Knitting expert Nicole Kennedy is out to introduce a whole new concept for lingerie in Park City.

This weekend, Kennedy will open a new store, the Park City Yarn Company, in the front of her husband’s computer shop, Park City Mac on Ute Boulevard.

Kevin Kennedy’s business is focusing less on retail sales, so the couple decided to use his showroom space to open a second business. Besides cutting down on overhead, they’re already seeing the benefit of having clients of one business get introduced to the other.

Nicole Kennedy believes in knitting what you’ll wear, and therefore sells wearable yarn. Modern yarn is so soft (made of silk, baby goat fur and alpaca to name a few) that people have begun creating patterns to make stockings and undergarments with.

Kennedy believes many women get turned off to knitting because there are only so many ski hats and scarves a person can wear. Making things someone will actually wear and feel good wearing is what she believes in and what she supports with her store.

Carrie Welter, a coworker of Kennedy’s at their other job as nurses at Primary Children’s Hospital, got into knitting because she loved what Kennedy wore to work.

“I thought knitting was something stay-at-home moms and old women did,” Welter confessed. “I never was attracted to it until I met Nicole and she had all these wearable pretty things. I didn’t realize it was something that could be young and hip and fun.”

Now the two knit during slow times at the hospital. It’s a great way to relieve stress while chatting with girlfriends, she said.

Liz Myers is a member of Stitch and Bitch, a club that meets monthly for people doing some kind of needle work. The latter part of the name refers to the social emphasis of the group. They’re going to meet at Park City Yarn Company on the evening of April 1.

Kennedy hopes her space will become popular for such gatherings. The only thing more fun than knitting, she explained, is doing it with friends and refreshments.

Myers said she’s excited about the Park City Yarn Company because she can’t get the kind of yarn varieties she likes in Summit County and doesn’t always have time to visit stores in Salt Lake City.

“I think she’ll be doing some classes, which will be good for me as I’m not a very experienced knitter and often get stuck on a pattern or technique. I’ve wanted to take classes at other shops in SLC but haven’t been able to fit it into my schedule,” Myers said via email.

It doesn’t take many classes to learn all you need to know, Kennedy said. People worldwide are creating such beautiful and innovative patterns, that once you know how to read them, the sky is the limit to what you can make.

“It’s addicting to wear something you made and love, or made for your child,” she said.

Another thing that’s addicting is how mobile it is. She said it’s as relaxing as Zen or yoga but she can take it anywhere and never be bored. If her husband insists on watching a fishing show on television, her evening is never ruined, she said.

To help other women take their knitting anywhere, Kennedy also sells accessories she makes herself. Serious knitters usually have needles of varying lengths, materials and sizes and more than one type of yarn. To make the load manageable, she sells cases that roll up and big bags to carry it all.

“When you’re working on something beautiful with beautiful fibers, it’s nice to have pretty bags,” she said.

She also sells metal, plastic and rosewood needles single and double tipped.

Colorful yarn lines both her walls: washable wools, cottons, sock and lingerie yarns, alpaca, silk, kid, bamboo and hand-dyed Peruvian wool.

Kennedy is also quick to remind people that knitting isn’t just for women. Any kind of hat, belt or vest for men can be knitted. Anyone who likes to make things, needs ways to relieve stress and hates being bored is a good candidate for knitting, she said.

The Grand Opening will be held this Friday and Saturday. Yarn and needles will be 20 percent off.

The Park City Yarn Company

1612 W. Ute Boulevard

214-4217

Grand Opening 20 percent off yarn and needles

March 27 10:00 to 5:00

March 28 10:00 to 2:00