Sam Weir and Shirley Shearer give us an insight into Karelia House and how their family’s crafting business has evolved over the years
What a great selection of fabrics and yarns! How did Karelia House start?
Karelia House came about quite by chance, back in 2009. A family friend is a textile artist and she mentioned that there was nowhere in Perthshire to buy quality yarn and fabric. We already had an underfloor heating business with large premises, so we decided to open a craft shop there, too. It’s a real family business with all hands to the deck – even the family dogs, Mr Clive Basset and Magnus the black lab, make regular appearances on our social media and at live shows.
Mmmm, is that the waft of fresh-baked cakes we can smell?
Yes, people were travelling far and wide to visit us and, as we’re in a rural location, we thought it would be a good idea to open a coffee shop to cater for our customers. It’s become a real destination place with a huge selection of craft supplies, delicious food and spectacular views!
And how has Karelia House evolved since the early days?
We’ve always been creative – with both our supplies and how we run the business. In the past, we’ve taken Karelia House on the road, visiting the Isle of Mull, Arran and various knitfests around Scotland, so that remote customers could stock up on fabrics and yarn. We also run workshops and often work with local businesses such as florists or art galleries to provide something special to our customers.
Lockdown must have been tough – how did you adapt?
It was, we had to focus our efforts on our online business instead. However, we found that many people were still calling us up to place orders and to generally have a chat about what they were making. We’ve always been aware of the therapeutic benefits of knitting, crochet and sewing, and never more so than during the Covid pandemic. It was such a lonely time for so many that we decided to do weekly live social media posts, which we’ve continued with. We also organised classes on Zoom – and our virtual knit and natter is still going strong today.
It’s so lovely to see friendships blossom online. Inspirational. What a great service you provide to your customers
The whole team at Karelia House are crafters, so it’s easy to inspire others, either to find their next project or to encourage beginners to get started on something new. We also believe that if you want the best results, use the best ingredients, whether you’re knitting, crafting, cooking or anything really. We’re a Rowan flagship store – currently the only one in Scotland – and we stock Brother sewing machines, so we really are a onestop shop for crafting supplies.
Sounds like the ideal escape. Talking of which, tell us about Karelia Lodge
In 2019, we extended the brand and built Karelia Lodge, a stunning two-bed holiday retreat in Aberfeldy that overlooks where the rivers Tay and Lyon join. It really is a little bit of heaven on Earth – especially when you can lie in bed and watch the sheep and rabbits, all in spectacular surroundings.
You clearly love what you do
Yes, as a family, we have embraced our journey with all things Karelia House and look forward to new and exciting adventures. We want everyone to walk through our doors and to know that they’re being looked after and given first-class treatment. We love what we do, and, as a family, we do it well.
For more, visit kareliahouse.co.uk or follow on Instagram: @kareliahouse. For information on Karelia Lodge, visit karelialodge.co.uk
