Hi, I’m Betsy Cornwell, a bestselling author and single mother working to turn The Old Knitting Factory into a childcare-inclusive arts retreat space for other single parent artists like me.

The Old Knitting Factory was built in 1906 and offered jobs to local women. In the 1970s it was converted into an Irish-language cinema, and later a jewellery-making studio. I love the building’s history, and I’m so excited to make it a family home and creative space again.

In 2020, I found the knitting factory’s real estate listing and offered to rent it for a year while I wrote about the space and worked to crowdfund its purchase. I wanted to find a stable home for myself and my son, and I wanted that home to be a place I could turn into a childcare-inclusive arts residency for single mothers and other twice-marginalized single parents.

It was a longer and harder project than I ever anticipated — but by the skin of our teeth, hours before the purchase deadline in November 2021, we got there ! I purchased the Old Knitting Factory outright, largely through small crowdfunding donations from people who read my story and wanted to help.

I put everything I had into making the purchase happen, while single-mothering and working multiple jobs myself, so I feel in my bones how needed this kind of residency space is for other single parent artists like me.

I welcomed the first official single mother resident to the knitting factory last summer, as well as our first Airbnb guests. The space is open to all single parents on a sliding scale, so you can book a stay with us — or book one for a single parent you love! — here.

As always, everyone who donates will have their name added to the handmade donor tapestry that I am embroidering to hang in the factory space.

I would also be thrilled to speak with any potential investors or collaborators; you can email me here.

I owe all of this project’s successes to the community that has risen to support my work here. That’s a good lesson for any single mom, any parent, any person, I think. It turns out I really cannot do this alone. But I know we can do it together.

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You can help us make space for single moms to make art by subscribing on Patreon, where you’ll receive unlimited access to online retreats, as well as exclusive gifts, behind-the-scenes content, and much more. Patreon is the central way that we pay our bills here each month, and your support at any level is crucial — thank you so much!

You can also support our work by booking a stay here, visiting our online store, donating to our crowdfund, or simply telling people about the project!

Read more about The Old Knitting Factory in our FAQ page, the handmade zine below or the following articles and essays:

I’ll Get by With a Little Help From My Herd, The New York Times

An arts project that knits together creative work, single parenting, and paying the bills, The Irish Times

Better Than Fiction, or: How a writer creates a haven for women to mend their lives at the Old Knitting Factory along a Connemara lake in Ireland, Notre Dame Magazine

How I’m turning an old Irish knitting factory into my dream home — and an arts residency for single moms, Indie Untangled

On Trying to Save the Old Knitting Factory, Writing.ie

Centering Single Mothers: my work at the Old Knitting Factory, Witte Rook

Dea Ex Machina, Patreon

Zeitgeist: Providing a place for women to find peace and healing in Carraroe, The Business Post Magazine