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Soul Spun Yarn

Salt Lake City, Utah

"A Little Place with Big Ideas"

Somer Gardiner

Providing a Respite for the Soul

At the young age of 24, Somer Gardiner opened Soul Spun Yarn, a yarn lovers haven and a place to unleash a love for yarn for those who did not know they had one before. As with any dream being birthed into fruition, it started with Somer’s vision to bring a new concept to Salt Lake City, a yarn shop that would bridge the timeless art of knitting and crocheting, with the emerging trend of new and unbelievably beautiful knitting yarns that were hitting the US market.

Originally located in the Millcreek area, Soul Spun is nestling into it’s fourth fall season in its new location at 3950 South Highland Dr. in Salt Lake City. Soul Spun is a retail specialty yarn store that focuses on offering high quality yarn, supplies, and classes for both crocheting and knitting hobbyists. They also carry a limited offering of jewelry and small art items from local artists on consignment.

As you enter this darling house, you will not only see shelves brimming with yarn, color, texture and fiber, but also a place for the community to gather, a classroom where students feel at home and love to learn and a place to connect with the past.

A $10,000 microenterprise loan in 2004 enabled Soul Spun to purchase much needed inventory and other business supplies. Since then, the sales have more than quadrupled. “The money that the UMLF lent played an integral role in the success of my business. I foresaw that a greater amount of inventory would

create more cash flow. It did just that.” Somer also combined $500 of her business earnings with a $1,600 eBay Foundation Techquity Program award with to purchase a new point-of-sale system that gives her the ability to track inventory efficiently and accurately.

“The UMLF has been more than supportive and aided immensely in the prosperity of my business. I would prefer to do business with the UMLF more than any other lender I have been in contact with, or heard of. The UMLF is the best place a new business owner could land. “

- Somer Gardiner

In the summer of 2009, with increased competition, Somer made the decision to close the store and has since gone on to open a new small business.