In 1995, Jen Armstrong and Tanya Alsberg were coworkers at a sandwich shop in San Francisco; Armstrong was saving up for a knitting machine. Since then, the pair has woven their romantic and professional lives by founding JAK Designs in 1997, a mom-and-mom company that produces handmade, wearable knits with urban elegance and a green conscience.

JAK’s office supplies are recycled, their yarns are natural and organic, and Armstrong and Alsberg always look for ways to make their business more local. “It’s just part of my world,” says Armstrong. “I’m really passionate about it not being destroyed.” Having moved from a small studio in San Francisco to a spacious workshop home in Ohio, Armstrong and Alsberg now knit and travel to sell full-time. Their scarves and shawls are sold at 60 stores around the country. —LF