House of A La Mode began as an indie artist-owned online yarn company that has grown into a full-service yarn shop.

Heather was born and raised in the Portland, Oregon area. Prior to being a hand dyer, Heather's first foray into the world of crafts was sewing, which was an easy choice for relaxation while raising a child with autism. She's published a book, Pillow Pop, and continues to dye fabric and create beautiful pieces. In late 2014, her craft world expanded when she began dyeing yarn in her home studio. Her unique eye for color has made HoALM yarns an indie staple for nearly a decade.

Heather and Beth met in 2014 at a now-shuttered LYS in SE Portland where Beth was working (the very first shop that featured House of A La Mode!). They became fast yarny friends and have worked together at HoALM since 2017. Beth should have written a bio by now but has not. Sorry guys.

Marisa is an intermediate knitter and crocheter, and an expert bad-joke teller. She is the point of contact for our sample contributors and Indie Initiative trunk shows. Her favorite knitting stitch is brioche and she can’t get enough of good granny squares. Marisa has knit over 100 unicorns to support local non-profits. Her favorite thing about the fiber community is that we come together to learn new things, and she is always eager to learn what you’re up to!

House of A La Mode expanded into a brand concept store located in historic downtown Gresham in 2020 which has since relocated east through the spectacular Columbia River Gorge to The Dalles. You will, of course, find our house brand of HoALM as well as a wonderful selection of products from other amazing companies we love. House of A La Mode is a welcoming and inclusive space for all levels of yarn crafts.

We Are:
Heather, Owner/Designer
Beth, Online Shop-ervisor 
Marisa, Captain Coordinator/Sample Summoner

Inclusion / Values Statement

We want you to feel welcome in this space. That goes for our digital spaces and our physical shop space. HoALM was founded on the idea that when we come together, we do great things. Regardless of your skin color, size, ability, gender expression, or sexual orientation, we want you to feel welcome to sit with us. In an effort to create a space that is welcoming for all we've been intentional to:

• Collaborate with designers, vendors, and artists who are vocal in their stance against anti-blackness, and purposefully source items from BIPOC-owned businesses.
• Carry products at a range of price points to make our shop accessible.
• Have samples made by a range of designers, in different brands of yarn, and in garment sizes that are size US 12+
• Source locally wherever we can.
• Pay our employees and collaborating artists a living wage and monetarily compensate all of our sample contributors.
• Be thoughtful about signage in our store, and language in our digital spaces to represent a wide range of lived experiences; and during the ongoing public health crisis provide private shopping hours by appointment for folks who need them.
• Manage our digital spaces and eradicate hate speech; monitor our physical space to provide a welcoming environment -- hatred or intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated and violators will be asked to leave the premises.
• Develop an Inclusion Board made up of folks from different backgrounds and perspectives to hold us accountable, and show us where our own perspectives are limited.
• Be teachable — we can't go it alone, and frankly, we don't want to. We recognize that removing racism and anti-black sentiments from our society is an ongoing mission, and is not a destination. We commit to educating ourselves about racism. We know that what works today, might not work tomorrow as we continue to learn and make changes to be better. If you see an area where we can grow and would like to dialogue with us, we commit to hearing that feedback and assessing how we can implement it. We want to partner with you to make this space better for all of us, and we would like to hear your solutions if and when we miss the mark. If you have comments or would like to see something different, please email us.

This space is for you, and we hope that you'll feel welcome to come and sit with us.