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In the latest Hudson Valley Word of Mouth segment, Julia Joern visits The Knitting Room, a shop located on Route 23 in Windham, just on the border of Ashland.

Co-owned by long-time friends and knitting aficionados, May Elbaz Belschner and Zaïri Malcolm, The Knitting Room is a place to discover a diverse and colorful selection of carefully-sourced natural yarns, cashmere wools, and plenty more, with a focus on brands that are independently-owned, eco-friendly, and committed to sustainable practices. Local makers are also featured, including Cake Wool Co., a small batch indie dye company from Saugerties founded by Alissa Baptista.

The Knitting Room is also a community spot for knitting and crocheting classes and workshops, tailored to both the beginner and expert alike.

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, May arrived in New York in 1999, eventually buying a weekend house in Windham in 2015. Her business partner, Zaïri, was born in London of Caribbean descent and moved to Brooklyn when she was a young girl. May and Zaïri each worked in fashion and costume design -- meeting on a film set in the wardrobe department -- and also shared a passion for knitting, often being part of the same knitting groups in the city. Inspired by knitting cafes and wanting a shop of their own, in 2018 they decided to start The Knitting Room in a vacant store (right next door to Mountain Breeze Yoga) in Windham. Zaïri recently relocated to upstate New York, and now lives in Greene County.