Store Manager

Valeria (Val) Merrell is the owner/sole proprietor of ValKnitz at large and her many roles include store manager.  She is an expert knitter with 40+ years experience and uses the Continental (picking) style of knitting as opposed to the American (throwing) style.  She teaches both styles, as well as Hairpin Lace and Crocheting to customers at the store.

Val is also the knitting machine behind the hand-knits inventory sold at the Fine Art and Craft Shows (SEE: Show Schedule), and at the ValKnitz Yarn Store.

During the summer Val typically works every day but Monday and Wednesday at the store but is not available on Saturday and often not on Friday or Thursday at other times of the year (except February) because she is out of  town on location at a show (SEE Show Schedule). 

Nevertheless, she is usually available via phone when the store is closed at the business office 570-321-6443 if needed for project consult or other advice/info. It is best to call the store at 570-368-1078 to verify that she is there if you want/need to see her specifically.

Assistant Store Manager

Sally Craig  is a Master Knitter (not self-labeled) and the matriarch of the greater Williamsport area knitting community (not self-appointed!).  Sally has been on the staff of all the previous yarn stores, the last of which was “Knitter’s Underground”, which closed the same month that ValKnitz signed the lease to open the store at the Farmhouse Complex.

After learning of the closing of “Knitter’s Underground” – which was both unexpected and very sudden – Sally contacted Val and was later clearly persuading Val to go ahead and take the plunge to open ValKnitz.  Literally, within two weeks after the closing of “Knitter’s Underground”, the lease (long-term) was signed to open the ValKnitz Yarn Store.  Val believed that if she didn’t move fast, someone else would.  However, the store’s actual Grand Opening did not happen until August of that year (2005).

Sally is the leader of the Monday Night Knitting Circle at the store and typically works on Wednesday on a regular basis.  She also works Saturday approximately once per month, but rarely on other days. Sally has led the same group, more or less, for a very long time, in what is now the Monday Night Knitting Circle. 

The Circle met at all previous area yarn stores at which Sally worked and during the gap between the closing of “Knitter’s Underground” and opening of ValKnitz, it met at the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport.  Another, smaller group, continues to meet at the library on Thursdays; that group was previously led by ValKnitz store owner Val Merrell.

Sally is in charge of the store staff, including hiring and scheduling and is regularly consulted with by ValKnitz management.

Additional Staff

Anna Maietta usually works on either Thursdays or Saturdays and the same is true of Sue Benjamin. Both ladies are avid knitters and pleased to be of help to customers.

In any case, it is best to call the store to verify schedule if you want/need to contact/see a specific person on the store staff, as any scheduling is subject to change at any time.  NOTE: the business office is unaware of the store schedule and thus cannot verify its contents; the store itself must be called during store hours: 570-368-1078.

Merchandising and Administration

Charlie Merrell, the ValKnitz Business Manager, is responsible for how both the store shelves and the show displays are merchandised; he is known to be very meticulous (read: picky) about this, including how well it is kept up and retained by the rest of the store staff.  He is also responsible for running the office/administration of the store, the shows/hand knits and the ValKnitz Yarn Company.  Although he used to also work directly with the store customers as well, he very rarely is scheduled for that anymore.

The office/Yarn Company phone is: 570-321-6443 and can be called when the store is closed for info or knitting help (from Val).

House Keeping

Terry Ryan is the highly recommended housekeeper for the store and the administrative offices for ValKnitz.  She is never seen since she works when the store is closed.

Operations

Beth Higginson is Operations Manager for the shows, store and yarn company.  She does not work at the store or at show locations but at the Hawthorne Avenue administrative offices.

*HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Based in Central PA. Call  570-321-6443 for contact info.