Dear Yarn Shop Owner….

34 Comments / Random, Yarn Stores I have visited / By / June 7, 2018

Dear Yarn Shop Owner, we love you and your business. For some of us there is nothing like the rush of visiting a local yarn shop. Most of us will willingly blow our budget for some new yarn. Quite a few of us have made life long friends at your fiber filled place of business. Why the letter, is that your question?

Every Saturday on my Facebook GGmadeit page, I ask Ten Fiber related questions. A few weekends ago, my questions were all about LYS’ because I was still floating high from my Four Purls visit. The one question that hurt my feelings was this: Name one thing that will stop you from visiting a yarn shop Click To Tweet

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The answers, I promise you the answers hurt my feelings. We had a few that were funny but for the most part they were not nice at all. A few of them made me say, are you telling the truth? This couldn’t have happened and unfortunately each of the situations in fact happened. Check out the YouTube Video below

 

I love local Yarn shops

If you have been with me for 5 minutes, you know 2 things: 1) I love the color orange and 2) I love going to find yarn. The pictures below are a few of the shops I have had the pleasure of visiting. When I traveled for work, I made sure I found a shop to feed my addiction. LOL I can honestly say 95% of the time I had a great experience. I have had very few times where I felt unwanted, or uncomfortable. Most of the shops I have been to are places I would recommend.

This video/blogpost is a cry to owners near and far. As long as we are nice to you, please be nice to us. No matter if we are male, if we crochet, even if we are new to the store, we simply want to see/purchase your yarn.  If you don’t like a customer or another shop owner, please don’t discuss in our presence. Those situations are just a few of the experiences that my fiber family shared. I know we can fix this.

The collage below is some of the wonderful shops I have had the honor to visit. These shops and others that are not pictured will always get a visit if I am in the area. Let’s change the narrative, tell me about your good yarn shop experiences in the comments.

Signed Yarnlovers of the World

Knit on my fiber friends….knit on

GG

 

 

34 thoughts on “Dear Yarn Shop Owner….”

  1. Jacqueline conkling

    I love your posts and video blogs. Ignore the “downers”. They have no life and only take joy in being miserable or trying to make others feel miserably. Your happiness and success is whats got them in a snit. I am so happy to follow you on IG. You ,Shelby and my sunshine GUNNER put smiles on my face daily.🤗 Hugs to you GG. Keep your Voice going. We love You!!!!

    Reply
  2. Jacqueline conkling

    After i had more Decafe and read this again.i have had experience where i felt uncomfortable in a LYS, so i didnt buy ANYTHING. I found out from others that the particular place was LIKE that in general , sort of elitist attitude amongst themselves, not a black or white thing. There is another one that has that reputation and I have never been there. Have no plans to go. I prefer to spend my budget at the festivals where the indie dyers and fiber folk are. You have high lighted some shops I’d take a road trip to visit readily😊

    Reply
  3. Loren Gaffin

    Love this video/blog post! This happened to me in the past when I visited a few shops in NY and New Bern, NC. I never stopped again when driving through on vacation.

    Reply
  4. Lori Koury

    Hi GG, I so appreciate you and how you maintain a positive approach in all you do! My good experiences at my LYS include helping me find other yarn options, offering to wind the skeins I purchased, and checking on my progress during subsequent visits. One woman actually remembered what I was working on-usually something for my children-and made sure I was satisfied with my yarn selection.
    Thank you, GG!
    Lori

    Reply
  5. Monica

    I loved this! I have had those looks and comments as a crocheter and as a woman of color ROFL. When I started knitting it was like night and day, hmmm. I grew up in yarn stores as my 78-year-old mother has been a knitter since she was 13. She would go to the shops in New England and the three of us would sit in a corner with our books/toys until she was done. I only remember having a positive experience then. I love when I am greeted with a smile I spend more money.

    Reply
  6. Elle

    I have never understood the snobbery against crochet. Projects that are crocheted take more yarn than projects that are knit. Simply from a business standpoint, one would think that LYS owners would be tripping over themselves to cater to a customer who will need 3500 plus yards of worsted weight to complete a crochet chevron throw v a knit chevron throw that takes 2000 or fewer yards.

    I have a friend who wanted to buy the yarn for her blanket from a high end yarn shop. She needed 3500 yards. She has plenty of disposable income. The yarn shop owner treated her as though she were clueless. She left the shop empty handed, went online to another yarn shop, spent her money, and got the high high quality yarn she wanted without the added shenanigans.

    Reply
  7. Claudia Wyche

    GG: Just watching you makes me happy! Your enthusiasm is so contagious!!! I’m a fellow knitter and addicted to yarn also. I love visiting shops, looking, touching, and of course knitting with yarn. My husband doesn’t understand, but that’s OK! It’s my passion not his! Keep doing more of what makes you happy and I love seeing what you are doing!

    Reply
  8. MARCY TOLIVER

    This was so cute!! Tell Shelbey- I want that pantsuit!

    Great customer service in any business will always keep a customer coming back. It has been my experience, the customer will rarely say it to the business owner but they will tell their friends if they have a poor experience.

    Reply
  9. Branislava

    There is a LYS, sort of near me, that I will not frequent. I have given them several chances (like 6 or 7) but I always leave feel bad after a visit. I can’t say, with certainty, that they are elitist. What I can speak to is having a shopping experience that made me feel uncomfortable and that sucked the joy right out of what yarn shopping is supposed to be.

    Instead, I chose to go to other LYS and give them my hard-earned money because they were all working hard trying to make their shops profitable. Sadly, my two favorites closed.

    Now, I shop online with LYS that give amazing customer service. I also buy from indie dyers, too. I love knitting and every aspect of it should be joyful.

    Reply
  10. Sandy McMillan

    I haven’t been to a yarn shop yet that has treated me like I don’t exist. However, I have been to shops (not yarn shops), that have. To me it doesn’t make sense to treat customers like that. Don’t they need to eat and pay their bills? Not good customer service. So needless to say I have not returned to those stores.
    I did go to a yarn shop in Lady Lake, Florida that was great! They had loads of yarns on display. Lots of books with chairs to sit and enjoy your experience. They even offered to order yarn if they did not have what I needed. The shop is The Yarn Lady. Great place!!😍

    Reply
  13. Robin

    I love Michigan Fine Yarn in Livonia MI! Always welcoming and encouraging and they truly enjoy what they do. I’ve spent $5 and I’ve spent $$$ on a visit here and never had second thoughts. Same for Spun in Ann Arbor

    Reply
    2. Todd Norris

      I am new to Knitting, and my wife Crochets (she is reteaching herself), and live just north of Ann Arbor. I will have to check those out!
      @Robin. If you haven’t been, you should visit Artisan Knitworks in Cheslea, Michigan, right at the Jiffy Mix factory (another nice thing to do if you have time). I believe the owners are a man and wife, she Crochets and Knits, and think he might Knit. Both bleed infectious love of the art and excitement about fiber. My wife was looking for an H sized hook, and they were out of stock so the lady owner sold her one out of her personal selection. We had such a great experience we picked up even more projects, with plans to revisit again.

      I am glad that or first experience was nothing like those discussed in this, and glad Google pointed me your way GG.

      Reply
  14. Carol Pollock

    I love it!!! Thank you so much for this. My worst experience in a LYS was telling the owner that I was teaching myself to knit by YouTube, and she told me that when I really wanted to learn to come to her shop and take a class. Well, one day, after teaching myself continental knitting I went in for her to help me with Purl stitches. Don’t get me wrong, she was helpful, but the technique that I’m more comfortable with came from a Youtube video. It’s that kind of snobby behavior that’s a turn off. I now have a new yarn shop close by out of Birmingham, Al that has very nice and helpful staff.

    Reply
  15. Jen

    Thank you so much for your posts/video blogs. I always enjoy them.
    If you ever come to Clarkston, Michigan. You definitely need to check out The Knitters Nest! The owners are amazing and welcome all yarn lovers. After visiting and falling inlove with all of the fun fibers I started teaching crochet there (even teaching knitters to crochet).
    The biggest thing everyone one needs to remember is that we are all fiber friends and That is what brings us all together.
    Be yourself and continue to create masterpieces

    Reply
  16. Kate

    I have worked seemingly forever. The first lesson that I learned was make eye contact, greet someone warmly. If you are busy, either get un-busy or make sure that your customer knows you will be with her asap. Usually people understand!
    I worked for several years in 2 entirely different yarn stores. Totally different styles from the yarn to owners and employees….the first rule was to greet and welcome everybody.
    I could go on forever…one bad experience often does not make a repeat customer!
    Great day everyone
    Kate

    Reply

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