About Us
Off the Beaten Path, a piece of heaven in the city, is devoted to furthering the art and craft of knitting and crochet. Located on an acre of land in an Oak Grove, the shop provides yarn, books, tools and classes to knitters and crocheters throughout Wisconsin. The owner and staff favor natural fiber yarns in wool, cotton, mohair, bamboo, soy, alpaca, cashmere, silk, and linen. Hand dyed yarns are manna from above and well represented. We believe in thinking globally and acting locally. We look for and promote yarns made by artists, cooperatives, women-owned businesses, environmentally responsible mills, and echo friendly processes. We believe that knitting and knitters can change the world.
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Our Company
OFF THE BEATEN PATH (OTPB) is a moderate to high-end yarn and coffee shop in the City of Monona, Wisconsin. Located at 215 Femrite Drive, the original farmhouse rests on the corner of Femrite Drive and Roselawn Avenue; one block west of Monona Drive and one block north off Old Broadway; hence the name, off the beaten path.
Walking gardens with seating areas surround the Tudor style farmhouse, now known as “the shop,” with seating for patrons to sit and knit or crochet while sipping their choice of several three-tier organic coffees. In addition, the wraparound porch allows ADA accessibility with additional outside seating. Two spinning wheels occupy one of the classrooms for staff and patrons to observe and practice spinning.
Off the beaten path is involved in four distinct activities:
1. Service. Knowledgeable staff can assist in selection of yarns or projects, provide education about content and uses; invite patrons to work on selected projects in the shop or on the grounds; and, provide guidance on the computer when yarn vendors provide free patterns. A “Volunteer for Discount” program will provide additional local expertise. The shop will serve Monona, McFarland, Cottage Grove and the near east side of Madison. Many who knit and/or crochet carry a “project” with them at all times and will travel great distances for a good piece of string. The shop expects to serve those on bus tours from other knitting and spinning guilds around the state as well as our local Monona and Madison visitor opportunities. The shop will also serve as a vendor at the Madison Knitting Guild meetings, beginning in the spring of 2006.
Off the beaten path specializes in yarns made from natural fibers like alpaca, bamboo, cotton, linen, silk, soy, wool and blends thereof. Special care has been taken to provide yarns that have been proven and will stand up to the test of time. Yardage is an especially important factor and has been taken into consideration in the purchase of all but a few specialty yarns. The owner and staff believe in expanding knitters’ horizons by helping them to increase their skills and confidence level through classes and informal instruction; but most of all, through exposing them to the widest possible variety of yarns, fibers, techniques and designs.
2. Community: The Shop, Monona Meadows and Tellurian are already working together on ‘Project Hands.’ Every Thursday morning, volunteers gather together from the Shop and Monona Meadows to knit and crochet essential items for 150 homeless children. These families have been identified and selected to receive much-needed support services from Tellurian in the Dane County area. Monona Meadows residents receive instruction and support in knitting or crocheting from the Shop staff. The project will hold its kickoff raffle announcing the presence of Project Hands in the fall of 2005. The winner will receive an Afghan created by combining the squares knitted and crocheted by Monona Meadows participants and OTBP staff.
The Shop will work With Diane Mikelbank, Senior Center Director, to provide classroom space for seniors wishing to knit and crochet. Participants will receive a 10% discount on purchases in the store.
Lisa B. Nelson, State Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the March of Dimes would like
Phyllis Gillespie, Student Services Coordinator for the Appleton Area School District will be helping OTBP to become involved in knitting lessons for children in the Madison and Monona school districts.
A local Madison Knitting Guild member was recently given The Jefferson Award for Volunteerism, demonstrating the importance of how knitting can make a difference to the community (see attached article).
Classes will be offered on knitting, crocheting and spinning. The spinning wheels in the classroom will offer an opportunity for folks in the neighborhood and surrounding communities to observe and participate in the art of spinning.
Off the Beaten Path is dedicated to providing yarns and coffee produced by family-owned businesses, local and global artists, women-owned cooperatives and non-profit companies with reputations for quality, yardage and prompt service.
3. Stewardship: OTBP is dedicated to carrying companies and providing products that give back to the local and global community. Alpaca wool, cotton and silk yarns will be offered by Frog Tree, a 100% volunteer-run fair-trade organization donating 100% of its profits to scholarships for low income students and/or grants for grassroots educational groups. Through Community Links, LLC runs international volunteer, service-learning, academic and cultural programs in the Americas. Mango Moon offers recycled sari silk and mohair yarn. The proceeds provide safe shelter, health care and education to women in Nepal. Lantern Moon provides a market for wonderful hand-made knitting related accessories and contributes to the economic and social well-being of the areas where they are produced. Products include knitting baskets and needles, cases and carrying bags for the knitter. This Portland Oregon Company works directly with their producers to provide income, education and self-reliance to the Vietnamese women who craft the products in family-owned and managed businesses. In 2004 it established an educational trust fund to benefit the children of those families.
OTBP supports local Wisconsin farmers by offering Alpaca yarn spun and milled by local vendors. In addition, the coffee shop will offer Caf Fair, a three-tiered organic coffee. ‘Three-tiered’ means Caf Fair pays a fair-trade price to its distributors and its farmers, who in turn, use eco-friendly farming practices.
OT BP is dedicated to finding and supporting products and companies involved in positive activities that contribute to the betterment of our local and global communities.
4. Serenity. It has been demonstrated that knitting, crocheting and spinning are calming, relaxing and very often therapeutic activities. As a generation retires it removes isolation. It becomes more important than ever to know that the activities one is involved in as a hobby or in retirement are beneficial to not only the participant, but also the community at large. Karen Baier can relate her own personal experience with the regulation of blood pressure levels through participation in regular knitting activities. Many participants in Project Hands have reported a new lease on life due to participation and interaction with others who knit and crochet, adding that the weekly meeting is the highlight of their life. Connie Murphy has participated in knitting groups for 20 years and reports many a life situation examined and resolved in these wonderful community groups amidst the clicking of needles. Linda Lovelhovel is a spinner with fibromyalgia. Every morning she sits at her wheel until she produces enough endorphins to get her through the day. She says spinning has given her life back to her.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH is the original idea of Karen Baier, Gary Baier and Connie Murphy. The company was officially incorporated on April 1, 2005 as an LLC.