Kelbourne Woolens is primarily a wholesale distribution company, and we are so grateful for our retailers! We're taking time this spring and summer to feature our shops. Next up is our neighbor Wild Hand, located in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia!
Get to know Wild Hand and shop owner Liz Sytsma:
1) In 3 words, why do you carry KW?
Values, Accessibility (price point), Perfect Everyday Yarns
2) What is your favorite local small business in town?
Y'all! We are so lucky to be in the same neighborhood as Kelbourne. We share customers, work together on community events and workshops, and together have been able to build an awesome fiber craft community in our neighborhood.
3) Favorite obscure knitting or crochet technique.
Oooooh ... so hard to say! I often like to keep things simple and work on designs that are straightforward but look extra fancy ;) I'm a fan of corrugated ribbing in knitting for this reason.
4) Podcasts or Books? (Bonus points if you share your favorite).
Both! I'm reading The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, a Philly author, and it's SO good. I listen to What A Day everyday; it's my dose of 20 minutes of news in the morning while I'm making the kids breakfast.
5) When did your shop open and why did you decide to open a LYS?
We opened in 2019 and will be celebrating 6 years this April! It's been the greatest privilege to create a yarn shop and watch it grow into the community space that Wild Hand has come known to be. I had been the Executive Director at a local nonprofit working with the arts and culture sector for many years and was ready to make a career change, work hyper locally in my neighborhood, and have more flexibility to be with my kids for sick days and half days (they go to school right across the street from the shop!). After spending years teaching business planning to creatives I wanted to take those skills and apply them to my own creative vision. It's been the greatest ride.
Thanks so much for sharing, Liz!
