Dryden resident to open local yarn shop in the fall

Chris Cushman fell in love with knitting around eight years old.

Since then, Cushman, who’s dubbed herself a “fiber junkie,” has developed a fascination for a variety of yarns and fibers.

Now, Cushman will be able to share her passion with others when she opens her own fiber and yarn shop in September in the village of Dryden.

Cushman is naming her shop “Connected Stitches.” The goal for her business is to connect people in the community.

“Our tagline is to ‘connect with your local fiber community.’ I believe fiber arts can connect people,” Cushman said. “The goal is to provide yarns and supplies that will accommodate a wide range of uses and projects.”

Cushman’s inspiration for a shop in Dryden derived from her experience at a yarn shop called Around The Table in Cleveland, Ohio. She received support from the owners of that shop to start her own journey in the yarn and fiber world.

The owners of the Cleveland-based shop even guided Cushman through her first sweater project.

“It was incredible — kind, welcoming and empowering,” Cushman said. “To have support and encouragement in my own hands, it dug into the [knitting] rabbit hole a bit more.”

Five years ago, after the birth of her second child, Cushman dove into knitting more than she’d ever had in her life.

“A big part was being in connection [with the yarn shop in Cleveland],” Cushman said.

Cushman, her husband, Matthew, and three children moved to Dryden in 2021 after six years in Cleveland. Back in Dryden, Cushman missed the connection she’d had with yarn and fiber.

Due to the pandemic, Cushman had trouble finding a local knitting community. The closest yarn shop was in Trumansburg, but family life made it difficult to make the drive to that town.

Cushman would go through Dryden, see empty storefronts and imagine a yarn shop. Last October, she said a “spark ignited” to get the ball rolling on some sort of yarn and fiber community.

After writing posts for fellow mother-based groups on Facebook, Cushmam hoped she would get people together to learn how to knit. A ton of people responded.

It led to Cushman starting her own beginner knitting classes, then a social craft gathering. The group started meeting last November and convened every Thursday at the event space next to Corner Brew on West Main Street in the village.

Cushman enjoyed knitting with others in the community and teaching others what she knows about yarn and fiber. She still wanted to offer supplies for knitting and crocheting, noting the frustration of ordering online and being ultimately unsure if the item description is accurate.

Once Cushman saw business space available on West Main Street, she dreamed of her own shop. That became a reality when she signed the lease in April, which began the process of opening a brick-and-mortar shop.

“Being able to have a landing space, a shop where it’s cathartic and you can squish balls of yarn,” Cushman said, noting the accessibility to her shop. “To be able to have a space and talk to someone about yarns and fibers is great.”

Cushman looked back at the first sweater she knitted. With her shop a few months away from opening, she thought of how everyone uses fibers to create fabric and clothing.

“As a young mom, it gave me something that was mine that I could do and feel accomplished at,” Cushman said. “It gave me a deeper connection to myself.”

Cushman is hopeful that through her shop, she can make connections with other small businesses, local farmers and local artists. She wants to help provide an education of fiber and where it comes from, and how to use it as a sustainable and reusable resource.

The shop will have a wide range of prices, Cushman said. She’ll have fibers available for sensitive skin, for babies and more.

Cushman emphasizes the motto of the shop, which is “a brave space for people to ask questions and learn.”

Further information about the upcoming Connected Stitches yarn and fiber shop can be found at connectedstitches.com.

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Village of Dryden schedules hydrant flushing this month

The village of Dryden has announced that the flushing of hydrants will take place from May 20 to May 24 in the area.

Village officials ask that residents refrain from doing light-colored laundry during that time. For questions, contact the village hall at 607-844-8122.

Southworth House tours start in June

The Dryden Town Historical Society (DTHC) has announced that tours of Southworth House at 14 North St. in the village will start in June.

The guided tours will be held on the first Saturday of each month between June and October. The tours are scheduled for June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 7 and Oct. 5.

Each Saturday with scheduled tours will have three time slots: 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon.

To make an appointment for a tour, call 607-844-4691. Further information is available in the DTHC’s April newsletter at drydennyhistory.org.