It was a dreary cold December 27, 2012 and I lay in the afternoon with a holiday cold, considering and planning the coming year. In a kind of sleepy awareness a voice came through, “Go to Armstrong, there is something there for you.” Reluctantly I rolled out of bed and drove to Armstrong, for I have learned to trust those voices that come. 

On that day I walked the streets of Armstrong for the first time and found a For Rent sign on 2543 Pleasant Valley Blvd. I called the number on the sign and they said call back in the new year. I had found my next business project, The Boutique in Armstrong. 

Over the next 6 months we renovated and made new again a lovely space built in 1911. I invested because I had confidence in the town of Armstrong just as my Great Grandparents had when they immigrated from Britain to the South Okanagan in 1910. 

Several years later in 2015, 2541 Pleasant Valley Blvd. came available and I saw an opportunity to create another business in Armstrong, The Twisted Purl Yarn Studio. 

The Twisted Purl Yarn Studio is a business designed to support and inspire creativity in humans and their community through the fibre arts. We are a growing centre of creative activity as we provide classes, knit nights, workshops and customer service that is supportive, inclusive and fun. On March 20, 2020 the Covid experience changed how we did things. We closed for one month, refocused and decided to be what we were committed to being. As people self isolated and spent more time at home we continued our weekly newsletter, invested in upgrading our ecommerce presence and used social media to stay connected to our customers. Our customer base grew during this time and not only did we serve local people many online customers from Vancouver to Newfoundland have found their way to our store. Providing leadership through this time meant we stayed open, stayed connected, we invested in inventory and time and we stayed healthy. 

Since 2020 our sales have increased 25%. The Twisted Purl Yarn Studio is a beautiful inspiring place and I believe those are the very things that are needed in our world today. We are honoured to be nominated and recognized by the Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce for the “Small Business Award”. I am happy that I listened to to that voice on a cold winter day for there really was something for me in Armstrong.

The Twisted Purl Yarn Studio’s success as a business is totally dependant upon the people I work with. Jane Sacht, Linda Maclean, Bernice James and I woman the store. We have shared the development of systems, knitted and crocheted constantly and most importantly we share a vision of quality service. Between the four of us we bring more than120 years of customer service from many different backgrounds to the table. It has been a gift for me to learn from these talented, committed women. Nikki Toews worked with us from Edmonton creating and expanding our online presence for the last 2 years. Anna Green has taken over from here and continues to expand and bring her expertise to the business. Kim Davidson is our office manager and makes sure bills are paid and numbers make sense. Thank you. 

My partner in life is Steve Logan. We have spent 40 years together building a life. In that life there has been much business and the Twisted Purl has been a labour of love for both of us from the concept design to the day to day activity. What a gift it is to work with a partner that gets you. I believe that doing good business changes the world and how you are in that business can inspire people so that they can explore their best selves and the Twisted Purl Yarn Studio has been a wonderful vehicle for us to do that