Beverly, the official greeter at Ball & Skein & More.
Focusing on goods from women-owned, small, and fair-trade businesses
—Entering the Ball & Skein & More shop in Cambria is stepping into a wonderland of everything the fiber artist dreams about. Richly colored and luxuriously textured yarn from spinners and dyers in the U.S. and around the world are on display throughout the store. Inspirations for new projects are modeled in various locations in the shop along with accessories like stitch markers and needle toppers that bring joy to the user and make wonderful gifts.
Ball & Skein & More is one of the largest retailers of fair-trade yarn from the Manos del Uruguay women’s cooperative. The racks are filled with yarns from over 90 vendors including Berroco, Trendsetter, Dream in Color, Mountain Colors, Skacel, Noro, Lang, and Juniper Moon Farms. There are also yarns from Central Coast independent dyers including Smirligans from Los Osos and Sea Change Fibers from Santa Cruz.
New owner, Annie Groeninger, who took ownership in October 2023, focuses on female-owned small businesses and fair-trade vendors including JUL, Fibres of Life, Binkwaffle, Katrinkles, Allstitch Studio, and Cocoknits. “Being a small, woman-owned business, it just seems natural to support others,” said Annie.
Sip & Stitch & more
Annie offers classes from introduction to knitting or crocheting to project-based classes for learning more advanced skills. All the classes are great learning and socializing opportunities for fiber enthusiasts. Classes fit the needs of everyone from beginners to more experienced crafters.
The monthly Sip & Stitch meet-up includes a choice of wine from Course & Wale Winery, featuring wines sourced from Central Coast vineyards. Course & Wale is dedicated to community and good cheer and inspired by a passion for knitting. Even the names of the wine reflect the company’s commitment: Knit One is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Purl Two is a Chardonnay, and Tink is the Rosé.
A fitting match for Annie’s commitment to supporting small, woman-owned, and fair-trade artisans, and dyers, Course & Wale also supports textile artmakers and philanthropies.
Annie has also dedicated space for Cal Poly ceramics students to showcase their custom-made yarn bowls in the shop.
Serendipity & fate & more
Ready to retire from 30 years in technology, most recently 17 years at Amazon as a senior manager building Amazon Fresh shopping features, Annie was looking for something new.
She had already fallen in love with the Central Coast during a visit in 2021. Returning in February 2023 on a “retirement recon trip,” looking for someplace with lots of sunshine, she walked into Ball & Skein. There was a sign in the window, “Do you want to buy a yarn shop?”
“Yes, I do want to buy a yarn shop,” she said to herself. Six weeks later, she was back in Cambria signing the contract to buy the shop! Along with Beverly, her Bernese Mountain puppy, she took ownership of the shop in October 2023.
Beverly is part of the staff in this pet-friendly shop. “She is a working dog who greets customers and accompanies mom to the post office to ship orders,” said Annie.
The shop is the largest on the Central Coast and has one of the largest collections of yarn west of the Mississippi. Check out the website for merchandise that can be purchased online and the events and class calendar. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter and be the first to know about new products, new classes, and more!
Ball & Skein & More is located at 4210 Bridge St. in Cambria. Hours are Wednesday-Monday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed on Tuesday. For schedules or more information visit cambriayarn.com or call (805) 927-3280.
—Jackie Iddings
