It’s such a gift to be able to follow your passion . . . whatever that may be!

And that is exactly what Donna Del Guercio is doing with her Belladonna’s Yarn Room and Interiors.  The quaint, cozy shop, located at 106 North Union Avenue in Downtown Cranford, the shop is a unique blend of beautiful wool and silk yarns, as well as refurbished and restored home furnishings.  Donna offers classes in knitting and crocheting to both adults and children.  She even supports the Cranford schools and local groups doing fund raising with a donation of lessons and scarves.  And the furniture and home décor at Belladonna’s is unique and ever-changing.  Much of it is vintage, repainted, repurposed, or refurbished, and it is all charmingly unique and virtually one-of-a-kind.

Donna grew up in Roselle, and now lives in Edison. She has worked as a store decorator for many years, but yarn has always been a passion for her. She also has a clothing design background, which is a great benefit when operating a yarn shop.

Donna admits, “As a little girl, I wanted to open my own yarn store when I fell in love with the fiber.  Other people dream of becoming rich and famous, I wanted to knit and crochet all day- or at least be surrounded by gorgeous wool and silk yarn.  So, here I am at a time when most folks would start to consider retirement and plan to slow down or see the world…my dream has finally begun.”

When asked why she chose Cranford as the place to set up shop, she replied, “When looking to open a shop of my own I looked in several towns but realized I wanted to be where I knew best and that was Cranford, with street lamps from a bygone era and cobblestone sidewalks.  The merchants and customers have been welcoming beyond my expectations and it’s become a place that makes me feel like home…This town feels like home to me. I grew up a couple of miles from here. It has small town charm. I have met some wonderful people since I have been here. It has been almost one and a half years since I opened Belladonna’s. It has been the best thing I could have ever done for myself!!”

Check out the website and blog at belladonnasyarn.com.  It’s well worth a visit.  And I’m NOT pulling the wool over your eyes!  (Sorry.)