I visited Around the Table Yarns at 20075
Chagrin Boulevard (across from Juma) on a damp, gray
morning, but when I opened the door I felt as if I stepped
into a rainbow. The walls surrounding a long central table
and comfy chairs are hung with a vibrant array of colorful
yarns, exuding a warm feeling of welcome.
That’s no accident, say longtime friends and owners
Beth Billings and Pam Berkson. Around the Table was
conceived not just as a shopping destination for knitters
and crocheters, but also as a place to find community.
Customers are encouraged to sit down at the table with
48 WINTER 2020 | WWW.SHAKER .LIFE
their needles (and even food they’ve brought
in, if they wish) for as long as they like.
Whenever the shop is open, so is the table.
The connections forged by people
knitting and crocheting together are what
brought Pam and Beth together. They live
on opposite ends of Shaker – Pam in Mercer
and Beth in Boulevard – but they became
friends through a knitting group when their
children were just beginning elementary
school. Now they want to provide that sense
of community to others.
Beth Billings (left) and Pam Berkson
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