I’ve interviewed a lot of different people now for
my spotlights, from authors, to designers, to the folks
who bring us great yarn, to the ladies who own and
run their own yarn shops. My favorite definitely
is the yarn shop owners. They are special people,
and special indeed is how I would classify Myra Hansen
of Fancy Image Yarns in Shelton Washington!
Shelton is a sleepy little town located in western
Washington. It is the county seat in Mason County
and home to Oyster Fest. Shelton is also called
Christmas Town USA because it is the Christmas tree
capital. It’s also home to Simpson Timber Company’s
mill.
Shelton is a logging community, a farming community,
a ranching community, and they also cultivate oysters. The
first weekend in October is always marked for the Oyster
Fest, which is held out at the Mason County Fairgrounds. It
sounds like a fun event full of contests like “speed and
half shell shucking, seafood cook-off, art & photography
contests”. There’s great food to eat and wine tasting
too. A real true gem to Shelton Washington is definitely
Myra Hansen and Fancy Image Yarns.
Myra was one of three girls growing up
in Port Townsend Washington. Her family moved a lot,
even lived in Florida for a while. After Myra got
married, her parents decided to move to Shelton Washington. Myra
and her family visited the folks in Shelton and liked it,
but had a dream of moving to Oregon to live. Life
took hold and Myra never left Shelton, and is still there
today.
Myra’s Mother tried to teach her to knit
and it didn’t take. Myra did learn to crochet and
loved doing landscape afghans with her crochet. Myra’s
talents were vast, not only did she crochet, but she learned
to spin yarn, dye yarn and weave. When Myra’s children
were born, she had a desire to knit them sweaters, the
way her Mother knit her sweaters. Knitting wasn't enough,
as Myra wanted to spin her own yarn, so she bought an Ashford
Traditional spinning wheel and took private lessons. Next
came the dying of this fabulous yarn. Myra started
with the Kool-Aid method and decided to learn more about
this technique of dying wool. Myra took a workshop
with Michelle Whiplinger. She really admired this
lady’s talent and knowledge, but Myra found her own way,
simplifying the methods she was taught and in the process
creating her own look with various colors in one skein
to a one color mottled yarn. Myra belonged to a co-op
in Olympia Washington that consisted of 12 ladies. She
was part of this group for 3 years. Myra attended
knitters’ conferences and weavers’ conferences and yarn
shows. She sold not only her weaving works, but knitted
garments and her yarn. Over time, she had knitters
wanting her yarn, and she had herself a mailing list of
customers. When the co-op of ladies disbanded, Myra
went into business for herself. Fancy Image Yarns
was born.
Fancy
Image carried all the yarns that you see in the yarn
shops, the patterns, buttons and needles; but also
carried Myra’s special hand dyed yarns. Her yarns
were so popular; Myra couldn’t keep up with the demand. She
decided to purchase the wool to dye and let go of her
spinning. Now, more than 50% of her yarn inventory
is her own yarn and kits that she puts together. Myra
built a website and started her “Yarn Of The Month
Club”. Her club is hugely successful with customers
all over the United States. Her most notorious
customer in the club is Debbie Macomber, the author. Myra
has been written up in Family Circle Magazine as well
as Good Housekeeping magazine.
All you have to do is spend some time with Myra in
her shop, Fancy Image Yarns, to see how loved she is
by many. She has customers that come in on a
Saturday to literally spend the day.
They bring their knitting
and their lunches and hang out, knit, get help and finish
their projects. “The coffee’s always on” says Myra;
and she looks forward to her clientele stopping in, either
to knit or shop. To give you some idea, her Thursday
knitters group has been coming to Fancy Image for nine
of her ten and a half years of being open. Myra says
that in the summer time when the weather is nice, they
move outside onto the patio and have a great time.
Fancy Image Yarns is full of life and color. Myra
Hansen is a very sweet, kind, patient, giving, helpful
person who is very special. I asked her why she dyes’
her own yarn…..her answer, “I like doing it to make people
happy”! Myra told me, “you don’t know what knitting
is for people and what it means to them being in the store.” Myra
is a Grandmother of four, loves color and her favorite
things to knit are baby items. Please look Myra up
the next time you are in her neck of the woods and visit
Fancy Image Yarns in Shelton, Washington!
