And Another One's Gone

Today is the last day that Yarndogs will be open.  It was a quick sale, starting last Wednesday with 50% off most things.  The first day of the sale the line to get into the store wrapped around the block.  After today there will be only 5 stores left that I would call "local".  The Knitting Room, Continental Stitch, Uncommon Threads, Purlescence and Green Planet Yarn.  On the outskirts (from me) there's still Nine Rubies in San Mateo, The Golden Fleece and Swift Stitch in Santa Cruz, and Yarns by the Sea in Aptos.

Back in 1998 when I was still a newbie to knitting there were about 5 stores close to me, of those only The Knitting Room, Continental Stitch and Uncommon Threads (new owner) are still around.  At the end of 2007 there were 12 South Bay stores! 3 closed in 2008, and since , 1 would move and 5 more would close. I have to admit, as populated as the area which I live, 12 stores was a bit much.  But oh the choices!  And the yarn crawls!  So much fun.  So much creativity.  Each store had it's own unique offerings, from special yarn to fashion shows to all star instruction. 

So what happened?  Economics?  Did the internet take business away?  Sure, I buy online, Webs usually has some good deals and Jimmy Beans always has things I can't get anywhere else (at any price).  And now with Craftsy, even classes are easier to come by.  So what's left for a local yarn store to offer?  What it has always had the advantage in, service (sales, support as well as instruction), inspiration, community and instant gratification.  Give me a reason to go to a yarn store and I will buy something.  But it isn't just about the goods, it never has been.

I'm a mature knitter so I don't need much in the way of support.  And with my stash, I've long passed the need for more yarn.  But I will always crave inspiration. And community?  What knitter doesn't need that?  What online stores and classes can't offer is that um-hmm, yup that's it moment when you need some acknowledgement that you are doing things right.  Whether that's a technique, getting gauge or picking colors that go well together.  And what about encouragement when you've finished or nearly finished something?  These are the reasons to go somewhere local, meet with friends, learn new things, be inspired.  And oh, by the way, when you're there?  Buy the yarn.

Closure

In the last 5 months 3 of my local yarn stores have closed or are in the midst of closing. The first was The Rug and Yarn Hut -- 10 years ago I learned to knit and this store was easily the one I frequented most. At the time there weren't as many yarns stores close by. Besides the Rug Hut here was also The Knitting Room, The Braid Box, Continental Stitch and Uncommon Threads. In the 10 years that followed The Knitting Room relocated (still in the area), Knitter's Studio opened, and so did Commuknity, Yarndogs, Full Thread Ahead, Purlescence and Bobbins Nest. Yarn Place opened and carried it's own line, and The Braid Box was sold and moved across the street to become Knitting Arts. About a month ago Knitter's Studio announced it's closing and last week so did Knitting Arts. From 5 to a dozen, now down to 9 there are still many choices for a south bay area knitter such as myself. So why do I feel sad?

Today I went to Knitting Arts to see what was to be had on the 3rd day of their "Going Out of Business Sale" on a busy Memorial Day weekend. They decided to just put the whole store on sale for 30% off -- yarns, notions, books -- patterns were 50% off. I was out of town for the long weekend so it wasn't until after 2pm that I finally made it into Saratoga. The place was almost empty, bereft of its usual splendor. At the other closing sales I made small token purchases. At the Rug Hut I came by twice to see Karen but missed her both times, I bought 3 balls of a 50/50 silk and merino blend and a book I already had. At Knitter's Studio I bought 4 sks of Malabrigo cashing in my Frequent Knitter's card. That's it. The Rug and Yarn Hut's closing didn't come as much as a surprise, it was slowly coming to an end anyways. I didn't really frequent Knitter's Studio all that often although I usually bought when I did. And Knitting Arts? I came pretty regularly, I rarely missed a sale and for a couple months our group was meeting there. As I walked around the store looking for what was left of the pink, I began to stuff my basket and found that I couldn't stop. I brought home 6 sks of Misti Alpaca Chunky in a rose/gold twist, 6 sks of Alchemy Vita in a pinky mauve, 21 sks of Rowan All Seasons Cotton in a medium pink, 4 sks of Rowan Purelife in a nice rosey pink and 3 sks of Cascade Quatro because it had pink in it. After that I made another pass around the store and found 3 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Spray in taupe and 2 sks of Alchemy Haiku in almost the same colorway. There was a bundle of Lorna's Laces roving in Tuscany, a felting kit and at the register I found a lovely pink glass button. While waiting in line I perused a nearby basket of beads and found 7 tubes of rosy red ab and 1 tube of pink. I just couldn't stop. Was it the because of the 10 weeks of stash dieting? Through the years Knitting Arts sponsored many events and classes none of which I had attended. I came in only to pick up yarn whether at a sale or just when I needed it. And now it's all but gone.

When I left I almost went to Yarndogs. I wanted to go in and just check its pulse, see if it was okay. There are other yarn stores that are close by. I can't possibly visit them all, but by choosing to support a small portion I guess I cast my vote on who gets to stick around. However, if it were up to me, my vote would have been to keep Knitting Arts, it will be sorely missed.

End of an Era

I owe you a meme, among other things. But I can't really focus right now. I just got back from my lys which is closing it's storefront tomorrow. The Rug and Yarn Hut opened it's doors in downtown Campbell in January of 1997. I was a new knitter having learned just months before and I joined a knitting group that started meeting there. I learned to spin there, taught by none other than Karen herself, the owner. With her encouragement I taught myself to weave. She sponsored classes where I met Lily Chin, Margaret Stove and Judith McKenzie McCuin. A lot of my stash came from that store. I bought my first wheel there -- I bought my last wheel there (well, the last wheel I bought was from there -- I have six and while I'm not currently entertaining the thought of buying another wheel -- I'm not ruling out the possibility). There are lots of knitting stores in the bay area, so it's not so much the yarn I'll miss, and some stores are now carrying fiber so I won't miss that either. What I will miss is being able to just go and plop myself down and knit. Since she moved to her new location that became even easier. When I lost my job I'd stop by in-btwn picking-up or dropping-off the kids. Anytime I was out running errands and the store was on the way, my car would veer into the parking lot of it's own accord -- the kids would laugh, "What? It's not me it's the car!" Karen was always there with a smile. There was a relationship growing in the last 10 or so years -- and it's ending. I'll have my memories but I will miss this store.