Knitting with a heart--that's how Anne Ivy-Townley sees it.
Ivy-Townley opened Tavita's Heart last January, but the events that led up to it didn't come from extensive planning or a preconceived career path.
She started knitting two years ago simply because she wanted to learn.
"I don't have an interesting story," Ivy-Townley said. "I wanted to learn to knit, so I watched some YouTube videos. I can't remember why. I just randomly, one day, decided that I wanted to learn."
She said it was pretty easy to pick up, and it quickly became one of her favorite hobbies.
"I like to have something to do--watching a movie or anything," Ivy-Townley said. "I'm kind of fidgety, and it's something to do instead of just sitting there. And then you have something to show for it."
She started teaching her friends and family how to knit and even taught a few small classes at coffee shops like Toomer's Coffee and The Gnu's Room.
"When I get excited about something, I want to teach everybody else, regardless if they want to learn it or not," Ivy-Townley said.
Through this process Ivy-Townley has been able to find a deeper meaning in knitting, a meaning reflected in the name of her shop.
"We're named after Tabitha from Acts Chapter 9 in the Bible," Ivy-Townley said. "She made garments for people, and everyone loved her. She died, and everyone was so sad. They asked Peter to come pray for her, and he raised her from the dead. I just really love that story because her heart was to be generous with her gift."
Ivy-Townley has seen others take the skills they've learned from her and show the same generosity.
"There is a woman who came to a class with her granddaughter and some of her friends, and she learned to knit with the girls," Ivy-Townley said. "She started making sweaters for a charity for girls who need them. It was cool to see her just take it and run with it like that."
Opening a yarn shop was just a distant possibility for Ivy-Townley, but when her location on South Gay Street in the same strip as Gnu's Room, Perch and Amsterdam Cafe became available, she knew she wanted to go for it.
"I was a history major," Ivy-Townley said. "I didn't think a lot about business. We didn't plan on opening a yarn store, but when this place opened up we just kind of jumped on it. This whole little shopping center is really artsy, and I felt like it would really fit in with everything else."
Tavita's Heart is Auburn's one and only yarn shop. She sells knitting and crochet supplies and teaches a wide variety of classes.
Ivy-Townley said she wants the shop to be a place where people can come to get away from life's business and relax.
"It's got a great environment," said Amanda Wynne, frequent customer and friend of Ivy-Townley. "Normally there's music in the background.
"It's a very welcoming place where you can just come and knit."
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