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Awww shucks you guys! Thanks for all the nice comments  I am pretty happy with it, I'm just suffering from the benefit of hindsight I guess. Gotta start somewhere! Next one I make will be super-chic Also I'm totally doing that Eva scarf as a Christmas present this year Wedemeyer.
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Sep 1, 2012 16:24
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Alright people, actual planning has begun for me to open my yarn store. I have ideas of what I want in a yarn store, but I want to start polling people to see what everyone wants. So far I have in mind: Bright cheery, in our centrally located downtown area, or a nearby area with good parking Knitting area LESSONS eventually getting a "loaner" wheel, loom, and drum carder Carrying as many colors of "workhorse" yarns as possible A small amount of "luxury" yarns Cookies Bathroom "I'll fix your messed up knitting" service Please tell me what you would see in your dream knitting store?
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Sep 1, 2012 23:42
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Actually, it would be awesome if you started a blog or journal detailing your experiences running and setting up a yarn store. What I want in a yarn store? The ability to buy discount/cheap yarn without the owner giving me a dirty look. 
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Sep 1, 2012 23:47
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I would like the ability to actually shop the wool yarns. My local yarn shop is set up so the shelves with wool line the knitting area, which is always full to capacity. You can't even squeeze by or even see what's on the mid-level shelves or below. It's a serious pain in the rear end and while I really want to support them, I basically can't.
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Sep 1, 2012 23:51
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My vote would be for the downtown area. Your hardcore yarn addicts won't care if they have to park downtown to go, and you're more likely to pull in new customers who are just wandering downtown/tourists/etc.
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Sep 2, 2012 00:49
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Downtown. Yarn preferably arranged by weight, and seconding the enough room to browse the yarns at all the levels of shelves. If there's room, a little table with books and toys or something for kiddies because getting glared at for taking the whee ones with is just frustrating, especially when they are well-behaved and hands are all clean.
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Sep 2, 2012 01:15
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Onionetta posted:I just finished my first ever sweater! Is there a pattern for this? I want to make an obnoxiously rainbow-y awesome sweater vest! That is gorgeous and I envy you!
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Sep 2, 2012 01:58
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tra la la
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Amykinz posted:
Both the stores that I regularly shop at have tons of wool, but it's the scratchy kind that I wouldn't want to put on my skin, so I'd love to find a yarn shop that has a larger supply of merino wool yarns in varying weights. I'd love to find a shop that has more variegated yarns too that aren't fingering weight.
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Sep 2, 2012 04:14
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Amykinz posted:
One thing I LOVE to find (and almost always buy at least once) is yarn made/dyed locally. ESPECIALLY artists that don't have a huge presence on the web yet. When I'm visiting somewhere I love buying a "souvenir skein" of something I can't find elsewhere. If you're in an area with a lot of tourist activity I can see that being a draw (unless, of course, I'm the only one...) And yes, please start a blog! This is something I would LOVE to do someday but Seattle has SO MANY yarn shops now. I can live vicariously through you!
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Sep 2, 2012 05:20
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If your city has public transportation, try to be near a station or stop or something so that visiting knitters who opted not to rent a car can get to your shop without too much trouble.
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Sep 2, 2012 05:29
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Phishi posted:One thing I LOVE to find (and almost always buy at least once) is yarn made/dyed locally. ESPECIALLY artists that don't have a huge presence on the web yet. When I'm visiting somewhere I love buying a "souvenir skein" of something I can't find elsewhere. If you're in an area with a lot of tourist activity I can see that being a draw (unless, of course, I'm the only one...) No you're not the only one! I'm hoping to get some souvenir skeins when I'm in Portland on my honeymoon near the end of the month! I love this idea!
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Sep 2, 2012 06:42
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My dream store would have a range of both expensive and inexpensive yarns so I can experiment around with cheaper materials before investing in good yarns for better projects. There is nothing more frustrating than having fantastic yarn and being too scared to use it or only being able to find lovely acrylic in 8ply in every mainstream store in Australia. Also having an area that people can relax and knit would be awesome. I'd love a little place I could go and chat with people whilst knitting that wasn't necessarily associated with a knitting class. Somewhere clubs could congregate and knit while being surrounded by tools/yarn.
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Sep 2, 2012 09:41
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Have some photos of possible projects next to each yarn, with details of what the pattern is called and how many skeins of yarn it took to make. Sometimes I see yarn that I love but have no idea what to use it for. Also PRACTICAL YARNS i.e if I make a jumper for a man out of this yarn, they can actually wash it easily and not have to faff around. I have real trouble finding washable natural mixes in physical stores sometimes. One assistant actually told me "well if you want something affordable and washable, you'll just have to use acrylic" which is bullshit.
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Sep 2, 2012 11:58
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How about a computer with ravelry loaded on it right in the store? I find myself walking around yarn stores with it loaded on my smartphone a lot. Also I second yarn arraigned by weight. Even just the weight on the little tab with the price would be good. It's weird that a lot of yarns don't have that on the label, they just put the recommended gauge which isn't really that helpful if you're looking for something for a specific project.
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Sep 2, 2012 13:34
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I have to say, I like a yarn store 100x more when the staff aren't fiber snobby or pushy. Also, even if you can't have a sample project done for every yarn at least a swatch would be really useful, I always appreciate those. I love that you want to carry a variety of 'workhouse' yarns. I've been to too many shops that seem to have shelf after shelf of niche yarn, and I end up back home ordering from Knitpicks. I like supporting local, but I don't need hand-painted yak fiber picked by the fairest virgin maidens and washed in holy water for every project.
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Sep 2, 2012 21:02
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Oh and you mentioned "bright and cheery"? Good lighting is so important! I've been in yarn stores gloomier than a basement speakeasy where you can't tell what colour the yarn is supposed to be. Maybe have a sun-lamp? It's also a good idea to have at least 1 mirror so customers who are buying yarn for a project for themselves can hold the yarn up to their face and see if it matches their colouring. So annoying to knit a cowl only to put it on and get a dose of washed out zombie face.
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Sep 2, 2012 23:53
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AltruisticNemesis posted:Is there a pattern for this? I want to make an obnoxiously rainbow-y awesome sweater vest! Thanks Nemesis! I got the pattern from a book I bought, called 25 Beaded Knits by Debbie Abrahams, published by C&B Crafts. I don't know if I'm allowed upload the pattern but my guess is not, due to copyright and such 
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Sep 3, 2012 03:29
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Anyone have a good book to recommend for learning how to Fair Isle Knit? Preferably something with pictures and instructions for a continental knitter. Thanks!
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Sep 3, 2012 04:02
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Around the World in Knitted Socks is fabulous, mostly because I love all the socks, and I think they are good to learn on; the book also some very pretty clear pictures of different techniques. Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle will cover more technique and history about Fair Isle than literally anything else, though it's questionable how much you'd want to do the patterns in it, so it might not be useful despite that. However, it certainly is my go-to resource for figuring out how to design fair isle. And if you're a mitten fiend, Mostly Mittens: Ethnic Knitting Designs from Russia by Charlene Schurch is pretty awesome. I love all those designs.
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Sep 3, 2012 04:21
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The mittens book looks awesome. I might try and check that and the Book of Fair Isle out at the library first to see where I might want to start. Thanks!
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Sep 3, 2012 05:43
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Your welcome. Yeah, if you can check them out at the library first do it. My local has a pretty good knitting selection, so I usually hit them up first before I buy new ones.
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Sep 3, 2012 06:51
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FelicityGS posted:If there's room, a little table with books and toys or something for kiddies because getting glared at for taking the whee ones with is just frustrating, especially when they are well-behaved and hands are all clean. This is a good idea. My local yarn shop has an entire kiddie corner with low walls to help keep in the mess. Kids go in and play, adults get on with looking at yarn. It's really nice. Also seconding having stuff from local spinners/dyers. If I'm visiting, I'm always more likely to pick up something local I have no chance of getting over the internet or at my LYS than something I can get anywhere. For locals, you can push supporting the local economy and maybe even have the creators come in sometimes.
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Sep 4, 2012 05:17
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MarsDragon posted:Also seconding having stuff from local spinners/dyers. If I'm visiting, I'm always more likely to pick up something local I have no chance of getting over the internet or at my LYS than something I can get anywhere. For locals, you can push supporting the local economy and maybe even have the creators come in sometimes. Vacation yarn for sure.
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Sep 4, 2012 05:50
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HeatherChandler posted:I have to say, I like a yarn store 100x more when the staff aren't fiber snobby or pushy. I live in Christchurch. Thanks to the earthquakes, yarn stores are pretty thin on the ground. Add to that the fact that I don't drive. I found one yarn store which is on a direct bus route from my house, but the women working there were so rude that I stopped going entirely, and resigned myself to buying from WEBS and waiting for it to ship all the way here. A few days ago, I tracked down a shop which is more difficult to get to, and involves a ~20 minute walk from the bus stop in either direction. But the staff there seemed so much nicer, that I would rather walk all that way than go back to the one where the women were rude. Polite staff are *really* important, at least to me.
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Sep 4, 2012 22:09
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left_unattended posted:I live in Christchurch. Thanks to the earthquakes, yarn stores are pretty thin on the ground. Add to that the fact that I don't drive. I found one yarn store which is on a direct bus route from my house, but the women working there were so rude that I stopped going entirely, and resigned myself to buying from WEBS and waiting for it to ship all the way here. This, forever. I go two hours away to get to my favourite yarn store, but you'll never see me at the one that's only thirty away because the staff there are very snobby and cliqueish.
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Sep 4, 2012 23:25
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left_unattended posted:I live in Christchurch. Thanks to the earthquakes, yarn stores are pretty thin on the ground. Add to that the fact that I don't drive. I found one yarn store which is on a direct bus route from my house, but the women working there were so rude that I stopped going entirely, and resigned myself to buying from WEBS and waiting for it to ship all the way here. This, many times this. I have started to pick up knitting after a several-year hiatus (I think I even posted way way way earlier in this thread), and the last thing I need is for someone to treat me like I know nothing. Well, I mean I don't really know much but at least be helpful or super nice or something 
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Sep 5, 2012 02:30
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OOOOH, another thing my LYS has that tempts me to buy there rather than online is a loyalty points system. I think its something like spend $500 and get a $50 voucher which really excites me when they have their awesome sales and I rack up $70ish in one trip. Again yes to helpful yarn people... the woman at the one store I REALLY like remembers me even though I don't go to that one often, she'll ask me how the *yarn/needles/project* is going. I'm often happy to pay a little more for an item instead of getting it online for that :3
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Sep 5, 2012 11:03
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Spiteful posted:OOOOH, another thing my LYS has that tempts me to buy there rather than online is a loyalty points system. I think its something like spend $500 and get a $50 voucher which really excites me when they have their awesome sales and I rack up $70ish in one trip. This this this. I have some ridiculous amount of voucher money from my store. And they also send out a 20% off for people's birthdays. It's fabulous, and it means even when I'm a bit broke I can go in and maybe buy a ball of yarn to feel better.
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Sep 5, 2012 17:35
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I had the idea while I was supposed to be sleeping that I could do a "Yarn Marathon".. instead of spending (X) amount of dollars to get 15% off or whatever, what about every 26.2 miles of yarn you buy you get 15%? I'd giggle if it happened to me, but I dunno.
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Sep 5, 2012 21:06
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Amykinz posted:I had the idea while I was supposed to be sleeping that I could do a "Yarn Marathon".. instead of spending (X) amount of dollars to get 15% off or whatever, what about every 26.2 miles of yarn you buy you get 15%? I'd giggle if it happened to me, but I dunno. I love it! Maybe if you add in pounds of fiber and um...something else, you could have people be triathles!
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Sep 5, 2012 21:09
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That's hilarious! I love the yarn marathon idea.
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Sep 5, 2012 21:26
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Bob Shadycharacter posted:I love it! Miles of yarn, pounds off fiber, pairs of needles/hooks/supplies.
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Sep 7, 2012 04:58
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This may sound like a no-brainer but I hate going into Yarn stores and asking for help or advice and feeling like I'm being a pain in the arse. The yarn counter in Liberty is a really good example of how it can be done right. I had a problem with a jumper that I was knitting and asked the woman at the counter for some advice, I talked her through the problem I was having and she was very patient and even just the process of talking through the issue went a long way towards solving it. She even said that if I continued to have any more issues with the pattern that she would be happy for me to bring my work in and she'd have a look at it. Compared to the expression on the assistants face in John Lewis when I asked her if they had any more of a certain yarn in stock. Well, miles of difference. Also Peppercat I just started learning Fair Isle myself and have used Colourworks Knitting. All the patterns are made from a universal base pattern so you can mix and match pattern sections to suit.
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Sep 8, 2012 21:43
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Serenity Dove posted:This may sound like a no-brainer but I hate going into Yarn stores and asking for help or advice and feeling like I'm being a pain in the arse. The yarn counter in Liberty is a really good example of how it can be done right. I had a problem with a jumper that I was knitting and asked the woman at the counter for some advice, I talked her through the problem I was having and she was very patient and even just the process of talking through the issue went a long way towards solving it. She even said that if I continued to have any more issues with the pattern that she would be happy for me to bring my work in and she'd have a look at it. Compared to the expression on the assistants face in John Lewis when I asked her if they had any more of a certain yarn in stock. Well, miles of difference. John Lewis haberdashery section is just poo poo in general. Every time you ask a simple question like "do you have this pattern in stock?" or "what is this fabric made of?" or "where are the glass-headed pins?" they either look at you like you've ruined their day, or mutter something about being from a different department. Piss annoying.
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Sep 9, 2012 13:28
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I went into the worst yarn store yesterday. Knit N' Kneedle in the DFW area reeked of smoke when I walked in. The lone employee was sitting right in the middle of the store, smoking a loving cigarette and it smelled like she did it frequently. She charged 15 dollars for knitting patterns and nothing had a price tag on it anywhere. So don't do that, Amykinz, and you're probably set.
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Sep 9, 2012 14:34
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Unoriginal posted:I went into the worst yarn store yesterday. Knit N' Kneedle in the DFW area reeked of smoke when I walked in. The lone employee was sitting right in the middle of the store, smoking a loving cigarette and it smelled like she did it frequently. She charged 15 dollars for knitting patterns and nothing had a price tag on it anywhere. So don't do that, Amykinz, and you're probably set.  Who would smoke in a yarn store? Who would BUY anything from there?
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Sep 9, 2012 19:45
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Blocking question (that I edited because I have a different one from what I originally posted): Do you always block your pieces after they are finished? Or do you leave some of them unblocked? I feel like I have made a terrible mistake. I knitted a cowl with ribbing and I loved the structure in it. But then I decided to wet it to block and a lot of the structure is gone. The edges are curled inwards so I feel like it gave some sort of extra structure, but now it's stretched out and while it looks awesome, it doesn't look as awesome :/ I guess my secondary question is: is there a way to reverse this process? ackapoo fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Sep 10, 2012 |
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Sep 10, 2012 01:12
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ackapoo posted:Do you always block your pieces after they are finished? Or do you leave some of them unblocked? I feel like I have made a terrible mistake. I knitted a cowl with ribbing and I loved the structure in it. But then I decided to wet it to block and a lot of the structure is gone. The edges are curled inwards so I feel like it gave some sort of extra structure, but now it's stretched out and while it looks awesome, it doesn't look as awesome :/ The pattern for the cowl I'm going to knit soon says not to block it for that reason, or only to block lightly, so maybe some stuff just doesn't block well? I wish I could help, I would be so gutted if I did that . Hopefully someone else has some good advice.I've been making some progress on Queen of Diamonds. All finished with chart 1, stuffed up the last set of pattern repeats in the last section and now I have to decrease 3 stitches before starting the next chart . poo poo. Oh well!Please excuse the horribly messy desk .
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Sep 11, 2012 02:29
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left_unattended posted:The pattern for the cowl I'm going to knit soon says not to block it for that reason, or only to block lightly, so maybe some stuff just doesn't block well? I wish I could help, I would be so gutted if I did that Thanks! My pattern didn't really say it either way, but someone on Twitter told me that I could just re-wet it down and scrunch it up to retain the structure. I feel like I stretched it out in the process, but it will still look the same. I hope, anyway. Now I have another question: I am following a pattern for a slouchy hat and the pattern reads as such: Round 1: knit all Round 2: purl all Round 3: knit all Round 4: Purl all Round 5 Knit all Continue to knit until piece measures 3 inches from cast on edge. Round 4: *k4, M1B* repeat between * * repeat until end. The piece should have 110 stitches. Round 5: knit all Knit until piece measures 8 inches from cast on edge or to desired slouchiness. Round 6: K3, k2tog until end of round Round 7: knit all Round 8: k2, k2tog until end of round Round 9: knit all Round 10: k1, k2tog until end of round Round 11: Knit all Round 12: k2tog until end of round Round 13: knit all Round 14: k2tog until end of round The section in bold is what I'm confused with. I haven't really read patterns like this so I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. Plus going from round 4 to 5 to 4 to 5 confuses me. Is it saying after round 5 to knit the next row with the k4, M1B? Or to knit 3 inches from the cast on edge, THEN k4, M1B? EDIT: It seems like, looking through some photos on Ravelry of finished pieces, that it's knit for 3 inches THEN I do the k4 M1B. But if you have any ideas also please let me know! ackapoo fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Sep 11, 2012 |
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Sep 11, 2012 02:56
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ackapoo posted:EDIT: It seems like, looking through some photos on Ravelry of finished pieces, that it's knit for 3 inches THEN I do the k4 M1B. But if you have any ideas also please let me know! That's how I'm reading it too. Their numbering system is weird, but I would knit 3 inches, then do k4 M1B, then keep knitting for 8 inches and move to round 6. Confusing! Please tell me I'm not the only one who has arguments with her/himself over their knitting. I've been trying to figure out the written instructions between charts (charts haven't given me any trouble, despite my anxiety!) and was having a hell of a time. Couldn't figure out why there was a ten stitch increase when the instructions called for a 24 stitch increase, couldn't figure out how to increase 10 stitches evenly over 4 sections......finally figured it all out and loudly called myself a loving idiot. Hooray for an empty house!
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Sep 11, 2012 03:25
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