Kathy Krause had a dream of opening her own business in Clintonville. She saw a need in the surrounding communities for people that knit and crochet to get supplies and have a business close that offers support and continued education in this hobby, leading her to open her store, The Copper Llama. Her shop is located at E8558 Steenbock Road in Clintonville, near the golf course.
The dream began to take shape when she and her husband Dick started refurbishing an old barn, and she even proudly shows off pictures of how they took this vacant building and turned it into a very charming and quaint shop.
She attended the Urban Hope Program at NWTC for new entrepreneurs, and was the first person to graduate from Clintonville. “They gave me the basics and know-how to help make this dream become a reality,” states Kathy. They offer continued support to promote ongoing success and continued education. In fact, Channel 5 News did a recent story on Kathy Krause and her new venture. She hopes next year to add a patio onto the building for more space for social gatherings.
The shop offers a variety of yarns, including commercial products of silk, linens, acrylic, wool, bamboo, alpaca, and mohair, but she hopes to have llama wool available soon from her own herd that she has raised and sheared since 1988.
There are plenty of supplies and accessories as well, if you have an interest or current hobby of knitting, crocheting, spinning, dying, felting, and weaving. “If we don’t have it, or I don’t know about it, I will definitely find it,” Krause stated. “The store is well worth the drive, and I encourage people to come on out and check out the limitless options and start a new hobby.”
The Copper Llama also supports an outreach group of women from Turkey who have handmade pottery and jewelry offered in the store. The pottery is hand kilned, hand painted, and the money raised goes directly to support these low-income families. The jewelry is of high quality made with sterling silver and red coral, and can be found at a moderate price range.
The atmosphere of the shop is inviting, cozy, and relaxing.
“It’s a place to come, sit, knit, chat, and learn something new,” Krause commented.
Classes will be starting soon for beginners, as well as advanced enthusiasts. Interested participants can stop out at the shop to sign up, or simply call The Copper Llama at 715-823-6329.