Wool And Company

What Wool And Company does

Wool and Company (also operating as "Wool & Company" and "Wool & Co") is a privately-held specialty retailer operating as a local yarn shop (LYS) out of a single physical store at 1687 N Lancaster Rd, South Elgin, Illinois, complemented by an e-commerce storefront at woolandcompany.com. Founded in 2016 with 11–50 employees, the company sells more than 10,000 skeins of yarn spanning over 80 premium brands, alongside knitting needles, crochet hooks, notions, project kits, books/magazines, patterns, and gift cards, with yarn weights ranging from Lace to Jumbo and fibers including alpaca, bamboo, cashmere, cotton, mohair, linen, silk, and wool. The brand portfolio is notably international and curated, featuring producers such as Amano, Isager, Ito, Malabrigo, Rowan, Koigu, Hedgehog Fibres, BC Garn, De Rerum Natura, and others.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer retail model with two distribution channels: a physical storefront open seven days a week and an e-commerce site offering free U.S. shipping on qualifying orders, plus ancillary services such as ball winding and a 10% loyalty discount. Underlying technology is non-proprietary standard retail/e-commerce; there are no apps, APIs, or disclosed integrations. The target customer is individual hobbyist knitters and crocheters across all skill levels, including beginners and children, segmented horizontally by craft interest rather than by industry vertical.

The company monetizes purely through one-time retail merchandise sales rather than subscriptions, licensing, or wholesale. Its go-to-market emphasizes community-building over transactional retail: the shop hosts free in-store workshops and events, runs an email newsletter, publishes a pattern-and-news blog called "The Lamb," and participates in regional gatherings such as the Chicago Yarn Crawl. This positioning differentiates it from mass-market craft chains and pure online retailers but does not produce significant scale advantages. Ownership is private, founder-controlled with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or funding rounds.

Name

Wool And Company

Legal name

Wool and Company

Website

https://woolandcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yarn and Fiber Arts Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Yarn, Knitting & Crochet Supplies Retail (CRALACAF)

Keywords

• Yarn retail
• Knitting supplies
• Crochet supplies
• Fiber arts
• Local yarn shop

Headquarters

HQ city

South Elgin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail merchandise sales: The company generates revenue through retail sales of yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, notions, patterns, books, magazines, and kits. Products are sold both in-store and through their e-commerce website at woolandcompany.com.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Wool and Company is a local yarn shop (LYS) that retails over 10,000 skeins of yarn from more than 80 premium brands, along with knitting needles, crochet hooks, notions, project kits, books, magazines, and patterns. The shop operates a brick-and-mortar store in South Elgin, Illinois and an e-commerce storefront, complemented by free in-store events and workshops designed to build a community of knitters and crocheters from beginners to experts.

Product overview

Wool and Company is a local yarn shop (LYS) located in South Elgin, Illinois, offering over 10,000 skeins of yarn from more than 80 premium yarn brands along with needles, crochet hooks, notions, kits, books/magazines, patterns, and gift cards. The product portfolio centers on yarn (with weight categories from Lace to Jumbo and various fiber types including alpaca, bamboo, cashmere, cotton, mohair, linen, silk, and wool) as a core product, supported by complementary offerings of knitting needles (fixed circular, straight, double point, interchangeable, and FlexiFlip from brands like Addi and ChiaoGoo), crochet hooks, and notions (blocking tools, cable needles, stitch markers, gauge tools, scissors, and yarn management). The store carries numerous sub-brand yarn lines including Amano, Arne & Carlos, Berroco, Cascade, Dream in Color, Hedgehog Fibres, Isager, Koigu, Malabrigo, Rowan, and many others. Wool & Co. positions itself as a community-focused LYS that welcomes beginners and experts alike, offering events, workshops, and a bricks-and-mortar retail presence alongside its e-commerce operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yarn Over 10,000 skeins of yarn from more than 80 premium brands, covering multiple fiber types (alpaca, bamboo, cashmere, cotton, kid mohair, linen, silk, wool) and weight categories from Lace to Jumbo. Sold to individual knitters and crocheters in-store and online.
• Knitting Needles Fixed circular, straight, double point, interchangeable, and FlexiFlip knitting needles from brands including Addi and ChiaoGoo. For knitters seeking a range of needle types and sizes.
• Crochet Hooks Standard, interchangeable, and Tunisian crochet hooks from brands such as Boye and Addi. For crocheters across skill levels.
• Notions Knitting and crochet notions including blocking and finishing tools, cable needles, gauge tools, point protectors, stitch markers, scissors, tape measures, yarn management tools, and project bags from various brands.
• Project Kits Pre-packaged knitting and crochet project kits containing yarn and patterns for complete projects, for hobbyists seeking ready-to-make bundles.
• Books and Magazines Knitting and crochet pattern books and magazines from various yarn brands and designers, for hobbyists seeking patterns and reading material.
• Patterns Knitting and crochet patterns available for download or purchase from various designers, featured in the store's blog and pattern-of-the-week promotions.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable for yarn, needles, notions, and other knitting and crochet supplies purchased through the shop.
• Events and Workshops Free in-store events and workshops for knitters and crocheters, open to everyone regardless of skill level, designed to build community and provide education.
• Ball Winding Service Complimentary ball winding offered to customers purchasing yarn, providing added convenience at the point of sale.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jimmy Beans Wool: Online and Reno, NV-based yarn retailer carrying a wide selection of premium and indie-dyed brands, notions, and patterns. Closely comparable as a multi-brand DTC yarn shop targeting the same enthusiast knitter/crocheter segment.
• LoveCrafts: Global online marketplace for yarn, fabric, and craft supplies, with broad brand coverage and a community/pattern library. Comparable as a multi-brand online yarn retailer serving hobbyists worldwide with similar product mix.
• Herrschners: Long-established U.S. mail-order and online yarn and craft retailer offering yarn, needles, kits, and patterns. Comparable as a multi-channel specialty yarn retailer serving home knitters and crocheters with similar product breadth.
• Mary Maxim: Catalog and online retailer of yarn, kits, patterns, and craft supplies serving North American hobbyists. Comparable as a long-standing specialty yarn retailer with overlapping customer base and product mix.
• Knit Picks / WeCrochet (Craftsy): Direct-to-consumer yarn brand selling its own lines plus tools and notions online at value price points. Comparable as a vertically integrated online yarn retailer competing on assortment and price in the same customer segment.
• WEBS - America's Yarn Store: One of the largest U.S. yarn retailers, offering a deep multi-brand assortment online and from a flagship store. Directly comparable as a premium multi-brand yarn shop selling the same third-party yarn brands and notions to knitters and crocheters.

Broad incumbents

• Lion Brand Yarn: Large, multi-generational yarn manufacturer with direct-to-consumer online sales of its own branded yarns and patterns. Comparable as a major yarn brand sold through Wool and Company that also competes via its own retail channel.
• Michaels: North America's largest specialty arts and crafts retailer with extensive yarn and knitting supplies assortments in-store and online. Comparable as a broad-line incumbent competing on selection, price, and convenience for the same hobbyist customers.
• JOANN: Large U.S. specialty craft retailer with broad yarn, fabric, and notion assortments across many stores and online. Comparable as a broader-line incumbent craft retailer competing on price and convenience in the same yarn and notion category.

Others

• West Yorkshire Spinners (WYS): U.K.-based yarn manufacturer whose branded yarns are stocked by Wool and Company. Comparable as an upstream supplier whose brand presence and DTC strategy influence the assortment and pricing dynamics Wool and Company competes within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wool-and-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wool And Company