For a small town, Narrandera has some amazing and unique small businesses providing services and products it is lucky to have.

When one of those iconic businesses, Yarn by the River, had to close at the end of January, it left knitters and crocheters locally and from further afield at a bit of a loss.

The good news is, there is now a new place where they can buy their yarn and associated items – Mon Repos Narrandera.

“When we heard that Yarn by the River was for sale, we looked into buying it, but unfortunately we weren’t in a position to do so,” Mon Repos’ Scott Rowlings explained.

“At the same time, we thought it was a real shame that Narrandera was losing such a great shop, so we looked at whether we would be able to fill that gap.

“The key was Kelly Smith agreeing to join us, she has so much knowledge about all things yarn and she has brought that expertise to Mon Repos as our yarn curator.”

According to Kelly, wool is a versatile medium that she uses in different ways to knit, crochet and weave.

As a completely natural product, wool is sustainable and eco-friendly which is important in this day and age.

“Being a wool grower, I’m passionate about the wool industry and like to use 100 per cent Aussie wool whenever I can,” Kelly said.

“We’re aiming to fill the gap in our local area offering natural fibre yarns, wool and cotton that are suitable for a wide range of projects, and all your basic knitting and crocheting tools.”

Scott added that having Kelly also means Mon Repos are able to extend their opening hours, so customers can pop in Wednesday, Thursday or Friday instead of having to wait for the weekend.

“Actually for yarn related enquiries, they are probably best off coming to see Kelly during the week, as Rebecca and I are complete novices in this area!” he said.

Kelly said she is excited for the opportunity to work with Scott and Rebecca doing what she loves, and she will soon be offering yarn related workshops in knitting, crocheting and weaving.

“I’m looking forward to sharing my love of yarn and fibre arts with the local community,” she said.

“There are so many benefits to taking up a yarn related hobby, and I’m excited to be connecting with other crafters and helping people learn to knit and crochet.”

Mon Repos Narrandera is now open 10am-2pm Wednesday to Friday, and 10am-4pm on the weekends at 43 Douglas Street.

This article appeared in Narrandera Argus, 20 March 2025.