Anything But Ordinary: Dina Maligno, Wool & Bark

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In this month’s “Anything But Ordinary” feature we chat with Dina Maligno, owner of the startup business Wool & Bark of South Yarmouth, a web store selling unique yarns.

What is Wool & Bark?

Wool and Bark is an eStore that sells hand-dyed yarn for crocheting and knitting. Right now the yarns offered on the site are fingerling to bulky in either superwash Merino wool/nylon blends or 100 percent Merino wool, which is a soft luxurious wool.

What led you to start up the business? 

In 2016, I started crocheting as a way to keep myself occupied after the loss of our beloved dog Koa. My fiance and I don’t have children, so she was our baby. Crocheting was extremely therapeutic for me and something I needed to do constantly in order to heal. During this time I explored different yarns on the market and fell in love with hand-dyed yarn. I was so interested in the look and the process of dyeing yarn that, of course as a crafty person, I wanted to try it myself, but never really had the time to invest in it. When the pandemic hit, I suddenly found myself with more time and learned and practiced dyeing yarn as much as I could. I fell 100 percent in love with the process of mixing colors and creating combinations; it was all I could think about. I saw inspiration everywhere, in everything.

How did you come up with the name for your business?

In between this time, my fiance and I decided we were ready to adopt another dog, knowing we wanted a shelter dog/rescue. We were drawn to the LastHopeK9 Rescue Organization, which works with Rescue Road to rescue dogs from kill shelters in the Deep South, then brings them to New England where they are put into foster homes until they get adopted into their “FURever” homes. When we met Juno, we instantly fell in love. LastHope’s method of vetting their potential adopters was intense and very thorough and we were so impressed with them. A portion of each sale on Wool & Bark is donated directly to LastHopeK9 Rescue. Customers can also round up their purchases, which goes to the same organization. 

What makes Wool & Bark yarn unique?

We offer fun, playful color combinations; collections that speak to people in different ways, not just by touch and feel. One of which is a pre-order collection based on different songs from The Beatles. We bring these colorways to life by telling a story about our interpretations of their songs, or some history behind the song meaning, about the mood and feelings behind a lyric, or some songs are a literal take on a song title. We have a Cape Cod-themed collection coming out this summer, exact release date TBD. In addition, we also offer other non-collection, ready to ship, fun and whimsical colorways as well.

Dig A Pony scaledOctopus Garden scaledWhat are the future plans for Wool & Bark?

Down the road, we would like to be able to offer our yarn in local yarn stores or do in-person pop-up shops to enhance the in-person experience and get to interact with people. We would also like to increase our donation amount and expand our support of similar rescue organizations like LastHopeK9 as it’s a cause we strongly believe in.

What is your favorite part about owning your own business?

As a business owner in the creative field, we can take it in any direction we’d like to with hard work and a willingness to try different things. It’s a wonderful feeling to have that kind of carte blanche in something you love.

To be considered for this feature, email carol@capeplymouthbusiness.com