Mahattan Yarn Wrap Up

Whew! It looks like I finished reviewing all the Manhattan yarn stores (although I will include Knit New York when it opens again). It’s been really fun so far, and I have learned a ton! When I started this project, I was unaware of many American (and Canadian) yarns.

I did not know Artyarns (picture above), or Koigu, or Prism… It has been such a journey of discovery. I have met diverse and interesting women (and two men). I am amazed by all this creativity in our New York yarn community, from yarn store owners, to “yarn painters”, to spinners, fiber artists, knitwear designers, yarn editors, writers..., and of course to all the knitters out there, who have chosen to create a niche for themselves in this world of yarn that seems so small from the outside, yet so large when you are involved in it. I know now that you can actually make a living as a fiber artist. I have been blown away by Xenobia Bailey and Nick Cave. I have had moments of wanting to open a yarn store (only moments—it seems way too time intensive for my current life situation). At other times I wanted to go back to school so I could learn quilting, and crocheting, and sewing, and spinning, and dyeing yarn… Mostly, however, I am so impressed by these individual women (and men) who own or rent these tiny pieces of Manhattan where they try to realize their visions and display their yarns for us to enjoy and purchase. Each of their stores is as different as their personalities, but all of them are united in a mutual love of yarns.

As of next week, I will write about stores that are related to knitting but don’t carry yarns exclusively. When we knit, we often need buttons, zippers, collars, or other embellishments. We need to finish our garments, and some of the finishing tools can be found in stores that carry little or no yarn. For the adventurous knitter who wants to design his/her own stuff, or for anyone who is using a pattern that calls for embellishments, I will cover these stores before I move on to Brooklyn. My selection is only a small sample. I chose a few places that I really like (such as Tender Buttons and M&J Trimming), but please e-mail me (or leave a comment) if you have a personal favorite. :-)

If I have forgotten any Manhattan yarn stores (other than stores like P+S, and Stitch & Bitch Cafe, which carry yarn as a side-product, and which I will cover as of next week), please let me know…

Thank you all so much for coming.

I will also launch my own knitwear site soon (at the latest in September), with patterns for men, women, kids, and accessories, some simple and some more complicated.

:-)