Twisted

Last weekend the little Volvo that could made a trip to Seattle and returned ladened with all things Ikea.  Given that the Vo is old enough to buy its own liquor and currently has no overdrive despite our best efforts to search I5 for compatible fuses, we salute its dedication to our cause.  At Ikea, after I recovered from my shock at the sheer joy of the place, we bought bookshelves, tables, chairs, silverware and even countertop.  In this picture, if you look closely, you will see that a) the car is absolutely packed to the rafters, b) Shannon is securing the tailgate closed with a bungee cord, and c) just behind Shannon is a huge bag of Peanut M&Ms from Costco.

Twisted exists (and we’re boldly using the present tense now instead of future!) for a few reasons.  Most fundamentally, we both love knitting and crafts.  We want to surround ourselves with crafts and to share our excitement with other people.  It’s a good feeling to use your hands and brain to make something tangible in this electronic world.  And often with crafts, you end up making not just works of art, but friends along the way.  That’s the other part of why we started Twisted.  Family and friends are the most important thing there is, and a job should just be a means to and end – being able to enjoy them and be there for them.

All this comes up now because my dear sweet angelic French Bulldog, Carat, got very sick with pneumonia.  She was in the doggie hospital, in a little oxygen box no less, and just got to come home last night.  Right now I couldn’t think about anything else if I tried to.  I can’t even knit!  Now that’s serious.  All I did today was snuggle with Carat on the sofa and nurse her back to health.  And did I have a boss I had to lie to and say I was sick?  No.  Did I have a system that was telling me this wasn’t really an emergency because it was “just” my dog?  No.  I had my fabulous partner Shannon on the other end of the phone, worried for my pup and willing to do whatever it took to give me time to take care of her.

This is why Twisted is!  Because life is about things that make us feel good, like flexing our creativity, loving a dog, and knowing we have family and friends who understand us.

Twisted is Emily Kizer and Shannon Squire. Emily and Shannon met while both working in the mental health division at the Portland VA Medical Center. Fate set them in offices across the hall from each other and a yarn shop was pretty much the inevitable result.

Emily is tech girl. She craves computers, organization and details.  Emily grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University, which is paradoxically both the only historically reliably democratic town in the state as well one of the major cities in the southern section of the state known as “Kentuckiana.” Go figure. College at Stanford University introduced Emily to the west coast and it stuck.  Emily has a husband, Matt, and a heavily doted-upon French Bulldog, Carat, both of whom are very tolerant of her crafting addiction. Other than knitting, sewing, and the like, Emily enjoys backpacking and growing orchids.

Shannon is the people person.  She is one of those women who knows everyone and who you just  can’t help but want to talk to.  Like Emily, Shannon grew up in the Midwest – Bedford, Ohio.  After college at Ohio University she roamed the country as a promotions and marketing coordinator and landed in Portland.  Shannon lives in wedded bliss with her talented husband Stefan and, while allergic to dogs, somehow puts up with Emily’s obsession with them.  Shannon is a dedicated knitter as well as a fine chef and gardener.

Together, this pair of young women is ready to transform Portland’s crafting scene and make it their own.

Word.

Twisted is Portland, Oregon’s newest yarn and craft shop, opening in May 2007. Although Portland has other fine yarn stores, it doesn’t have anything like Twisted. Here’s what sets us apart:

While specializing in yarn and knitting supplies, Twisted will stock a variety of other crafting items. You’ve heard of the Yarn Harlot, of course. Well, here at Twisted we joke about being craft whores – since we’ve never met a craft we didn’t like! After all, if you’re in love with knitting, it’s just too tempting to learn embroidery or quilting or beading or basket weaving or…

Embroidery from an artist in New Zealand.

Featuring Adagio Teas.

Twisted will feature a tea bar. Several other yarn stores have coffee bars, which are already in super abundance in the highly caffeinated Northwest. Try some tea instead! It’s better for you, more varied, less expensive and just plain fun!