About Purls of Joy
Our Story
Purls of Joy is a Cooperative business driven by over a dozen active, Full Members with support from a small group of Silent Partners and a group of dedicated volunteers from the surrounding community. The Cooperative was formed in March 2022.
Our mission is to keep a vibrant, community-centered, fiber arts business in the heart of Healdsburg.
Our History
Purls of Joy was founded in 2010 by Rosanne Park. In 2022, when Rosanne decided to step away from running the store, a group of local knitters and crocheters self-organized to transition the business into a member-owned Cooperative.
Rosanne is an active supporter of Purls of Joy, teaching classes, leading knit-a-longs, and supplying her hand-dyed Comfort & Joy line of wool yarn.
Our Community
We believe that knitting is more than just a hobby – it's a way to connect with others and build community. We support programs of outreach and education with focus on groups that have been traditionally underserved. We are working with local community organizations, such as the Healdsburg and Windsor Public Libraries, among others, and we offer Spanish speaking customer service during the opening hours.
We support charity programs, such as Project Linus, and Alice's Embrace.
Featured Member
Tammy Montenegro
Tammy helped found the Purls of Joy cooperative in 2022. As the Merchandising Manager, Tammy determines what yarns and colorways are carried at Purls of Joy. She works at the shop several days a week and makes sure that our shelves are stocked with a wide variety of yarns, from economical to artisan.
Tammy started crocheting at 5 years old with her mother and grandmother as her inspiration and teachers. As a novice crocheter (and a five year old), at first she could only chain, so her first project resulted in a chain that went all the way around her house. Eventually, she mastered going back and forth and now can create lovely garments. She crocheted for decades, truly mastering the craft. After surviving a health scare, Tammy decided that she needed to stretch her brain muscle by learning a new craft: knitting. It wasn’t long before Tammy’s skill at knitting equaled her crochet ability; she fell in love with knitting and dropped crochet.
Tammy’s most memorable projects: her first knit sweater and a blanket that caused her to fall in love with crocheting again. After knitting for 19 years, she finished her first sweater. She is terribly proud of that accomplishment. After she took up knitting, she stopped crocheting for a long time. Then several years ago, she discovered the “Nuts about squares” afghan pattern. She loved that afghan for reintroducing her to the joy of crochet. Unfortunately, she lost the afghan, as well as her Healdsburg home, in the 2020 Wallbridge fire. Her love for knitting and crocheting remains.
Tammy aspires to knit a fair isle sweater someday. A sweater with a beautifully detailed, stranded yolk will require learning new skills and spending much knitting time with her friends. Tammy is part of a long-standing community of knitters who gather at Purls of Joy to share fellowship and love of crafting.
The 8 Questions
- Knit or crochet? Both
- Wool or Cotton? Wool
- Sticks or circular? Circular
- Wood or metal? Both, it depends upon the yarn
- Socks or Beanies? Beanies
- Start or Finisher? Starter
- Cats or Dogs? Cats
- IPhone or Android? Iphone, but conflicted
Meet the Members
Janice Orrego
Janice Orrego
Janice Orrego
- Knit or crochet? Knit
- Wool or Cotton? Wool
- Sticks or circular? Both
- Bamboo or metal? Bamboo
- Socks or Beanies? Socks
- Start or Finisher? Starter
- Cats or Dogs? Cats
- IPhone or Android? iPhone
Cathy Carey
Janice Orrego
Janice Orrego
Patty Dunlap
Janice Orrego
Margaret Butler
- Knit or crochet? Knit
- Wool or Cotton? Wool
- Sticks or circular? Circular
- Bamboo or metal? Bamboo
- Socks or Beanies? Beanies
- Start or Finisher? Finisher
- Cats or Dogs? Both
- IPhone or Android? Android
Margaret Butler
Margaret Butler
Margaret Butler
Nancy Dunlop
Margaret Butler
Nancy Dunlop
Donna
Margaret Butler
Nancy Dunlop
Elisa Snedden
Mary Sue Fredani
Mary Sue Fredani
Mary Sue Fredani
Mary Sue Fredani
Mary Sue Fredani
Bingo Kohlmann
Mary Sue Fredani
Bingo Kohlmann
Linda Nicola
Shirley Holman
Bingo Kohlmann
Linda Selover
Shirley Holman
Shirley Holman
Shirley Holman
Shirley Holman
Shirley Holman