Needle Points

Hello and welcome to Needles in the Hay, your boutique Ontario yarn store! I'm Deanna Guttman, the shop owner.

Needles in the Hay fills a niche spot in the fibre arts community, with a warm, contemporary style, a specialty in sustainable, natural fibres, and a myriad of fibre arts educational opportunities for the beginner to veteran artist.

I'm an avid knitter myself who loves learning new techniques and experimenting with different construction methods. Sweaters are my passion, and I always seem to have a new pullover or cardi on the needles. Cables and lace are my happy place; the more complicated the chart, the better! I hope you'll come visit me and the staff at the shop to socialize with people who share your passion for fibre arts, and fall in love with our fibre arts community.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays you'll see Grace. She is experienced in many different fibre arts and is your specialist for crochet, needle felting, and wet felting. Here are a few words from Grace:

"Hi! I'm Grace Mahoney, and I love fibre and colour. I have been crocheting and knitting for decades and have moved into using fibre in my artistic life. I experiment with hand weaving, felting and embroidery. I operate my own home studio called Living in Colour. I believe that needlework is good for keeping our brains and hands active, as well as being a great relaxation tool. I am so excited to be working at Needles in the Hay as a design-focused yarn shop, and look forward to helping you discover your next project."

You'll see Natalie on Mondays:

“I am so excited to be working at my favourite Peterborough yarn shop! I’ve been a fibre artist for as long as I can remember, learning the basics of knitting and crochet from my grandmothers when I was a child. I’ve done cross stitch and embroidery, some sewing, and more recently explored and enjoyed both wet and needle felting. However, the call of my knitting needles has always been the loudest, and knitting, the art form that has brought me the most joy.

My husband recalls that I was knitting when we met, almost 36 years ago! My three (now adult) sons joke that if only I could knit them pants, they’d have “complete outfits” made by mom! My lifelong hobby turned into a passion (some might call it an addiction) when I discovered Needles in the Hay about 5 years ago, just ahead of my retirement as a teacher. I was then introduced to so many beautiful yarns made with natural fibres. Boy was I hooked! The friendly staff was so encouraging that before I knew it I was taking part in knit alongs and yarn crawls, and learning new knitting techniques, creating more beautiful things and, most importantly, feeling like I was part of a much larger knitting community. I am thrilled to be a part of the great team at Needles in the Hay, where both fun and expertise are at the heart of the shop experience, and I cannot wait to meet and serve you soon!"

Sarah teaches our Sock Knitting and Beginner Refresher courses.

"Hello! I'm Sarah, and I'm a sucker for all things sock and lace weight. A chronic fidgeter, I began knitting when I was in university to help pass the time in between classes. I wasn't very good at first. I made a lot of too-short scarves and hats full of dropped stitches. And I stayed away from trying new things because I always thought, "I'll never be able to do that." But eventually, I did branch out and try those seemingly impossible things—starting with socks, then on to mittens, and finally The Sweater.

I found a lot of success and encouragement in my failures. So much of knitting is trying, failing and then trying again. At the very least, you've tried a new technique. At best, you have a beautiful new project!

So come down to the store with your stubborn projects, your ideas and your to-knit list, or join one of our fibre arts classes, including knitting workshops, private knitting lessons and knit coach sessions, both in-person and online. I look forward to cheering you on!"

You'll see Shaelyn on Sundays:

"Hello! I'm Shaelyn, and I'm so excited to be a part of the Needles in the Hay team! I've lived in Peterborough for most of my life, having graduated from PCVS's Integrated Arts Program in the Visual stream, then the Esthetician program at Fleming College in 2015. I've been knitting for over 16 years, ever since my grandma taught me the basics when I was 10 years old. I only really knitted accessories for many years, but have been really enjoying garment making recently. I love working in cable patterns, but I'm always down to try a new technique! I've also dabbled in crochet, cross stitch, pottery, watercolour, oil painting, printmaking, macrame, sewing, etc, you name it, I've probably tried it!

Tristan Holds down the fort on Saturdays, but helps out on other days on occasion.

Tristan is an excellent knitter who loves natural fibres. Tristan says: "I’m thrilled to be joining the team. If I’m not in the trees I’m usually making socks, tending to my garden, or sewing something."