THE owner of an award-winning wool shop has announced her intention to close her business at the end of March, but says she is leaving on a high.

Julie Cowan has owned and run Truro Wool in St Mary’s Street for “12 wonderful years”, during which time she has consistently placed among the top three yarn shops in the South West by public vote.

She told customers via social media: “This decision to close has been made with a very heavy heart and has not been taken lightly. Truro Wool has been my passion, my joy and my second home for over a decade, and the thought of closing is genuinely heart-breaking.”

Since making the announcement, Mrs Cowan has been besieged by craft fans bearing gifts of wine, flowers and biscuits. “I’ve done six weeks’ worth of sales in four days,” she told Truro Voice while serving customers.

She explained: “The shop lease has reached a natural break point, and it was time to take stock. Things have changed so much since Covid; the yarn sales are not sustainable as a stand-alone business, so to make things work I need space for teaching.

“I’ve been looking for alternative premises for 12 months, but have not been able to find an affordable space that can accommodate the shop and my teaching activities.”

Mrs Cowan, 62, gave up a previous career to dedicate herself to her love of crafts including knitting, crochet and spinning. The store sells a wide variety of yarns, needles and patterns alongside haberdashery items from buttons to pom-poms.

Mrs Cowan also leads workshops and retreats at venues including the Budock Vean hotel, and has coordinated community knitting projects including hats for premature babies at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, and a blanket of poppies for the bridge between Old Bridge Street car park and St Mary’s Mews.

She became emotional as she said: “So many lovely things have been said. One customer, who I taught to cast on and off, emailed to say she had taught her son and it had kept him going during a period of illness. So I am leaving on a high.

“The shop has been very successful, and I have achieved everything I set out to achieve. I wanted it to be the best in Cornwall, and it’s been ranked among the best in the South West. I have no regrets.”

She added that she would not rule out reopening “if the perfect premises arise”, but would be taking a break over the summer. “I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years, enabling me to fulfil my lifelong ambition to run a yarn shop. Please continue to support local independent businesses - they can only do what they do with that support.”

Truro Wool’s website and social media channels will also close. Customers are invited to email [email protected] with the subject line ‘Keep In Touch’.

A closing-down sale is currently running both in-store and online. Discounts apply to all stock, excluding workshops, one-to-one sessions and downloadable patterns.