A 16-county swath of West Central Illinois was dubbed as “Forgottonia” in the 1960s by a group of citizens in The Lamoine River Valley concerned about a lack of state and federal investment in highways and infrastructure. Residents of the region launched a secession movement in the early 70s to protest their sentiments as second-class citizens, with Macomb as the seat of McDonough County, being the capital of their revolt.
These days, Forgottonia is immortalized in Macomb -which is home to West Illinois University- through a tourism campaign by the name of Macombopoly. Macomb is the birthplace of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie-Phillips whose 1903 Landlord’s Game evolved into the globally renowned board game, Monopoly. Macombopoly, and its recognition of Forgottonia, is on full display in The Historic Downtown Square of Macomb, which is where you will find The Bird’s Nest Knit and More.
“For the eight years that we’ve been open, I think it’s been really good for the customers because it’s kind of that third space you hear a lot of people talk about,” said Jackie Sullivan, Owner of the The Bird’s Nest Knit and More which is a store for customers interested in yarn, needlework, and fiber art supplies. “They know that even though we are a store, they’re welcome to come in, be with people who enjoy the same things and just have that quiet space where they can be comfortable.
“I think that it’s important for people to have very tactile things to do. Creative things. There’s just something about having a hook or the needles in your hands and doing something and creating. It (knitting) just uses a different part of your mind,” said Jackie with a smile as she joined friends working on their fiber projects at a table at the front of The Bird’s Nest Knit and More. “It can totally change how you feel in a day.”
The Bird’s Nest Knit and More gets its name from Jackie’s mother-in-law, Byrda, fondly known as Birdie, whose passion for cooking and crafting inspired those around her to embrace new creative adventures.
Knitting together a business
Jackie Sullivan never imagined she’d become a business owner, let alone having a retail following in Macomb.
“I did not have a desire to open any kind of store,” admitted Jackie. “I had no college experience, no formal business classes.”
Yet, Jackie believes that God and life have a way of weaving a path. Her story began with a deep connection to agriculture.
“I married a farmer, and I love the agricultural life,” shared Jackie. “I love that this is a community that is surrounded by that. I think it gives people a different way of looking at life. It’s a little slower pace. I think we truly do tend to take care of each other.”
When her children grew up and left home, Jackie said she found herself at a crossroads.
“When the kids were gone, I needed something to keep me out of trouble,” Jackie said with a laugh. “So, it was just perfect timing that this happened at that time of life.
The spark for The Bird’s Nest Knit & More was lit a few years earlier, when Jackie’s son, Blake, expressed an interest when he was in junior high school in showing sheep at the local 4-H livestock show.
“We had to learn how to shear sheep,” noted Jackie. “We had to learn how to do something with the fleece, and that turned into learning about the fiber arts. It was fun watching my son show the sheep, but you have to learn how to work with fleece. So, we actually started showing the fleece as well. That’s what led us into more of the fiber arts world.”
Fate took its hold of Jackie after a visit to what was the local yarn store in Macomb at the time and learned it was closing. Initially, Jackie said she planned to simply purchase some of the remaining merchandise before the store closed for good, but she was encouraged to do more.
“We heard several people commenting that they really would like to see the store stay in business and stay in town,” recalled Jackie. “My youngest son was going off to college. I was going to be an empty nester, and Blake suggested that I just go ahead and do this thing. He actually came to me one night and said, ‘Mom, you know, people are wanting to see the store go there, and I’ve got a little bit of money in my savings account. I’ll go in partners with you.’”
Together, they took the leap. “My son and I opened The Bird’s Nest Knit and More, in 2017. Within a few years, I went from knowing nothing about knitting and needlework to owning a store that provides yarn and needlework supplies.”
A love of knitting
For Jackie, owning The Bird’s Nest Knit & More has been a journey guided by faith, and determination,
“I’m a person of faith, and I believe God had a lot to do with this because timing just was always right, and decisions came easier than they usually do to me,” said Jackie reflecting on her store’s success. “Every time I’ve thought there wasn’t a way to make it work, it did.”
When Jackie first took over the store, she said she knew she had to step up her own skills to better serve customers.
“Once I owned the store, I had to improve my knitting and crocheting skills, so that I would be able to help my customers.
“There was a local person who did teach me to knit in purl. But then again, I just had to look and read and practice. Now, I can knit. I can crochet. I can spin a little, and I’m just now starting to learn to weave.
“I’m at a point now where I can help customers and feel fairly comfortable about it,” explained Jackie. “I’m honest with my customers. If I don’t think I can do it, then I let them know, or I will find one of my customers who is proficient at it.”
While many might imagine owning a yarn store as a relaxing career, Jackie quickly made a different discovery.
“I think a lot of people think that owning a yarn store means you get to sit and knit all day,” Jackie said. “I actually have very little time to do that because I’m constantly looking at the computer, reading or practicing, trying to get my skills better, trying to learn new techniques, trying to come up with better ways to help someone else who’s learning.”
Jackie said that one of her greatest joys is seeing the finished projects.
“I just love when the people come in and they show off their projects,” said Jackie with enthusiasm in her voice. “It doesn’t matter if they are a beginner with their first project or someone who’s extremely talented with a very extravagant project. It’s just wonderful to see everybody doing something that makes them happy.”
Cultivating community
Running a small business in Illinois comes with intrinsic challenges, and Jackie said she is familiar with the hurdles that come with owning The Bird’s Nest Knit & More.
“What I’d like the politicians of Illinois to know about small retail is we’re not here to scam anybody. We’re not trying to dodge laws,” explained Jackie. “We’re just trying to provide a comfortable space or, in some cases, a product that’s needed. We’re just trying to be good people.
“I’ve been in business for eight years now,” added Jackie. “I have yet to take anything from the business or to turn a profit. I do this because it provides a comfortable space for people, and I wish politicians understood that overtaxing and overregulating, the majority of us are not those people. We’re just here trying to make our town a better place.”
