About Knitability, LLC
Knitability, LLC
was conceived of in the summer of 2001 with the official company
formation taking place in the fall of that same year by friends and knitting buddies Gwen Bortner and Beverly Jensen. Since that time the company adjusted to the quickly changing needs of the knitting industry. In 2005, Gwen became the sole owner and began a process of defining a more narrow focus for Knitability. Today, Gwen's passion is the company motto, "Taking Knitters to the Next Level".
Gwen Bortner has been teaching knitting and designing knitwear since the early
80's. Her math background made designing and writing patterns a
natural extension to her love of fiber and knitting in particular.
But Gwen’s greatest passion is sharing her love of knitting with
others and helping knitters of all levels move to the next level of
their hobby.
Knitability headquarters is housed in Gwen's home, a California farmhouse built in 1902 by her great-grandfather. Although we do not have a complete shop, we have a small studio, host knitting classes and get-togethers and welcome visitors whenever we are available. Please make sure to drop us line before stopping by to make sure we are in and the dogs are in their kennel.
Knitability's History
Knitability made
its first public appearance as a vendor at Stitches West in February
2002 with the Knitability web site, being open for business that same
month. 2003 marked the launch of the Knitability Representative
program, the first of its kind in the industry. That same year, Gwen
was asked to teach at several national knitting convention venues. In
2004, Knitability offered the first annual Knitting Teacher’s Retreat.
This all-inclusive weekend featured a variety of classes designed
specifically for knitting instructors, opportunities for teachers to
share ideas and a fun environment to meet new friends and relax.
In the Fall of 2004, it become obvious that to be most
effective, Knitability would need to focus its efforts. In short,
Knitability had to move from being a marginal resource for all kinds of
knitting supplies to the premier source for knitting instruction. Since that time, Gwen's development efforts have focused on the creation of Knitability's unique Skill Builder pattern line.
Specializing in Knitting Instruction
Gwen's passion is teaching and enjoys every opportunity she has to share her love of knitting with others. Whether teaching through the local community education program or at a national knitting convention, meeting new people and sharing the love of knitting is one of Gwen's greatest joys. Gwen always welcomes the opportunity to share her knowledge with knitters and has a wide range of classes available to choose from. Drop her an e-mail to see about having her come teach at your local guild, shop or knitting group.
In 2008, Knitability continues to strive to be the premier resource for knitting instruction support, information and supplies. If you have a product development request, please drop Gwen an e-mail and we will see what we can develop together to continue to take knitters to the next level.
