Baaad Anna has been knitting for about 14 years – she was taught when living in Switzerland as a nanny, and her first project was an Austrian sweater (the sweater is knit, but has yet to be seamed and still sits in a bag under her bed). Anna loves knitting, and wanted to create a play where people could come together and learn from each other, and have a sense of community while crafting, creating and conspiring.more...See more text
Baaad Anna Yarn Shop was conceived out of owner Anna Hunter’s personal desire to have a yarn shop in her corner of East Vancouver. As her passion for fiber arts took shape in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood, her background as an activist and community builder helped shape the shop into a real community hub. Located near a midwifery clinic, across from the local branch of the library and a few doors down from a coffee shop, Anna’s store fits right into the neighbourhood. Inside, the welcoming couch at the front, the kids play area that allows parents a few more minutes of peaceful browsing, and the approachable staff all make the shop a favourite stopping point for avid and novice knitters alike.
“There was a lot of vacancy in this neighbourhood when I opened the doors. Since then a lot of new small businesses have opened up on the strip and there’s a real feeling of local community amongst the shop owners and regular customers,” notes Anna who opened the shop in summer of 2009.