventure!