Wow!  Little Red Mitten is turning 14!!!

…by Joan Inglis Janes – founder of the original LRM

Despite my rather extensive ‘Studio Collection’ (aka stash), I needed to buy new yarn to be able to use up old yarn!  Have you heard that one before?

So, I popped into LRM where Jolyn reminded me they were about to celebrate the shop’s 14th anniversary.  Ahhh, February 16, 2009.  I remember it well.  I had chosen that day as our opening day, not realizing that it was Family Day …and thought that it might be best (more legal?) if Sue, my one staff member, wasn’t working.  Thank goodness for my husband, Matt, who ‘manned’ the till that day!

Our first year was a bit of a whirlwind and I managed to hire some really wonderful people, one of whom just happened to be Jolyn Gardner.  She attended so many Sit ‘n’ Knit groups and was so pleasant and helpful with everyone that I just had to offer her a job!  Good move on my part, eh?  

Throughout our first year, we involved many, many customers in knitting our Jumbo Scarf.  

Check out the small crowd in the Jumbo photo – yup!  That’s Jolyn on the right!

And as I wrote in a February, 2010 blogpost, “Little Red Mitten made it through its first year in business and I am happy. Happy to be spending my days with imaginative, creative, friendly employees and customers who really want our shop to succeed.”  And I have to say that was the most wonderful part of owning, building, and dreaming about the business.

Best of luck to Jolyn as she carries “The Mitten”, and her “Leo and Roxy Co.” dyeing business into the future.  I’ll be cheering her on from the sidelines …or is that from my knitting chair?

Joan Inglis Janes