A St. Catharines place to knit at Dear Gemini – Niagarathisweek.com

For veterans who can spin a yarn at length on their textile efforts and acolytes stitching together their first, there’s a new spot in downtown St. Catharines.

That space is Dear Gemini, offering a full range of knitting, sewing and craft supplies, alongside the skills that come with the craft of textiles.

“I felt like it was something missing,” said owner Debbie Arruda, who opened the doors to the St. Paul Street store just months ago. Her vision was simple, a space where individuals could come and learn about textile arts, purchase varied supplies, and grow the already strong Niagara knitting and sewing community made up of quilting groups, spinning guilds and the like.

“I know it’s something that thrives here,” said Arruda, who fell in love with knitting as a teenager.

“I loved it, I still do,” she said. That love blossomed into her education; she attended Sheridan College for textile design and spent 10 years in the industry before opening Dear Gemini, a store named with a play on the first two letters of her given and family names, combined with her star sign.

Arruda envisioned her store as more than just a supply outlet however, she wanted to grow the knitting community, introduce individuals to sewing and knitting and the like while providing the chance for veterans to grow their skills. With ample studio space in the back and basement Dear Gemini offers an array of workshops, ranging from introductions to sewing to quilting to garment making.

Individuals without a machine at home can even come in and pay to sew by the hour.

“I think it works on a few different levels,” said Arruda, noting sewing can be functional for some, and a creative outlet for others, or both.

“You’re learning skills that are important in life,” she said, adding, “it can be very functional but it can also be very artistic, it all depends on where you want to take it.”

As for the products offered in-store, Dear Gemini boasts a range of yarns, sewing patterns, tools and textiles, with Arruda focusing on quality goods.

“One of the big things that sets us apart is fibre content,” said Arruda, who focuses on offering purely natural fibres such as wool, cotton and alpaca, a distinction that applies both to the bolts of fabric and balls of yarn on the shelves.

A full schedule of classes can be found on the Dear Gemini Facebook page.