Harmony Yarn fosters a sustainable hobby from farm to finished product

Walk into Harmony Yarn and it’s like you’ve walked right into a rainbow. You’re instantly surrounded by vivid colors that brighten your mood, slow your heart and pique your senses. Then you realize that the Coeur d’Alene store’s name doesn’t just describe the organic fibers available, but the organic effect they can have on the human spirit as well. “The colors and textures just make you feel good. Then you start knitting and it helps organize your brain, balancing the left and right halves so you can think clearer,” says Melody Draves, part-owner of the store just off of Kathleen Avenue. In fact employees say the uplifting environment has helped their Seasonal Affective Disorder. The “uplifting” part is also part of the reason there’s been a dramatic resurgence in this nifty past-time’s popularity. With the economy turned upside down in addition to increased environmental awareness, Draves business has grown exponentially in the past few years. “It’s a sustainable hobby that brings peace and calm and order to chaos,” says Draves “At the same time, it facilitates community which people are craving right now.” Not only has Draves seen this effect on her employees and clientele but on elementary school students. When her boys were young, she would teach knitting to the 1st through 3rd graders, and the students who took to it the most were the ones who, these days, would be labeled with ADHD. “The arts cannot be encouraged enough in schools; so often there is a huge capacity there to learn,” she said. “It just hasn’t been tapped into with the right approach.” Draves opened Harmony Yarn in May 2006 with her partner and husband—Mo Oliver, who shares the space to teach music lessons (violin, viola, and guitar). Part of their decision to open the store was, in part, due to the attractiveness of having even more influence as a retailer on available product and its quality, plus a way to support artisans in developing countries who need ways to sell their wares and make a living wage. Originally located on Third Street, Harmony Yarn moved to its new location in May of 2009. Draves’ knitting passion began 20 years ago when she found she needed to keep her hands occupied with something other than food, while watching sports with her husband. Her affinity for toys led her to a pattern for a knitted, stuffed cow. After honing her art by crafting a few chickens, she eventually created the cow which now sits atop a display, as a testament to her drive, and hopefully encouragement to customers that “Yes, you really can do it if you truly want to!” Her passion for sustainability extends to stocking shelves with as many sustainable fibers as possible, although approximately 10-15 percent of her product is acrylic due to its demand. Harmony Yarn strives to support local vendors, such as alpaca farms in Coeur d’Alene, Serano and Loft’s Bay. She looks for Fair Trade status if available on imported products; recycled products, like yarn made from leftover silk from sari production in India; and items that are certified organic. However since this certification can be costly to attain, if a natural fiber product doesn’t state it, that doesn’t mean it isn’t. Draves usually has researched how “natural” most of the products are. So just what does “organic” mean with regards to yarn? It starts with the farm itself, where animals are grazed on pesticide-free land and fed on organically-certified pastures to build healthy immune systems. Inhumane practices such as mulesing and castration common to the wool industry are not tolerated. Independent Organic Certifiers, who represent the consumers, audit producers regularly to verify that the organic standards are complied with. From when the product leaves the farm until it’s a finished product, the entire production process is free of chemicals like formaldehyde, polyester, foams, dioxins and other additives used in conventional manufacturing practices. “If you’ve had an allergic reaction to a natural animal fiber, it’s either due to the chemicals used in processing, or because of the proteins in the fiber,” says Draves. “More than not, I’d say it’s the chemicals used. Try organic — it can be a completely different experience.” Non-animal fibers that make up some of the yarns available at Harmony Yarn include linen, tree bark, and bamboo, which besides coming from one of the most sustainable crops in the world, carries an antibacterial property, making it a great yarn to use for socks. Draves taught herself to sew when she was just 7 years old. She was influenced by her “Ohma” and her father. Her Ohma made everything, and when something wasn’t needed anymore, pulled it apart and used it as something else. Her father, a naval officer, taught her the art of seamanship, which involved “a lot of macramé — basically, putting strings together in a certain organized pattern.” In college, she supported herself by taking in sewing projects and found herself thinking how she “wanted to learn to knit and fly fish.” After graduation, she headed west, originally toward New Zealand. Instead, she landed in Coeur d’Alene, where she has been able to pursue interests like quilting, crocheting, and felting, and also plays Irish music in a band with her husband. “Coeur d’Alene is home to an amazing group of artisans—and that’s not just saying for this area; they are amazing on the national stage of artistry,” says Draves. She loves to foster awareness and business for local artists whenever possible, taking half of the usual mark-up on their products and even displaying other forms of art beyond knitting, such as the large, colorful canvas artwork adorning her walls. Draves also teaches craft classes for all skill and age levels, from Girl Scouts to nursing home residents. She contracts with other instructors, but demands that they are not only technically qualified, but emotionally supportive for students so the experience isn’t frustrating but therapeutic. She has a day job as well—she’s a part-time hygienist. So just when is she going to find the time to fulfill the other half of that post-college, to-do list—the learning how to fly fish part? “I’m not sure, but I will. I’m a very busy woman but I am also very lucky because I am doing everything that I love, and that’s what life is all about, isn’t it?”