Call it what you will: Knitting Central (7 years). Westport Yarns (14 years). Stitch Haven (this month).
The names change, but the heart remains. The Post Road East business is a one-stop shop for yarn, needles and hooks, accessories — and classes and more, for Westport’s substantial knitting community.
Beth Berkowitz is the new owner (and responsible for the name change). She’s passionate about her hobby.
And she has a life-changing story to tell about it.
Beth Berkowitz
Three years ago she had difficulty using her right arm. Doctors told her she needed rotator cuff surgery.
Beth had led a very active life. She played tennis, pickleball and golf. She walked her dogs, and painted. Now the pain was too great to even put acrylic on canvas.
Looking for an activity she could do — and for a social outlet — she discovered the local yarn store’s classes and lessons.
“It was a warm, welcoming and cozy environment,” Beth says.
She learned to knit, and became a frequent fixture.
“Whenever I sat down to knit, I felt calm and relaxed,” Beth says. “It became better than meditating for me.”
She surprised herself with her ability to makek items she could wear. “I could create an actual garment from a bunch of string!” she says.
Her doctor warned her that after surgery, she would not be able to do most activities for 6 months.
But knitting requires only hands and wrists. Needles are quite light. Just a few days after her operation, she was back to work.
In fact, Beth says, knitting gave her a head start on physical therapy. Because the rest of her arm muscles did not atrophy while she wore a sling, her recovery progressed quicker than usual.
Taking classes and meeting her knitting friends was great for her spirit too.
Knitters (from left): Tracey Sparks, Pinaki Vazarkar, Mihal Spitzer, Michelle Bloom, Rose Puza and Jeanine Narita.
When she heard that the owner of Westport Yarns was looking to sell — and that if she did not find a buyer, she might close — the more intrigued she became.
Despite a busy life selling real estate, traveling and spending time with her family, Beth looked into the financials.
Then came COVID. The shop stayed open, selling online and allowing drive-by purchase pick-ups.
A few months passed. Beth figured a buyer was lined up.
Then the owner asked Beth if she was serious about her interest.
She quickly said “yes!”
Pam Grushkin (left) is Stitch Haven’s store manager. She designs patterns, and teaches crochet and knitting. Julie Van Norden, is an instructor and sales associate, with a talent for color selections.
Beth had already started to help the staff, during busy times. She was already knitting there. It felt like a natural evolution.
Examining the records, she saw that although most years were busy, with plenty of sales of yarn and other supplies, operating costs were high.
Beth took it as a challenge. She realized there were opportunities for an energetic new start.
She bought the business. She kept most of the beloved staff, and the elements that worked well. She introduced efficiencies.
Still, the start-up costs were high, as she helped the prior owner through the holiday season.
On January 6, Beth officially took over.
Stitch Haven is still in transition. There have been a few technology hiccups.
But things are smoothing out. Loyal customers remain; new ones are finding the store.
The “Westport Yarns” sign will soon say “Stitch Haven.”
As spring and summer near, Beth has ordered plenty of cotton yarns and blends.
“This is a great time to start projects that can worn in warmer months,” she says. “And you can get a jump on a holiday gift over the summer, to be ready for next winter.”
A new “Stitch Haven” sign is coming soon. In the meantime, she invites everyone to check out the shop that still says “Westport Yarns,” near Party Harty and Cava across from Terrain and Fresh Market.
Meanwhile, she promises, “we will keep everyone in stitches!”
(For the Stitch Haven website, click here. The Instagram is @stitchhavenct.)
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