This past weekend I had the incredible honor of joining Cindy & Tom Garland of Stunning String as they celebrated the grand opening of their flagship store and dye facility. It was a blast and a celebration not just of all things pink, but of our community. And they had cupcakes!

In our industry, the fact that Cindy & Tom have grown Stunning String to open a storefront is no small feat. In fact it is quite worthy of celebrating! I was so impressed with how many people came to join in the weekend fun and be part of the celebration. People came from as far as Cleveland, Wisconsin, Indiana… and other places really far! So cool!

We gathered in the Stitch Room (where people can both knit AND crochet) and enjoyed snacks and community and it was quickly a room full of laughs and stitches. It was super fun and so inspiring to hear stories and meet new fiber friends.

Tom got to talk about his dye process and color systems and Cindy got a chance to show off her beautiful designs. I got to just have a blast! Who could ask for more?!

It was also a special weekend because I will be doing a lot of upcoming design work with Stunning String. So to me it was way more than just an open house, but rather a chance to really get to know the Stunning String community and customers and learn what they like. And like me, they LOVE Stunning String.

Tom was giving a rare sneak peak behind the scenes at his dye studio and I know so many people loved it! I had no idea just how many colors they have and they have a HUGE variety of bases too. I quickly fell in love with their DK weight called Plump and snagged some of the custom colorway for the grand opening weekend. It was limited edition and flying off the shelf. I felt lucky to snag a few skeins! I don’t know what I will make yet but I know it will be fabulous!

My best pal Stephanie even drove in from Detroit to join in the fun and grand opening shenanigans making it that much more special. I love how our community pulls together to support each other and I am so blown away by how everyone truly showed up this weekend for Stunning String! I have a feeling this is just the beginning and so many great things will come from working with Tom & Cindy.

If you are ever in the area be sure to stop in, say hello to Cindy & Tom and snag some Stunning String squishiness - but if not you can always shop online here.

… and stay tuned for some very special announcements coming from Stunning String and Stitch & Hustle