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GOOD READ
WOOLLY NOTION
M
illiAbramsisa womanona
mission!Witha passionforcraft
andcolour,sheisnowableto
shareherloveofqualityyarnwith
hercustomerseachdayather
London-basedstore,TribeYarns.This
newyarnshoplaunchedlastyear,
representingtheculminationofMilli’s
ambitiontoopenherveryownyarn
emporium.Thejourneyhasbeena long
andwindingone,asherprevious
adventurestookheraroundtheworld,
mostrecentlytotheCaribbean,where
fateplayeditspartingetting Milli to
wheresheistoday.
“I wasanaccountantformorethan 20
yearsbeforeopeningmyshop.I alwaysknew
I wanteda yarnshoponeday,aftervisitingso
manylovelyshopsintheUSAandCanada,
butI thoughtit wouldbea post-retirement
project for me,” she explains. “When
HurricaneIrmawipedoutourhomeandthe
islandwewerelivingonintheCaribbeanin
2017,it wasthepushI neededtogoafterthis
dreamofmine.It puta lotintoperspective
forme,butI’veneverbeenonetoshyaway
from a challenge. So here we are!”ALLCHANGE
MovingbacktotheUKprovedtobea big
changeforMilliandherfamily.“Ofcourse
there’stheweather,andgoingfroma
populationof3,000toLondon’spopulation
ofalmostninemillion!Andthenditching
steadyemploymentforentrepreneurship.
ButI’ma hugebelieverinchangeand
growth,andwetryhardtodemonstrateto
oursonthathecanandshouldfollowhis
dreamsanddowhathe’spassionateabout.”
Thefamilyhadactuallyspenttheprevious
14 yearsabroad.“Whenoursonwasbornwe
emigrated to the Canadian Rockies and livedina beautiful,smallmountaintown.Whenhe
turnedseven,wesoldup,boughta boatand
embarkedona voyagetocircumnavigatethe
globeonourlittleyacht– justthethreeof us.
It hadbeenanotherofmydreamsto
accomplishthis.Wehadanamazingcouple
ofyearsontheboat,andgota goodway
roundtheglobewhenI wasoffereda really
excitingjobintheCaribbeanwherewewere
sailing,whichI couldn’tturndown.Soforthe
nextfouryearsI wastheHeadofFinanceon
SirRichardBranson’sNecker Island in the
BritishVirginIslands.”
Whiletakingpartintheseadventuresasan
adult,Milli’spassionforyarnhadstartedatan
earlyage,whenshegothookedonknitting
asa littlegirl.“Mymumtaughtmeduringthe
summerholidays.I wasoneofthosekidswith
antsinherpants,andI foundrightawaythat
knittingrelaxedandchallengedmeatthe
same time. I spent the entire holidays“I ampassionateaboutcolourand
usingcolourtoinfluenceyour
mood and energy levels”Afteranadventurouslife,MilliAbramsdecidedit wastimetospina
new yarn and realise her long-held dream to open her own shop...