Input needed

Naomah ! i see that somebody mentioned she had to oraganize the threads all the time ,, Well here people aren`t touching the wools. In most shops here they have a front shelving system with one ball or skein of each sort, and once you show interest they bring the Bulk of the threads from the shop`s back or under the counter , or High under the ceiling, [You would be surprised to see how Tiny some of those shops are.] As to sorts or typse of wools i have no idea about American wools etc,,, But i can give you a general idea about selling wools , many shops here have some Knitted samples of some of the wools , Some just sell Baby vests etc,,, which of course show how the threads look when knitted/crochted. If you carry knitting threads , it is adviseable also to carry some pattern books , to help your custrumer decide which sweater or vest or item they could knit ,, SEEINNG some photos always helps, wetting one`s appetite. Or might help those who Hesitate .. You should also have an idea of How much wool one needs for a certain project. All the Best of LUCK with your New adventure !!! mirjam

Are there any local knitters or crocheters? Could you find out by looking for adult education classes in knitting, or seeing whether local magazine sources carry knitting magazines?

If you are truly cramped for space and yet will not have competition for a 50-mile radius except for craft stores, I think you might test the market with some better quality sock yarn. 100 grams is enough for most people to make a pair of socks or gloves, as opposed to the amount needed for a cardigan. Tourists are usually reluctant to overload their luggage, but a little sock yarn can be squeezed in.

Caron and Lion brand are popular and seem reasonably priced, but they are also fairly readily available in my (American) experience. A knitter tourist might buy some if caught without yarn, but I would expect to be able to find it at home or at a craft store. Patons is sold in some craft stores too. What you won't find in most craft stores is laceweight yarn or handpainted sock yarns.

I think I would hold off on recycled silk and other odd or really expensive specialty yarns (quivit, buffalo, camel, possum) until I knew whether sock yarn and some laceweight wool attracted any interest. You could have one or two small skeins of specialty yarns for display so people could find out how they feel, and offer to order them for people.

=Tamar

Sock yarn will be a must!

The shop I am opening is in Helen, GA USA in the NE mountain area of the state. There is not even a Walmart for 40 miles and they have stopped carrying mush of their needlework stuff. There are no craft stores for many more miles.

The town has an Alpine / German theme.

I know of only one yarn shop in the area and it is over 40 miles away. I have tried to send people there in the past when I would be working in the shop for the previous owners. A few would be interested in the directions but most did not want to or could not deviate from their vacation spot.

Thank you for the input. Naomah

As others have said, you can't go wrong with sock yarn. However, having more than one variety at more than one price might be a good idea. Some people are on a tighter budget, and will not want to invest $40 in fingering weight yarn like Mountain Colors Bearfoot, which I was just gifted 2 skeins @ $20 each for my anniversary because I mentioned the yardage might be too short to make a pair of socks for my larger feet with only 1 skein. I like the idea of Opal, with it's automatic colorways, but there is also Meilenweit by Lana Grossa which is automatic colorways but not nearly as expensive ($12-$15 versus Opal's $20).

I've tried Plymouth's Encore DK, and I really like it. It's affordable and only 25% wool, not too heavy for my desert area, but does have the stretch and some of the warmth of wool for the really cold days we get here.

I'm not that big on recycled silk. I've heard it stinks, so I've been cautious re trying it. As for other novelty yarns, fuzzy scarves are still somewhat "in" in my area, though not in the really furry manner, more like a wool/mohair mix that has a little bit of fuzz, and a lot of warmth in a light weight. I've made some scarves for a local shop in mohair mix yarns. I've have to mention we've had bad customer service from Crystal Palace. They mark their yarns as being able to be dry cleaned, but no one there has a clue about solvent restrictions. I had to arbitrarily label scarves I made for sale the circled P for dry cleaning, because all the other mohair mix yarns I use are labeled that way, while Crystal Palace didn't know and didn't care about solvent restrictions.

I also like acrylic. Some people put it down, but I make my afghans out of acrylic, and they wear like iron and are easy to care for.

You might also want a wool that will felt, as felting is very popular in my area right now. I've tried and really like Brown Sheep's Naturespun for felting. I've also tried Lion Brand's wool for felting and liked it. I think Brown Sheep has more colors available, while Lion Brand has some multicolor wool yarns that make a nice effect when felted. Anything labled "superwash" will not felt. White and off white wool, even if not marked superwash also won't felt well. They tend to full, which means they shrink down a little and get fuzzy, but I can still see stitch definition, and it's not nearly as consistent as the colored yarns when felting.

You might put some thought into a small selection of knitting needles and crochet hooks. Not all crochet hooks are created equal. There are 2 head types, the one called the Boye type because Boye is most often found with it, where they have a very large bulbous head on an extremely skinny neck; my Boye "H" hook has a neck narrower than my size "F" Susan Bates type. The other head type is the Susan Bates. Lion brand also has the same head type as Susan Baets. It's an even neck that doens't narrow down and a head that's not nearly as bulbous as the Boye. Some people swear by Boye, and others like me can't use them and get even work, so I use the Susan Bates head types. The fancier wooden Brittany crochet hooks are the Susan Bates head type, at least my set is. So if you are the only shop around selling crochet hooks, you may want to carry a small selection of both head types, since anyone beginning to crochet may need to try both head types to see which one works for them. I have often on vacation bought hooks and needles because I wasn't matching gauge, or the pattern called for a second hook size that I failed to read in the instructions before going off on vacation and I needed to buy hooks or needles to continue the project while I was out.

HTH

Leah

That sounds like there aren't a lot of local knitters or crocheters, if Walmart has stopped carrying needlework materials. Either that or they're all buying online.

Maybe you could try carrying some German- or Swiss-made sock yarn. :-)

How about considering the age group of those who have asked for yarn? Did they ask for specific types or just ask where they could buy yarn? What kind of yarn do you think they were looking for - "anything to knit," or specifically sock yarn, baby yarn, shawl yarn, thick-and- fast scarf for unexpectedly chilly mountain nights, dressy glitz for dinner? (Don't forget sock needles for the ones who lost one or forgot them or decided to learn how on vacation.)

=Tamar