Nov. 22, 2022

Ten years ago, Jane Taylor first started thinking about opening a store filled with colorful yarns, a place where knitters and crocheters could gather and share ideas and beginners could learn the basics of fiber arts.

Friday morning, all that planning and dreaming will become reality when Taylor opens Prairie Road Yarn’s doors in the Park Place Mall off West 41st Street.

“When people walk inside, they will see yarn and projects to make with that yarn,” Taylor said. “They’ll see needles and hooks, all the fun things that go with fiber arts. I’ll have books, patterns and lots of stuff to touch. There will be a seating area for people to gather.”

Prairie Road Yarn will carry Malabrigo, Cascade, Berroco and Wonderland yarns as well as yarns dyed locally and products from Maker Way Fiber Mill in Brandon. In January, Taylor will bring in instructors to offer classes in crocheting and Norwegian mittens.

Taylor expects Prairie Road Yarn to become a place where knitters and crocheters gather and share ideas. That community is a generous one, always willing to help others learn and expand their skills.

“In the knitting community, people have a tendency to share. They want others to enjoy it and teach others; it’s that kind of community in general,” she said. “It’s part of the reason I like the people in this community too.”

Taylor’s grandmother attempted to teach her to crochet when Taylor was a child, but a right-hander instructing a left-hander proved impossible. It wasn’t until Taylor was 39 that she finally learned to knit.

“I always loved knitted things, and I wanted to learn how to make Norwegian mittens and make my own sweaters,” Taylor said. “I like to learn new things, and in knitting, there’s always a new technique or new pattern, which I really like.”

Taylor received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota and joined Siouxland Libraries in 1990 as a librarian. When she retired in November 2021, she was director of Ronning Branch Library. In the interim, Taylor earned a master’s degree in library and information science and another master’s in business administration and management. The latter helped her lead the branch library and will be equally useful running her own business, she said.

Ten years ago, when Taylor started contemplating her eventual retirement and what could be next, she thought about her love of knitting, yarn and color.

“This seemed like the next step. This is my second dream job,” she said. “Besides, I told everybody I was going to do it, so I had to do it.”

Her background as a librarian also helped her research how to find vendors and how to start a business.

“I kind of knew the steps to take,” Taylor said. “After managing the Ronning Library so many years, it wasn’t so hard for me, the little details.”

Prairie Road Yarn will fill a need for knitters and crocheters, Taylor said. She can carry things that a big-box store can’t and offer personal attention.

One detail was choosing the name. Taylor knew she wanted the word “prairie” in her business name and originally leaned toward Prairie Rose Yarn. When someone misheard it as Prairie Road, she decided she liked that even better.

Prairie Road Yarn is located at 3101 W. 41st St., Suite 115, across the parking lot from the Olive Garden restaurant.

Taylor’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

On Friday, her grand opening, she will serve hot cider and cookies.