"Therapy on a Stick"

WELCOME to the Yarn Boutique Staff Bio Page.

We currently have 7 Fiber Artists employed at the retail store and one guy who occasionally brings comic relief to us all.

Jessica Bryant
Jessica is Amelia Templar’s daughter. As Jessica tells us she learned to crochet from her Mom when she was 8 and has been doing that off and on ever since. She has just learned to knit in the last 6 months and has not stopped yet. She has knit hats, scarves, little baby sweaters and a whole bunch of Christmas gifts too. Knitting has become her new passion. Someday she hopes to knit some lace items too.

Joyce Dalton
Joyce learned to knit when she was 12. After seeing a girl younger than her knitting, she asked her to teach her to knit too. Joyce was the only one in her family that had this knitting skill, so at 12 she felt very accomplished in being able to do this craft. Knitting took a back seat for a while as she got an education, married and had children. The opportunity finally presented itself again and knitting has been a passion ever since. Joyce tells us that her first project was an afghan for her mother made in an orange shade. Hey it was the 60’s at the time! Then she made a coat for her father and an Irish knit sweater for her husband, just so her husband would know that she was not sitting around wasting her time. Knitting continues to be Joyce’s passion. She believes that even a simple pattern can look great when using a good yarn and is always eager to learn a new technique.

Lana Harnizonava
Lana is an instructor at Yarn Boutique. Lana was born and raised in Russia. She has been in the states for about 3 years now. She is our speed knitter. She knits faster than any other person in the store. She can start a sweater on Monday and be wearing it on Friday of the same week. Her grandmother taught Lana to knit when she was 6, although Lana tells us she was not very good at it. She then learned everything else she needed to know from books. Her first sweater was made when she was in the first grade, and it was an intarsia sweater. Her son and Mother still live in Belarus. Her knitting passion is lace, lace and lace. She also loves intarsia work and making anything with Noro Yarn. There is never a time when Lana is not knitting. In fact she looks quite bored when she has nothing to knit.


Linda Thompson
Linda credits her passion for knitting to her Mother, who was a wonderful knitter. Linda learned the basics of knitting from her Mom when she was 7 and made her first sweater when she was 10. Since then she has taught herself by following patterns and incorporating knitting techniques into her work. Knitting is constantly reinventing itself and Linda loves the creative, artistic, practicality that knitting gives her. Linda says that “every day is a knitting day!”

Tina Turner
Tina is an instructor at Yarn Boutique. Born in Seattle, Washington, she learned to knit from her German mother at the age of 14. She recalls that is was a particular long and rainy summer, so learning to knit seemed like the perfect way to pass the time. Because her Mom is German, she learned to knit continental and continues to teach that method at Yarn Boutique. Tina can also knit by throwing the yarn with her right hand. This makes her very versatile in helping and teaching our beginner knitters. She has been teaching workshops for about 6 years and is now a Certified Knitting Instructor from the Knitting Guild of America. Tina likes to knit smaller objects such as hats, mittens, socks, purses and stuffed animals. She is currently a member of the Rochester Knitting Guild and President of the Genesee Valley Handspinners Guild. Yes, Tina is our resident spinner. If you have any spinning questions, Tina is the one to see.
 

Candace Tyler-Herrenkohl
Candace is an instructor at Yarn Boutique. Candace taught herself to knit when she was 8 years old. She started out by making blankets for her pet hamsters. She has a passion for fiber arts in many forms. While knitting remains her longest standing love, she has engaged in crochet, basketry, hand stitched patch work and wheat weaving. She now has a spinning wheel and when she has time off from her knitting obligations, she will attempt to learn how to spin the many fleeces she purchased at the Rhinebeck Fiber Festival a couple of years ago. Last March, one of Candace’s sock patterns was published on line for use for members of the web-based group “Sockathon”.

Nancy Vandivert
Nancy is a freelance instructor and TKGA certified Master Hand Knitter. She teaches at several locations throughout the area including Yarn Boutique. She learned to knit as a young child and has been teaching knitting for about 6 years. She teaches knitting and crochet. She says she is constantly learning from her students and considers herself lucky to be living in a city with a thriving knitting community.


Amelia Templar
Amelia is the owner of Yarn Boutique and an instructor as well. As a child, Amelia learned to knit and crochet by her Grandmother. She enjoyed the creativity and relaxing qualities of knitting and even dreamed of owning a yarn store someday. It was during a serendipity trip to Knit n Purl that she learned the owner was retiring. She took the initiative to ask the previous owner if she could buy out the inventory and keep the store open. She tells us she passed this idea onto her husband who shockingly agreed that it would be a good idea. Of course, he didn’t realize what he was in for, he just wanted her to get a job, no matter what it was. Amelia’s mother didn’t think she could open a knit store because she believed it would be impossible for Amelia to let go of any yarn. If you ask Amelia what she is working on these days she will tell you that she has started a dozen projects all of which have two rows completed. Someday she hopes to complete row three.
 

Brett, the guy. aka Amelia's husband

Former Construction-Project Manager at Kodak. Woodworker when Amelia lets him. Please don't tell anyone that he now works in a yarn store for his wife....
 

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