Woolly Bear Knits
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do:
Emily: Wooly Bear Knits
I'm originally from Minnesota, and my husband and I moved to Colorado, then to California for a few years before returning home four years ago.
Making things runs in my family. Both my grandmas taught me how to knit and crochet while I was in elementary school. My mom is always making cute things for my son, my sister runs a very successful Etsy shop, and my sister-in-law runs a traveling in home vintage market. Both of my grandmothers passed away in 2019, and I like to think of my business as a tribute to them, and hope they would be proud of me.
I used to work in the corporate world, and am currently staying home with my young son. Making things gives me something to do with my hands and gives me a creative outlet. After decking out most of my family and friends in my knit accessories, I wanted to expand to selling my hats to a wider audience, so I started out by creating an Etsy shop and then moved on to selling at craft markets and consignment stores. With my business degree and former corporate experience, I love the business and marketing aspects of running a creative business too!
When I'm not knitting, you'll find me by the water! I'm lucky to live in a beautiful city where I get to enjoy the lake. I love walking on the lake path with my morning coffee listening to an audiobook, stand up paddle boarding, or having a dinner picnic on the boat with my family on a nice summer evening.
Let us know more about your business name - how did you come up with it?
The name "Woolly Bear Knits" is inspired by finding woolly bear caterpillars in the fall (my favorite season), and now my son likes finding them too! Legend has it that woolly bear caterpillars are able to forecast the coming winter weather. Supposedly, the wider the caterpillar's brown middle section is, the milder the winter! I thought that was cute since I make cozy winter accessories.
What is your signature style / item? How did it become so?
I love neutral, classic styles. My best selling item is the ribbed knit hat that I started selling from the beginning. It's so comfy to wear (especially in merino wool) and since it's stretchy and breathable, you'll have minimal hat hair
What makes your business unique to the industry?
I use only the highest-quality merino wool and Peruvian highland wool in my knit items. I’m an animal lover, and am committed to using wool from ethical companies who do not practice mulesing on their sheep (mulesing is a practice where the strips of wool-bearing skin from around the buttocks of the sheep are removed to prevent the parasitic infection flystrike). All hats also include a cruelty-free faux fur pom pom handmade by me from high-quality faux fur.
A lot of the yarn I use is hand-dyed in small batches, so your hat won't look like anyone else's! When properly cared for, wool and merino wool accessories will last for generations.
What's been your biggest roadblock when it comes to business and how have you been able to overcome?
My biggest roadblock is not having time for all the ideas I have. Since I stay home with my son, I try to squeeze in knitting where I can, but I have only a few hours a day to take care of administrative tasks like photography, marketing, updating my Etsy shop, and social media.
How has your business had to adapt amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic? What are you doing to navigate the situation?
Due to the seasonality of my business, I'm uncertain how this fall and winter will go for my business. A lot of my sales last year were at in-person craft markets, which are up in the air right now. Of course, a lot of my sales happen online via my Etsy shop also, but I found so much joy in meeting customers and watching them try on my knits at craft markets, as well as meeting other local makers.
It's also been harder to find supplies and shipping takes longer during the pandemic, so supply issues have affected me the most. The yarn suppliers I use have had to temporarily shut down their mills due to the pandemic.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
I really love knitting and exploring new yarns and textures, and I'm very involved in the maker community through social media, and am constantly inspired by other makers!
What is your *must do* local activity?
Here's where you'll find me on a perfect Friday morning in downtown White Bear Lake, MN: make my latte and head out on a morning walk on Lake Avenue to enjoy the sunrise over the lake while listening to an audiobook or podcast. Take a yoga or barre class at Life Core Yoga, then grab my son and walk downtown to get my second coffee for the day at Anchor Coffee House, and a smoothie bowl at PLNT BSD. Walk over to the Farmer's Market (June-October) to get some locally grown veggies, then head to the library to pick up some new books for the weekend. In the evening, I'd meet up with my husband and neighbor friends at Washington Square Grill, then go have a glass of wine at Seven Vines Vineyard!
Where to find Woolly Bear Knits:
Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/woollybearknit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woollybear_knits/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woollybearknits