Any knitter worth their needles knows the name Fabulous Yarn. What they may not know is that the prolific online vendor of the world’s highest-quality yarns is based out of an unassuming storefront in Tivoli, New York, run by its spitfire founder, Judy Schmitz.

A youth opera singer turned fashionista punk musician turned early internet publishing expert, Schmitz didn’t start knitting until she had her first child in the early 2000s. She said she went to make the baby a sweater and hated the texture of manufactured wool. After struggling to find what she was looking for, she realized there was an opportunity to use her knowledge of online sales to bring better yarn to baskets everywhere. Read more.