SOUTH DEERFIELD — After seven years in the community, the owner of Sheep & Shawl is looking to pass on the torch to someone new.
Liz Sorenson, owner of the yarn shop on Routes 5 and 10, announced her decision to sell the business in a Facebook post earlier this month.
“I am retiring, and my fervent wish is for someone to buy Sheep & Shawl and continue it as a local yarn shop in its current location,” she wrote.
Sorenson opened the shop at the Tibetan Plaza in 2013 after spending 20 years working for the state in environmental planning. She had retired and moved from the eastern part of the state to Franklin County to find something “more grounding.”
Three years after opening, she finished a five-year weaving program at the Hill Institute in Florence, and had drummed up a customer base that stretched across New England.
“I really created an identity for the shop over the seven years with a broad, loyal customer base,” Sorenson said. “I keep them informed through newsletters and social media.”
And that’s why she hopes to sell the business as it is — a store that sells fiber products, such as natural fiber yarn, needle felting supplies and a myriad of other knitting supplies.
“Knitting has always been popular, but with the pandemic, more people are picking it up or going back to it,” she said. “(The new owners) will be able to get classes and events back when it’s safe to do that.”
Sorenson said she had been planning to retire in the next year or two, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, her timeline shifted up a bit.
“With the revelation that many of us had to go through with COVID, I’m really looking forward to spending more time with my family when I can,” she said.
Sorenson said she is willing to help the owner in their new adjustment, and hopes to return as a teacher when it’s safe for the shop to restart its classes, which, before the pandemic, included crocheting, felting, knitting, spinning and weaving, among others.
“I feel some responsibility to this community,” she said. “It’s not just being a retail store, it’s about being part of the community.”
Although the timeline isn’t necessarily set in stone, Sorenson hopes to have some promising offers to consider by early March. If that isn’t the case, she’ll consider purchases for the entire inventory and furniture.
“Being on (Routes) 5 and 10, it helps people find the place,” she said. “I really think there’s a lot going for it. … I think a new owner will be able to do really well.”
Currently, the store is open for curbside pick-up only. Orders can be made by phone, email or through the online store, sheepandshawl.etsy.com.
Sorenson said it’s bittersweet to be selling her business.
“I’ll be sad to be leaving it behind,” she said. “It’s like a family of friends.”
Interested buyers are asked to reach out to Sorenson at the store at 413-397-3680 or by email at liz@sheepandshawl.com.
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne