2020 ~ Recap of our year at The Woolly Thistle

We all know how challenging 2020 has been for every one of us, and so I want to say thank you for your support of The Woolly Thistle throughout this difficult year.  I too turned to my knitting when things seemed extremely difficult and uncertain.  I am so grateful to be a Knitter and I know that many of you feel exactly the same. 

We worked really hard to provide you with the best woolly wool to keep you knitting through all the challenges and difficult times. This year we experienced fast growth that kept us on our toes so we could meet your needs as much as possible.  We have grown as a team with many new hires and several key contractors who operate to support our business.  We have outgrown our space at the Mill and will be looking to relocate early in 2021. 

We have crossed many milestones in this very long, yet short, year.  However perhaps the one thing I'm most proud of is that we created connections for knitters since the pandemic began with our Knitting Buddies program.  Since it started in April it has grown to have over 500 participants in 46 states and 17 countries and I could not be more proud that we were able to help and connect knitters in the fight to overcome isolation.  You can request to join a Knitting Buddy group right here!

From all of us at The Woolly Thistle, we wish you a joyful holiday season, and that your pins keep clacking, we'll be seeing you in 2021!  Here's a wee recap of 2020:

January - we donated $531 from shop sales to WWF Australia to help rescue animals affected by the terrible fires.

February - we had our 5th Mitten KAL and had more participants and colorwork mittens than ever!

March - we had our March sale just as news of COVID was beginning to penetrate our understanding of how life was about to change.

April - Our Knitting Buddy program was launched to connect knitters and combat feelings of isolation during lockdown. The program continues and to date we have over 500 participants in 46 states and 17 countries.

May - the Vanilla Sweater spoke to our need for a simple and wearable sweater and at your urging I wrote it up as a recipe.

June - Sales from the Vanilla Sweater recipe and VS Kits raised over $5460 for Color of Change in direct response to the killing of George Floyd.  In much happier news we welcomed Kelsey to the team as our Inventory Coordinator and Willa to our order packing team!

July - we thought we'd be quiet in July but it turned out to be one of our best month's ever.

August - Our Summer Sock Sprint featured many wonderful sock patterns knitted at the height of summer when a small project is much appreciated. Our team grew and we welcomed Beverly to our Customer Service department!

September - The team here at TWT wanted to do something positive to benefit BIPOC. As a group we decided that TWT would make a donation to the Jackie Robinson Foundation. We donated $2000!  TWT sponsored the CAN Retreat supporting Women of Color working in the fiber industry.  We welcomed Heather to our team of brilliant packers!

October - Our TWT Sweater KAL was a huge hit with loads of great designers and knitters participating! Our team grew and we welcomed Sarah (who is also Beverly's daughter) to the team!

November - our first ever TWT Selection Boxes were a hit! We added Kelsey P to our panel of Experts and she helps customers with pattern, color and yarn choices.

December - we had our first ever Virtual Knit Night with over 75 people joining us for a knit and natter and we survived 2020!

We look forward to connecting with you more in 2021 and sharing our passion for woolly wools and knitting.  We hope to share more stories from the farmers, shepherds, independent mills, designers, authors and knitters as we all hone our skills and connect over our common love of wool.