A staple in Provo's downtown area, Heindselman's on Center Street has been selling yarn for more than 100 years, and has concentrated on building the community for just as long.

Family-owned, the store began as an optometry office for "Doc" Heindselman. Soon after, his wife added to the business by starting a yarn shop.

When the Heindselmans retired, they passed the business (minus the optometry) to two of their daughters, and with few exceptions, a member of the family has owned it ever since.

Current owner, Ted Schofield, came back to the business -- where he worked as a teenager -- after working in bio-medical engineering and after helping develop the valves for the first artificial heart.

"After I was in the 'real world,' I started asking myself what I wanted to do," Schofield said. "I don't have to do this. I need to do it for my peace of mind because everybody needs something they can do to relax and be creative."

Schofield manages the store and also teaches many of the classes Heindselman's offers. He has taught needlepoint, cross-stitch, knitting, and crocheting.

Classes are set up in two ways. First, clientele buy their supplies from Heindselman's and can come in for individual help from a staff member anytime the store is open. Second, Heindselman's hosts group lessons (often more advanced than the individual attention) in everything from knitting to spinning to tatting - the art of making lace.

Heindselman's certified tatting instructor is one of only three certified instructors in the U.S. and one of 18 certified instructors in the world, Schofield said. Heindselman's is also home to one of the nations 28 certified knitting instructors - Schofield's wife.

Many customers come into the store and learn to knit, crochet or needlepoint for the first time.

"I taught a blind girl, a student at BYU, to knit," said Elizabeth Smith, an employee at Heindselman's. "She now knits purses. Talk about a gratifying experience. If you're here, we'll help you."

Smith has worked at Heindselman's for 22 years. When listing reasons she has continued to work there, she mentions Schofield's management, the work-environment centered on learning and the fulfillment of helping members of the community.

Heindselman's has had a few girls begin working at age 16.. If they keep their ear to the ground, they pick up on things quickly, Smith said.

Smith credits this knowledge as key to Heindselman's success as a shop and as a member of the community. Employees know thread, and they know yarn and are willing to share their knowledge with every person who walks in the door, she said.

"We employ a lot of BYU students," Schofield said. "They'll often get married, graduate, move away, have kids and then come back to us years later."

Schofield credits employee retention with the nature of the work and service Heindselman's provides.

"Handiwork is the great equalizer," he said. "We had a mentally-challenged girl come in and learn to crochet. Then we gave her a spot in one of our tatting classes, and she's picked it up really well."

Copyright Brigham Young University 1 Dec 2006