Gratitude Month Donor Spotlight: Basha Kooler and Kooler Design Studio

At Knitting in Recovery, all of our gracious donors mean the world to us.  They make what we do possible, so we wanted to take the time this holiday season to highlight them and share our deepest gratitude.

Today we are spotlighting Basha Kooler and Kooler Design Studio.

Kooler Design Studio loft space

For over 30 years, Kooler Design Studio has designed and licensed classic and perennial artwork for the needlework, craft, and giftware industries.  They are experts in creating needlework designs, charts, patterns and stitch guides for any application.  Kooler Design Studio’s team has produced hundreds of books and leaflets for craft publishers.  As a service to crafters around the world, the Kooler Design online store carries many of their kits, books, charts and related products gathered from their various clients and publishers, including over 400 needlework patterns available online as PDF direct downloads at www.koolerdesign.com.

Kooler Design Studio cross stitch patterns sampled on sachets

Basha has been the president of Kooler Design Studio since 2010, and continues its great traditions today: To bring quality needle art and craft design to the creative community worldwide.

Basha Kooler at Best of Kooler book signing

Basha was first connected to our founder, Lise Solvang, and Knitting in Recovery through Ruthie Marks, a dear friend and talented crochet designer who designed projects for many of Kooler Design Studio’s books for over a decade.

Donations to Knitting in Recovery come from Kooler Design Studio inventory.

Our sincerest thanks to Basha and Kooler Design Studios for helping Knitting in Recovery continue to serve our community.

If you would like to make a donation to Knitting in Recovery, please follow our “Donate” link on the lefthand side of the page.

Store Spotlight: Twist, Yarns of Intrigue

Knitting in Recovery has received so many generous donations from Twist, Yarns of Intrigue that we wanted to spotlight their amazing store!

Twist storefront

Twist is based in Manhattan Beach, CA and run by Cathy Karen.  Karen studied fine art in the conceptual art department at UC Irvine before realizing her love of fiber art.  Karen refocused her studies and switched universities to enroll in one of the West Coast’s leading textile arts programs, and soon launched into a highly successful career in textile design and color consulting.  Now she uses her 30+ years of experience in art and color consulting to run her own yarn and textile boutique.

The store boasts an impressive signature line of artisan yarns that are hand-spun and hand-dyed in-house by owner Cathy.  Cathy even offers dyed-to-order custom yarns.  Twist also has an amazing inventory of one-of-a-kind original yarns handmade by artisans around the world.  Their yarns come in a rich array of contemporary colors and fibers including organic cottons and wool, mohair, silk, cashmere, hemp, soy, and bamboo.

Hand-dyed yarns on the drying rack.

One of the things that makes Twist stand out is their commitment to making a difference and improving the lives of people around the world.  In addition to donating to Knitting in Recovery, Twist also features a line of “yarns with conscious” made by women in Calcutta, South Africa, and Bolivia, the profits of which go back into the communities from which they came.  Check out their Giving Back page to view the full list of women and organizations that Twist supports.

Donations to Knitting in Recovery come from Twist (brand new yarns) as well as from customers (unused stash, leftover yarns from projects).  Twist customers donate from the goodness of their hearts and receive nothing other than our thanks and heartfelt appreciation for their generosity.

Many heartfelt thanks to Cathy and Twist customers for their continued support of Knitting in Recovery.

Check out Twist for your next knitting or crochet project or to join a class at Twist and meet other crafters.

Twist, Yarns of Intrigue

226 S Sepulveda Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

310. 374. 7810

November @ Twist
OPEN Wednesday through Sunday!

• Wednesday:      12 – 4+
• Thursday:          12 – 4+
• Friday:                12 – 4+
• Saturday:           11 – 5+
• Sunday:              12 – 4+

Yarn Donation from Terri!

Knitting in Recovery teachers (and neighbors), Emily and Theresa, admiring the yarn and getting ready to take it to our clients.

We love getting yarn donations!  Many thanks to Terri Nigro from Ventura County for this very generous donation.  Once again, a donation that filled an entire car!

The yarn will be going to Prototypes, New Visions, The Wellness Center, Project Understanding, House of Hope as well as to Women in Recovery Knitting Groups who are knitting donations for our upcoming winter Season.

Even our fur friends like yarn!  Emily’s dog, Bishop, helping sort yarn to go to New Visions and the Wellness Center.

Yarn Donation from Twist!

July 24, 2017-Knitting in Recovery received an awesome yarn donation from Twist: Yarns of Intrigue in Manhattan Beach.  The donation filled up an entire car!  The biggest of thank yous to Twist!  Our clients do great things with this yarn and getting new goodies in makes them feel very special.

What a wonderful gift!

Ruthie Marks Shawl

October, 2016–Ruthie Marks is a crochet designer with many books under her belt.  She recently made a generous donation to Knitting in Recovery of yarn and her books.  Staff at Turning Point Foundation’s New Visions center, New Visions clients, and Knitting in Recovery founder, Lise Solvang all crocheted the same shawl in different colors using Ruthie’s pattern.

Many thanks, Ruthie for sharing your passion with us!  Thanks also to Basha Kooler, whom Ruthie has designed for and who donated the yarn to Ruthie to pass on to us.

All smiles with their matching shawls!

Turning Point makes Ruthie Marks Shawl

We received a wonderful Yarn Donation from Basha Kooler, Kooler Designs and Ruthie Marks Crochet Pattern Book! Ladonna crocheted this beautiful Wrap for Turning Point’s Program Manager Kalie from one of the designs!

Thank You so much, Basha and Ruthie, with people like you life is beautiful!

Basking in Yarn Love

There is nothing more wonderful than basking in all the yarn that has been donated to our program. Like Dinah says: “It is like being in Heaven for me”! What a joy to watch her laugh and roll around in all the yarn we receive from the lovely ladies at Twist Yarns in Manhattan Beach. Dinah has come along way in her recovery and is experiencing the magical gifts of sobriety. She is dedicated to helping others experience what she is so fortunate to have!