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Ewetopia Fiber Shop
"I started knitting in first grade in a Waldorf school here in Viroqua, Wisconsin", begins Kathryn Ashley-Wright telling me all about herself, her business and her town. Like so many stories, Kathryn learned to knit in her early years, taking it up some years later in life. The words later in life may lead you to believe that Kathryn is older. She's actually a college student, attending University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Kathryn is extremely motivated! Who do you know that goes to college, knits, spins, has a small flock of sheep, and also stood up to the challenge to open a new yarn shop when the local yarn shop of Viroqua, Kindred Threads, closed. The locals of Viroqua were devastated to hear the news of their shop closing. They actually had a discussion as to who would keep the yarn shop going, and Kathryn decided on opening Ewetopia Fiber Shop, and she's up to the challenge.
"Because of my love for sheep and natural fibers, I wanted a name that was linked to the source of my favorite fiber", says Kathryn. Lots of different names where tossed about, but when a friend and mentor of Kathryn's came up with the name Ewetopia, it was an instant hit. Kathryn opened her store a month before my website went live in July of 2007. You could say, we're both newbie's in the knitting community at large.
Ewetopia Fiber Shop is a full service yarn shop, carrying all the usual suspects of yarn like Cascade, Berroco, Noro and Louet, and they also have all the basic classes like knitting, crocheting, spinning and felting. But one thing that does stand out as unique is their dyeing studio right at the store. They specialize in local yarns and fiber, and have their own hand dyed yarns for sale. Kathryn and the gals of Ewetopia Fiber Shop are constantly coming up with new and exciting colorways. The store has a few knitting groups that meet at the shop and it really keeps the fiber arts community alive in Viroqua.
Viroqua is the county seat for Vernon County, Wisconsin. Viroqua lies in the heart of the Driftless region in southwest Wisconsin. The Driftless region was created during the ice age because the glaciers split and went around them, thus the terrain is very hilly with lots of ridges and valleys. Viroqua is not only a beautiful place, but also a farming community with a huge number of small organic farms. Viroqua is the home of Organic Valley/CROPP, an organic dairy who markets nationwide. The Pleasant Ridge School, a wonderful Waldorf school also called Viroqua home, attracting lots of new family from all over the United States. Tourism is also alive in Viroqua, with folks coming in the summer months to hike at Wildcat Sate Park.
Now some final words from Kathryn Ashley-Wright: "From what I have seen, it doesn't appear that knitting will be dying down anytime soon. We have people coming in to learn to knit all the time and wanting to knit with natural fibers. Running a yarn shop has got to be the best job I could have ever asked for in life. I get to work in a place where color and creativity rule above all else. The most challenging thing that I have made to this point was my wedding gown, made from 100% silk and knit entirely. Now that I am a mother of a 10 month old girl, knitting baby garments are pretty wonderful too. Please come and visit Ewetopia Fiber Shop in Viroqua, Wisconsin. We love to visit with newcomers and we're dedicated to help you through even your toughest knitting dilemma!
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