Our Story
Coven of Stitches was conjured up in 2023, while yelley was taking a much needed mental health leave of absence from their biotech startup job. It began as sets of stitch markers hand assembled at their kitchen table and a business plan for the future, then quickly accelerated when yelley’s job suddenly moved to another state in January 2024. After a few weeks of hunting, they signed a lease for a spot on Webster that had previously been a payroll advance shop, filled with junk from the past tenant. With a lot of help from the polycule, friends, family, and a junk hauling service they turned it into a yarn and craft shop in just one month, opening in March 2024.
Our main goals at Coven of Stitches are sharing our love of crafting and creating community. We are values-driven and committed to making our shop a safe, accessible, and welcoming space to the best of our ability. Coven of Stitches is proudly Filipino-American-owned, queer-owned, and disabled-owned. We are also local to Alameda and have lived here since 2018.
staff
yelley elldee (they/them)
Owner and Coven Leader
yelley learned to crochet from their grandma at 6 and taught themself to knit from a library book at 9. Since then, they’ve never met a craft they didn’t like! So far they’ve collected spinning, weaving, embroidery, and beading and they’re always on the lookout for their next craft.
Jason Dodd (he/him)
Coven Husband
Jason first learned to knit in 2007 in exchange for yelley going to see a superhero movie in the theater with him. Someday, he’ll learn to crochet too, but for now he does most of his crafting in the kitchen! Jason’s main job is as a fancy chocolatier, his chocolates can often be found in the shop’s classroom and meeting space, but he’s usually at the shop in the evenings and on weekends.
Beatrice Pepperbottom
Manager, Mayor of Webster Street
Beatrice is the baby of the family and is baby in every sense of the word. She loves everyone and loves to be pet, snuggled, and praised. She’s always at the shop and can often be found sunning herself in the front window or playing cave goblin under the couch. She isn’t terribly interested in most yarn, but she LOVES mohair and will run off with chunks of spinning fiber if left unattended!
Yuki Wartooth
Behind the Scenes Support, Hater of Nouns
Yuki is our sweet old lady who is happiest at home. She can be a little anxious around new people and dogs and the sounds of the city stress her out, so her appearances at the shop are very rare. Catch her every eight to ten weeks on a Saturday, she stops by after her grooming appointments for a quick visit!