Jasper Lotus Peslin says finding your inner artist may be two knitting needles and a ball of yarn away.

The co-owner of Gossamer The Knitting Place stresses that knitting is a means of artistic expression that anyone can enjoy as a break from busy schedules and to create something beautiful.

”Some people knit simple squares and scarves because it’s relaxing and meditative,” Peslin said. ”Others do a full sweater or a coat for the satisfaction of completion, or a challenge. In our current day, everyone’s so busy – knitting is something that allows you to be productive while sitting still.”

Created two years ago by Peslin and her sister, Elizabeth Alexander, the Bend knitting store has grown in size and scale, doubling sales in the first year, Peslin said. The shop, located in the Old Mill Marketplace, sells hundreds of different yarns in every shade and texture imaginable.

Gossamer also offers a dozen knitting and crocheting classes – beginning to advanced – and knitting books, needles, hooks, pins and project patterns.

An art gallery, owned by Peslin and Alexander’s brother-in-law, Tomasz Misztal, occupies the building’s upstairs, where Misztal teaches fine-arts classes and displays his work. Some of his pieces decorate the yarn shop below.

Gossamer sells thousands of balls of yarn per month, each costing between $5 and $35, Peslin said. Most yarn is made in Europe, while some is made locally and in other countries.

Peslin says she’s taught knitters ages 8 to 70 and has found a surprising number of men are discovering the craft.

”We’ve seen husbands knitting with wives and snowboarders knitting little (hats),” Peslin said.

Gossamer also hosts group parties and is open for Art Walk. The business recently hosted a fundraiser for Nomad Charities.

How did you come up with the name, ‘Gossamer?’

The name actually came from a fairy tale. It is an adjective that describes the quality of light when it hits a spider web or a delicately woven fabric or lace. Like a fairy wing.

It’s sort of a magical word and the flow of the letters is a lot like yarn and stitches. We love the movement of the word.

How did the business begin?

The business is just a longtime dream of ours. We always talked about having our ideal knit shop and we had already been knitting with friends. Then Elizabeth took a spontaneous move forward by jumping in and getting us our (shop). We saw a need in the community for a community gathering space and we’ve finally come to that place. We just always enjoyed sharing and teaching people how to knit, so we decided to move forward with it.

This is really about developing a relationship with knitters, welcoming them into our space and cultivating a sense of community.

When did you get into knitting?

Both Elizabeth and I have been knitting for nearly 20 years. I learned how to knit one cold winter when I was living in Boston. My first project was an Irish cable-knit sweater.

Knitting was always something I admired in a friend’s mother when I was young, but I didn’t learn it until I was in my 20s. There’s something appealing about the rhythm and quiet of it.

Has knitting become more mainstream in the past few years?

There’s been a huge resurgence of knitting in recent years. A lot of it started in the media with celebrities knitting and fashion designers following the trend of more unique, one-of-a-kind handmade items. So much of society is about having manufactured items – knitting is sort of a coming-back to something that’s been taking place for centuries.

People get a great sense of satisfaction from it, from being productive even if they’re just making a gift for a loved one.

There is something extraordinary about receiving something made for you instead of something just bought at the store. When you make a gift, you are infusing it with your good energy. It’s not manufactured by anyone other than you.

It’s also a simple activity that’s easy to learn, share and teach.

People aren’t knitting because they have to, like they did during the Depression, when they had to make their own clothing. Now it’s a choice that we make. We knit because it’s relaxing, it’s creative and it brings people together. There aren’t many things in our culture that do that.

Do you see more business during the holidays?

Yes, we definitely see sales pick up during the holidays. That’s when people start purchasing things for winter and as gifts.

We also have a tourist season in June, where we see people come through who are touring the country.

What is a new item many people are learning to knit?

Felted clogs. They’re cool. They’re shoes, boiled wool shoes. We just had some students finish the clog-making class. A lot of people get stuck in the belief that they need advanced skills to make more than a scarf.

But if you have the desire, you could make just about anything.

What does it take to be a good knitter?

All they need is patience, an open mind and a certain amount of coordination. I think of it like learning to play the piano. It’s something that uses both of our hands and has a very unique, centering quality to it. It lowers the blood pressure, quiets the mind and is a de-stressor.

The fiber is soft, it’s beautiful and the color is inspiring.

The Basics

What: Gossamer The Knitting Place

Owners: Elizabeth Alexander and Jasper Lotus Peslin

Address: 550 SW Industrial Way, No. 28, in the Old Mill Marketplace

Phone: 541-383-2204

Web site: www.gossamerknitting.com