About

Kelbourne Woolens is for those who love the craft as much as we do

Our Mission

Kelbourne Woolens is an independently owned yarn wholesaler, distributor, and retailer offering a collection of quality and affordable knitting and crochet yarns. Each Kelbourne Woolens yarn is carefully selected and designed by owners Kate and Courtney and their small, dedicated team. The yarns are meant to be crafted, worn, and enjoyed by all, with as few barriers to entry as possible.

We are guided and inspired by the refrain:

Kelbourne Woolens is for those who love the craft as much as we do.

Our Values

We only work with manufacturers we have a personal relationship with, and all mills are committed to stellar social and environmental practices. We are dedicated to getting quality products, while ensuring the respect and care our planet deserves.

We welcome any and all regardless of race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, size, or age. We strive to feature and support a diverse and inclusive range of customers.

Meet the Founders

Kelbourne Woolens was founded in 2008 by friends Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn, who met while working in a local yarn store in Philadelphia, PA. Courtney was a new mom and Kate was in her final year of grad school. Together they founded Kelbourne Woolens at Kate's kitchen table, and have been working side by side ever since. 

Initially they operated as a distribution company, working closely with other brands to make their products great. As part of this strategy, Kate and Courtney were also designing patterns for the yarns they distributed.

In 2017 they poured their years of experience into their own line of yarns, and now, almost a decade later, continue to bring quality and affordable yarns to life. Kate and Courtney are forever grateful to their customers. Whether you have been with them from day one, or are brand new, your support means the world.

  • Giving back

    Over the years we have given back via yarn and monetary donations, volunteering, education, to organizations that align with our beliefs. For a full list, visit our Crafting a Better World page.

  • Women owned

    Kate and Courtney have been owner-operators from the start, running Kelbourne Woolens along side a small, dedicated staff. We are proud to have built Kelbourne Woolens into a business that supports us, our employees, and gives back to our community.

  • Fair wages

    Kelbourne Woolens champions the Fight for Fifteen, dedicated to raising the National minimum wage. We use the MIT Living Wage Calculator to ensure that all our employees are making a real living wage.

Our Partnerships

In addition to our own line of Kelbourne Woolens yarns, we also distribute yarns and products we stand behind, not just as businesswomen, but as makers ourselves.

The products we carry include:

• BC Garn, a GOTS certified organic line of yarns from Denmark.
• Hey Mama Wolf, organic, locally-made and zero-waste yarns from Germany.
• Soak, makers of a natural and biodegradable wool wash and no-starch ironing spray made in North America that comes in fresh, fun scents.
• Navia, a line of yarns from the Faroe Islands that balances tradition with luxury at an affordable price, with fantastic pattern support.

The excellent yarns we distribute, including our own brand, patterns, and notions are sold at independent yarn shops. For the most current retailer information in N. America, please check out our map here.

Visit Us

Kelbourne Woolens
231 W Mt Pleasant Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19119

Wholesale

For wholesale inquiries, please feel free to email info@kelbournewoolens.com, give us a call at 267.766.5480, or fill out a wholesale request form here.