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SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Since the start of the pandemic, many small businesses have shut their doors for good while others have been able to reinvent themselves to stay open. One Ohio yarn store is getting crafty to keep its business from unraveling.

Beth Billings and Pam Berkson own Around the Table Yarns in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights. The two opened their shop in February 2019.

“We had a dream of having a yarn shop that would be a place where people could come and knit and crochet. Where they could be together, where they could get help. Where they could find yarns that were lovely but also affordable,” said Billings.

Both women have been knitting and crocheting for more than 30 years. Learning at young age, knitting has become a big part of their lives.

“It’s very relaxing to me. I find it very….There’s a rhythm to it and it’s almost like a white noise for my mind. It helps turn other things off,” said Berkson.

When customers walk inside the store and hear the conversations it’ll remind them of a scene from a barbershop with stories and laughs being shared around.

“Beth tells a funny story that her father-in-law used to like, ‘Why do you always go to the knit shop to knit,’ and her husband said, ‘Well, why do you go to the bar to drink,’” said Berkson.

Billings and Berkson said one of their favorite things about their store is their ability to help customers with their projects.

Signe Wrolstad-Forbes is knitting a sweater for her grandson but she needed some help, so she came to see her friends at Around the Table Yarns.

“Pam has helped me with almost every one,” said Forbes.

Billings and Berkson said many knitters don’t finish projects because they get stuck somewhere and don’t know how to fix it. That’s one thing that makes them unique. Customers may come get free help from them to get around whatever obstacle they’re facing.

“It’s actually for a customer. She had an error in her knitting, so I took it back and I’m just getting it back to the place where she was so she can continue knitting on it in the right pattern,” said Berkson.

But COVID-19 is forcing the partners to do business a new way. Instead of several customers gathering around the table for help, only two are allowed inside the store at a time. Each customer is temperature checked when they come inside, then they’re asked to sanitize their hands, and required to wear a mask at all times. They also opened a patio area in front of the store where customers may sit outside social distanced, of course, and knit together as a community.

“We actually had one rainy Saturday that I think about six people were sitting on the patio in the rain with the sun umbrellas up over them and they were determined that they weren’t going to be moved,” said Billings.

Both women said they miss the community aspect of the store and are looking forward to seeing all of their customers together again.

“I miss the people around the table. I love coming in here everyday because it makes me so happy but the real joy was the people around the table. So this is a lot more like a job than it used to be,” said Berkson.

Billings agreed.

“The first day that the patio opened pam and I were working inside the store and we propped open the door and it was so nice for us after months of the shop being quiet to hear peoples voices again,” said Billlings.

And it’s the reason why their customers keep coming back.

“The owners, they’re great. They’re helpful and very, very patient,” said Mary Morrissey.

As for the future, they said they’re not sure how long they’ll be able to continue making it but for now they’re focusing on getting through the winter.

“The patio will be closed, but we have a customer who’s offered us the use of her garage. She has a large heated garage and she’s planning on opening it up, the doors open, the heater on, and in socially distanced blocks allowing people to sign up and come knit or crochet in her garage,” said Billings.