Hi, I'm Jessica

A shop for supplies, inspiration, and encouragement for the fiber arts enthusiast

I started The Freshwater Purl because my own projects sent me to five different stores. Here it's all in one place: yarn, floss, tools and patterns, chosen because I'd use them myself. I have carefully curated an inventory of items that inspire happiness through the whole process of creating.

Jessica, founder

Based in near Lansing, Michigan. · Shipping across the US

Meet my alter ego

Miss Mabel

I would like to introduce you to Miss Mabel, my creative alter ego. For years, I created whimsical and frankly ridiculous things under the name of “Miss Mabel”. So I thought I would like to put a face with the name.

You will see Miss Mabel and her tips, tricks, and reviews around this site. She is the friendly face of trials and mistakes.

Miss Mabel, Jessica's creative alter ego: a felt figure in glasses and black overalls

How it started

From one project to every craft

I've been making things with fiber for as long as I can remember. Crochet came first, then knitting, then embroidery and cross-stitch, and somewhere along the way I stopped being able to walk past a craft shop. I found inspiration every time I walked through the doors into a colorful world of projects.

What I couldn't find was one place that cared about all of it. Knitters had their shops, stitchers had theirs, and every project meant another order from somewhere else.

The Freshwater Purl is the shop I wanted: yarn from small dyers and brands I trust, floss and canvas for needlework, good tools, and kits that make it easy to try something new. I wanted a place with both a budget and a respect for the creative energy spent on projects in mind. Everything here is something I'd use myself.

Why "The Freshwater Purl"?

The idea for The Freshwater Purl as a shop has been fueled by conversations with so many crafters throughout my life. But the name came from a special conversation with one of my favorite knitting companions, my Stepmom Marilyn. We were talking about our love of the creative process, our love of northern Michigan, and our love of a good pun. Road trip conversations are the best inspiration.