Before Weave & Wander Yarn found its home in Seal Beach, CA, it remained just an idea inside the mind of Michelle Burke, a Midwestern mom who spent the majority of her career in the corporate world, with a brief stint teaching high school English.

By the time the initial lockdown had happened, and the world started to open back up, all three of her daughters had left the Midwest to pursue lives and careers on the West Coast, and a future path emerged before her. The realization that the Midwest was no longer her place became a very real and true reality that Michelle ventured off to follow.

Upon arriving and feeling the Southern California salted air pushed off the waters in Seal Beach, the idea of a yarn store clawed desperately out of the back of Michelle's mind and into her hands as she began to immerse herself in her local crochet and knitting group in an attempt to build community. Michelle, at this point, had been crocheting for over 20 years, having been taught by her daughters' nanny.

The women in her fiber arts group said "Go for it!" and next thing they knew, the famous little black and white sign you see atop our hole-in-the-wall flagship on Main St. in Downtown Seal Beach was birthed in April of 2024.

The business is women-owned and operated, and her family is sprinkled all over the store. Whether you walk into the store on a random Wednesday, pass by us at a booth at your local fiber festival, or simply follow us on social media, you are sure to fall in love with the Wanderer community that has so powerfully impacted our hearts and minds here in Southern California.

In our founders' words, she reveals the foundational belief we hold at our store: fiber arts is for everyone.

"I've been dreaming for a long time about creating a space where fellow crocheters and knitters come together to connect over their love of yarn and creating.  I've been picturing a wall filled with vibrant colors and soft textures that can be made into gorgeous sweaters, delicate shawls, cozy scarves, and hats, or anything you can imagine. 

As I've gotten older, my focus on being kind to our planet has intensified, and my mission for the shop became clear - I only wanted to carry sustainable yarn made with eco-friendly processes.  My goal is to expand our shop beyond its four walls and bring our purpose, vision, and values to a broad fiber craft community."