Meet Our Teachers

Esther Beckwith

Teaching is Esther’s passion. She taught elementary school for over forty years and upon retiring began to teach knitting to adults. She has been teaching here at The Yarn Center since 2010. Esther’s goal is to take each knitter from basic skills and knowledge to being a confident and adventurous knitter

Hope Lockwood

Esther Beckwith

Hope has been knitting for over 60 years. She started knitting for others 30 years ago and began teaching 20 years ago. Hope finds that the art of knitting is both a relaxing and challenging endeavor and she is excited to have the opportunity to teach the art to others.

Jasmine Strain

Chris Mattingly

Jasmine has been crocheting for 20 years and is passionate about bringing a new flavor to the art of crocheting and helping others realize the joy of the art and how modern it truly is. Jasmine has won the Grand and Grand Reserve Champion prizes for thread crochet at the Ravalli County Fair for the last 6 years running!

Chris Mattingly

Chris began spinning, weaving, and basket making in 1984 on a “dare”! She had found her calling and has since taught and demonstrated her skills in numerous venues. The Yarn Center is grateful to have Chris on board as both staff and instructor.

Lauren Parker

Lauren began knitting in 1990 while shivering in front of a woodstove in a non-winterized Adirondack cabin near Lake Placid, New York. She knit her first sweater, a three-color Lopi, and never looked back. Arriving in the Bitterroot Valley in 1997, she taught knitting classes at Wild West Wools and designed knitting patterns for Mountain Colors. Currently, she enjoys sharing her passion for knitting with Yarn Center patrons.

Lisa Johnson

Lauren Parker

Lisa brings a scientific flair to knitting. Her background in science and mathematics brings an interesting dimension to her understanding of patterns and knitting. Lisa began knitting and crocheting when she was a child with her grandmother who was from Italy. She revisited the craft about 15 years ago and has been an avid knitter ever since

Jennine Jones

Jennine learned knitting from her Grandmother as a child. She then stopped knitting until she discovered the Yarn Center. She has learned most of what she knows from the fabulous Yarn Center teachers.

Lisa Wade

Jennine Jones

Lisa loves the process of creation and finds it both challenging and satisfying to explore color and texture with yarn. She has been crocheting for years, and brings an inventive approach to her pieces. She also likes felting, wet felting and needle felting.