Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather McLellan.
Hi Heather, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I learned to crochet from my mother and watched my grandmother make afghans. I stopped crocheting through college, but picked it up again when a college from my first auditing job handed me a hook and yarn and told me to try it again. I took off from there making things with yarn in my spare time. When I moved to Knoxville, I joined the Knoxville Knit and Crochet meetup group and was able to make new friends. After that I quickly expanded my skills, learning to knit and then to spin and weave.
I grew up visiting my grandparents in Crossville. They had a gift shop in the log cabin next to the Yarn Patch’s old location. When the I received an email from the Yarn Patch’s founder stating she wanted to sell the business, I reached out and the rest is history!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I purchased the Yarn Patch in 2019. I had one year to get my feet underneath me. Then, right about the time I thought, “You know what, I’ve got this, I can do this,” COVID hit. Luckily, we had just got our online shop up online in January, so we were able to bring our shop to our customers using Facebook lives. We were able to snag our new downtown location when the current buyer backed out due to COVID. We renovated this 1922 building through the slow year and were able to make the perfect space for our shop, open and full of natural light no matter where you are in the shop. During the process, we removed layers of plaster and drop ceilings to reveal the original brick walls and ornate tin tiles. The result is a 2,800-square-foot space that perfectly blends historical charm with modern warmth—a creative sanctuary for locals and travelers alike.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At its heart, The Yarn Patch believes that “Creativity Grows at The Yarn Patch.” The store’s mission is simple yet meaningful: to offer a vibrant, supportive environment where people of all skill levels can connect, learn, and create. Its bright, airy space in downtown Crossville is filled with yarns ranging from luxurious hand-dyed fibers to quality everyday brands, along with books, patterns, needles, and accessories for every fiber crafting adventure.
What matters most to you?
At the Yarn Patch, we strive to create a community. We have open craft times where people can bring their project and socialize. I love that knitting and crocheting is a way to connect with others and make new friends. We also love to see the amazing, creative creations people make, whether it’s a needle felted figurine, skein of hand-spun yarn, woven blanket, embroidered picture, crocheted poncho or knit hat, it’s fun to see what others are doing with fiber. We are happy to enable that creativity and community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yarnpatch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyarnpatch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheYarnPatch/
