The Team

Kathy & Steve Elkins

Kathy and Steve Elkins are the second generation owners of WEBS - America's Yarn Store.  Founded in 1974 by Steve's mother Barbara, Kathy & Steve assumed ownership in 2002.  In April 2018 Kathy and Steve finalized the purchase of String and the Tahki Stacy Charles yarn brands from Stacy Charles.

Steve holds a B.A. in Government from Hamilton College and MBA from Babson College.  He has had a long career in Finance and Operations at consumer-oriented brands such as Anheuser Busch, Midas and Pepsi where he was the On-Premise Manager for the Connecticut region.

Kathy received her B.A. in Communication from the University of New Hampshire and her MBA from Suffolk University.  Also focused in the consumer-centric segment, Kathy held a variety of marketing positions in the banking industry, Anheuser Busch, Sperry Top-Sider and finally Tommy Hilfiger where she was responsible for the launch of the Women's and Children's footwear categories.

Steve and Kathy bring a love of retail and consumer behavior with a complimentary set of skills and are excited to bring their 15+ years of experience in the yarn industry to String.

 

Stacy Charles

Stacy began working in the hand-knitting yarn world for his Aunt Irma and Uncle Sam. He received a BA in political science, but once he was exposed to yarn and product development, he never looked back. Stacy’s love of fashion and fiber keeps him inspired, he states his passion very simply “I begin each season with a fresh approach, as if it were my first. Each yarn we create is like a precious newborn baby. From its original form to the ultimate design, I still love what I do, it is still very exciting”.

Stacy’s journey in hand knitting led to a long career in New York’s garment industry, in both yarns and fabrics. He worked with designer luxury brands Donna Karan, and Calvin Klein, to large corporations including Banana Republic and Liz Claiborne.

He feels proud and privileged to have had such a long and storied career in an industry he totally loves. In April 2018 he completed the sale of the TSC and String brands to Kathy and Steve Elkins.  “This sale ensures the legacy of our brands into the future. I am so honored to be working alongside Kathy and Steve, and continuing to develop new products. The future as part of their team feels challenging and limitless.”        

  

Lidia Karabinech

Lidia joined String about few months before we opened in Fall 2002. Before she started working for String, she was teaching machine knitting and created runway samples for many famous designers. After her first degree in chemistry and working as a teacher, Lidia studied couture tailoring, pattern making, and weaving at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. As our in-house designer, Lidia has designed at least a garment a month for String for the last 16 years, not to mention writing hundreds of custom patterns. Lidia also oversees our finishing services, and she works her magic to make each of our customer's pieces look couture. In addition to Lidia's designs for String, she has published extensively in Vogue Knitting, Interweave, and many books. Lidia is a craft junky and also loves to crochet, bead, macrame, weave, and any other new skill she can learn.

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa is our instructor extraordinaire! She joined us on a part-time basis in 2007 and is now the store manager. She has developed a number of very special courses, most notable of which is her innovative Directed Knitting. Lisa is a well-published designer as well. Along with her book Faerie Knitting, she has had designs published in Vogue Knitting, Interweave, and TSC pattern books among others. Lisa has also done a number of well-loved designs for String including our fabulous Sampler Blanket, and the super popular Kelsey and Reagan Hats.

 

Petra Marcelle

Petra has been working in knitting stores for 20+ years and has been with the String team since 2011. She learned to knit as a young girl living in Saint Lucia and then honed those skills after moving to New York City. Petra has become an accomplished designer, being published in books by The Yarn Girls and Tahki Stacy Charles. In 2019 we expanded the Directed Knitting schedule to include Petra’s own group on Fridays.

Vera Keller-Hum

Vera graduated from Deutsche Meisterschule für Mode in Munich, Germany with a degree in fashion and graphic design. She has become a knitting legend in New York City since opening her own store, Knit Atelier, in Greenwich Village in 1981. She gained her following by designing elegant sweaters and stylish accessories. Her designs have been published by Tahki Stacy Charles and Vogue Knitting. 

 

Whitney Spivey

Whitney joined the team with String's move to the 74th street location in 2015 and has had a lifelong love of fiber arts including knitting and crochet. Her background in fine art and photography gives her a unique perspective and eye for detail. She works behind the scenes on String's marketing and graphic design. She is also the designer of Lottie Lucille knitting bags.