Wool & Whimsy Yarn Shop opens in downtown Casper - Casper, WY Oil City News

CASPER, Wyo. — It’s been nearly three decades since Andrea and her husband, Jim Childs, decided on a whim to open a Mexican restaurant. Their little startup, La Cocina, has been going and growing strong ever since, including moving into its first purpose-built building last year.

Andrea said that whim applies to her new business, both in spirit and in name: The Wool & Whimsy Yarn Shop.

While her idea of opening a boutique yarn shop geared specifically for the knitting and yarn enthusiast community had been brewing for some time, deciding to actually make it happen came down to what some might call a whim.

With their children now grown and the restaurant in good hands with a great staff, there was now room in her schedule to possibly pursue another dream. When a bar and liquor store located near their restaurant suddenly closed, Jim asked Andrea if now might be the time to possibly open up a yarn store there.

“That’s when the thought really got in my head,” she said, “but that place was a little out of my budget for rent.” Soon after that, she was driving through Casper’s downtown and noticed a rent sign up in the spot formerly occupied by the Rockstar Music Store. “I called and came to look at it, and everything just happened after that.”

The cozy space at 122 E. 2nd Street joins a number of small and local businesses lined up on the block, including a book store, a restaurant, a health supply store and the revived historic Rialto Theater, now operating as a comedy club.

The offerings will be unique from the big chain stores, she said, specializing in small-batch and artisan products. That includes yarn made by Wyoming native Kayla Trujillo’s Knotty Pine Fiber Company. “She used to do my hair years ago and we’d talk knitting, and then she quit, had babies and moved to Douglas,” said Andrea. “Now she dyes this beautiful yarn and has people all over the world using it.”

For yarn enthusiasts such as herself, a town with a local yarn shop is instantly elevated. “It can draw people to a town,” she said. “The knitters here know about Cowgirl Yarn in Laramie and My Sister Knits in Fort Collins.”

“When you go through those towns, you’re stopping there,” she added. “When people are thinking of moving, places like this are a draw.”

While Andrea is a knitting and yarn enthusiast, she downplays her skill levels. However, among her two employees is Hannah Miller, a knitting expert who previously ran the yarn store Windblown Fibers in Casper with her mother. Andrea says she will be on hand for lessons and advice for anyone who walks in.

Andrea officially opened for business this week. On Saturday, Sept. 28, she’s holding a grand opening celebration with a “Gilmore Girls” theme.

“I love [the show], I love the community aspect, the mother/daughter relationship and the family part of it, and in the knitting or crocheting world that’s what we talk about,” she said, “our kids, our families, all of those things. That’s what the show is about, and they also wear a lot of knits.”

Andrea plans to market heavily for online orders and will start a YouTube channel to highlight some of her unique offerings. However, the social aspect will be the heart of the downtown store.

“There’s something about feeling the yarn and choosing a pattern,” she said. “It’s the creativity, it’s relaxing, and you can come in and show your project or get ideas. I wanted a place where we have a community.”

The Wool & Whimsy is located at 122 E. 2nd Street in downtown Casper. They are open Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

They can be found online, on Facebook and on Instagram. Their grand opening celebration is on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Features Editor More by Dan Cepeda