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“Running a yarn shop is slightly different from nuclear power, but running a business can be a little crazy,” Thorowgood said.
Working as a Naval officer takes quite a bit of organizational leadership, and that gave her the right skill set to open her new business last year. The shop will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Aug. 23.
Always looking forward, Thorowgood took advantage of meeting nationally known knitting expert Patty Lyons at a National Needle Arts Association conference in Washington, D.C., in June 2016.
“While there, I took a class from Patty, and she was amazing. I had her in the back of my mind to invite her to my shop after I opened,” said Thorowgood, who moved to Dayton with her husband, Sean, in 2012. “Months later I asked her if she was available to come and teach in July.”
Lyons answered in the affirmative, and she will be teaching four classes July 22-23 at Thorowgood’s shop.
“She’s very personable and open but at the same time doesn’t let the class get sidetracked. She’s very good at running the class, and she’s very engaging and funny,” said Thorowgood. “She has good insights into things that not a lot of other people would see.”
Lyons lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and travels across the country lecturing on needle arts and has quite a following.
“She’s the Knitterati of knitting, which is a combination of knitting and Glitterati,” said Thorowgood. “Whenever you go one of her knitting events, it’s always well attended. People tend to follow her around; they want to shake her hand and get her autograph.”
Lyons has been featured in publications ranging from Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits to the Wall Street Journal, and has been a repeat guest on PBS's Knitting Daily TV. Find out more online at pattylyons.com.
“Don’t be afraid of your stitches, don’t be afraid of mistakes and don’t be afraid of taking classes. One of the most empowering things for a knitter to do is to be able to fix their mistakes without fear. That’s why I’m so happy that I’ll be teaching Knitting ER at Centerville,” said Lyons. “I’ve been knitting for years, but I’m always learning new things.”
About the classes
Classes on Saturday, July 22: Finishing SEAMS Simple, 9 a.m. to noon; Knitting ER: Tragedies and Treatments, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Classes on Sunday, July 23: Let it GO! 9 a.m. to noon; Knitting Bag of Tricks, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
A lecture by Lyons, “Oops, I Accidentally Knit a Dress (Tales of Lies, Heartbreak and Denial),” scheduled for July 21 has been sold out.
Contact this contributing writer at PamDillon@woh.rr.com.
How to go
What: Various knitting classes with Patty Lyons
Where: Centerville Knit & Crochet, 8018 McEwen Road
When: Saturday and Sunday, July 22-23 (two classes each day from 9 a.m.-noon and from 1:30-4:30 p.m.)
Cost: $50 each
More info: 937-979-4130
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