About Us

We, at ChiaoGoo, treat all of our customers and employees equally and with respect and believe that justice and fairness are human rights.

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Our COVID-19 Response

We Know that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major changes in your lives and maybe even some sadness and struggle. This has been a challenging time for everyone.  No one really knows what lies ahead in the weeks or even months to come, but, together, we will get through this.

All of you know the benefits knitting, crochet and the needle arts can have on an individual.  Now, more than ever, people need access to the yarn, needles, hooks and notions you offer to help them cope with the extra anxiety and stress they might be feeling as well as inspire them to see the beauty in their hand made item and be thankful for the gift they have to create something so beautiful.  Know that our office continues to stay open but we are working at minimum capacity. One person is in the office every other day as wholesale orders require.  

They say bad times bring out the good in people.  One retailer is making “Learn to Knit” kits and leaving them out front at their shop for anyone to take.  A ChiaoGoo rep is teaching adults and children as young as eight years old how to knit (virtually) and is offering to drop off the supplies or have people pick up on her porch.  Many individuals and businesses are stepping up and doing good.  We are sure you are doing what you can to help your families, friend, neighbors and even strangers. There are so many great ideas out there and it is wonderful to see people focus on doing good.  THIS is what will help us all get thru.  

Here at ChiaoGoo, Wendy and Leon, owners of Westing Bridge/ChiaoGoo, have personally donated over 1,150 N95 masks and 1,500 medical face masks to Detroit Metro area hospitals and doctor’s offices. They are also active members of the Michigan Chinese American Coalition which has raised over $200,000 and donated PPEs to many local hospitals in response to the shortage of personal protective equipment. Here is a link to a recent Detroit News article about the group.

ChiaoGoo has also donated $10,000 to a local community organization to support their efforts in the fight against COVID-19 which include purchasing and providing medical supplies to front line health care workers, nursing homes, and police/fire departments as well as providing care packages and assistance to others in need.

Ashley and Juli are busy sewing face masks and scrub caps for local medical personnel and those in need.  They have been given to private citizens in our local neighborhoods and communities, UPS workers, medical offices as well as a nursing & rehabilitation center.  Ashley and Juli have sewn and given away more than 1,500 masks!  

Be well, stay healthy, have hope, and know that we will all come thru this together.  

Leon, Wendy, Ashley & Juli

Our Story

Westing Bridge LLC is a family-owned business that was started by four brothers. About1 Its ChiaoGoo brand knitting and crochet tools are designed and distributed in Troy, Michigan. Its manufacturing facility is based in Hangzhou, China.

The brothers were born and grew up in Linan, China, “The Bamboo Capital of China”. The grandfather was a bamboo craftsman who spent the majority of his life traveling from town to town with his bamboo tool kit, making household goods such as chairs, tables, mattress sheets, rice barrels, baskets and steamers. The father followed in grandfather’s footsteps and was able to build a workshop in the early 1980’s at the birth of the primitive free market in China. The workshop produced similar household goods, but the primary product was bamboo knitting needles.

Demand for the knitting needles originated with the mother. She is an excellent knitter and knit in order to keep her family warm during the long, cold winters. She would often knit extra items and sell them to neighbors and friends to make some extra money for her family of seven. She was the needle “tester” and frequently asked for special needles to meet her needs. She is the inspiration for the ChiaoGoo brand name, which means “highly skillful and crafty lady”.

In the 1990’s, the family decided to expand the product line and its production capacity in order to prepare for overseas distribution. In 2005, the four brothers made a milestone decision to incorporate the manufacturing part of the business, Hangzhou Westing Bridge LLC. At the same time, the youngest son established Westing Bridge LLC in Troy, MI for the marketing and distribution of the knitting and crochet tools outside of China.

Today, the business has expanded to become one of the most respected producers of knitting and crochet tools. ChiaoGoo products are now adored and enjoyed by worldwide customers, with retailers and distributors across the globe.