Passionista Annette Corsino-Blair — Owner, The Knitting Tree L.A.

Photo by Pop Culture Passionistas

Sometimes it's hard in a sprawling city like Los Angeles to find your tribe. Unless you go to a church, really get along with your co-workers or find kindred spirits in your exercise classes, the City of Angeles can be a lonely place. So our most recent interviewee, Annette Corsino-Blair, has made it her mission to foster a community in the sanctity of her Inglewood-based yarn store, The Knitting Tree L.A. and Branch Gallery. Patrons can do more than just buy yarn at Anette's shop. They are also encouraged to sit with their fellow crafting enthusiasts to knit, crochet, weave and more around a large table that is the heart of the store. Thanks to Annette's generous spirit and some rules that include not discussing religion and politics around the communal table, she has created a safe space for women and men of all races, creeds and sexual orientation to share their passion for the fiber arts. In fact, she celebrates that differences that she sees among those who gather at The Knitting Tree L.A. "The English hold their knitting needles very properly like a pencil, up near the faces. And the Portuguese are jamming it out with their thumbs. It's really interesting to see all the people coming in here from around the world and sharing what it's like in their country." But it's the shared love of yarn-based expression that Annette taps into — helping everyone find a common ground and their "happy place" in an often daunting metropolis. Listen to the latest episode of The Passionistas Project Podcast to hear about Annette Corsino-Blair’s incredible journey. And visit TheKnittingTreeLA.com to learn more about Annette's growing fiber art community.