Need Yarn Suggestions

Ironstone is lovely stuff - you can see more about their yarn and others here:

Use the dropdown under brands to pick Ironstone. They also make kits although I don't know how you'd obtain them: at yarndex.com, you can browse by country of origin. There's a lot more from Austria than from Germany, though. Elizabeth

Expand your definition of local:

doesn't have yarn yet, but I'd watch them if I were you. They'll have something soon.Check out your competition here and figure out what you can offer that they don't. For example, I didn't see Cherry Tree Hill, Great Adirondack, or Prism mentioned in a quick scan of the page.Good luck!

Elizabeth

On vacation, I always look for shops that carry yarn, fabric, needlecraft etc.

I always like looking at yarn that is different.--local or hand dyed wooletc. If you can only carry a limited supply of kniting stuff, I would carry bamboo needles and a few accessories(ie bags etc) and then I would carry themed wool..

baskets of sock wool where you only need 1 skein and "sock books"

and other baskets with wool for the projects of the month... kids sweaters, a afgan with colors based on a season, a knitted toy, easy hats and scarfs. You could have a new one every month

--have models and do up kits and it will enable to keep your stock down.

If you are not going to be a " true yarn store", what you need is something that will catch a buyer who knits a bit and would be willing to spend the

20 or 30 dollars on something fun or cutsy.

I saw a store with a mitten theme in one area --some cross stitch/needlepoint kits with mitten theme and wool for mitts and how to books. It was really cute and I think the idea could be adapted to a number of themes...

Anne M.

Naomah,

My preference is to look for something local and 'different'. I can get Lion Brand, Patons etc close to home and maybe even cheaper than your price could be, as a smaller store.

I love to knit socks, especially while travelling. They're a very portable, simple project that can easily be picked up or put aside. I have collected lots of funky hand-dyed yarn in wild colours, as well as more......conventional....stuff.

I think kits are a very good idea too. I can rarely remember how much of which gauge I need for a sweater but if someone had done the work for me I might buy a sweater or vest kit while on vacation.

Good luck with your venture!

Eimear

I might point out, that is *exactly* what Elizabeth managed to coerce me into doing when we went to "her" shop in Mass. I had absolutely NO intention of buying yarn, just cross-stitch souvenirs, and she "enabled" me into paying over $30 for *one* skein of luscious silky soft yarn.. However it was gorgeous, lovely to knit up, and gave the recipient of the scarf a lot of pleasure. With some of these luxury yarns, one skein is all one needs for a fun, on the road, project.

Gillian

Coerce? Coerce? All I did was suggest a knitting needle size and how many stitches to cast on and what stitch to use... *whistling*

Elizabeth (and it really was scrumptious yarn)

I would second the suggestion for sock yarns from interesting and possibly local vendors. I like to buy yarn as souvenirs and I know just how much I need for socks (I spent over $100 at Rosie's Yarn Cellar in Philadelphia). Schaefer Anne and Heather; Koigu; hand dyed yarn from a local vendor; etc. Also lace weight yarn for shawl patterns. Quite honestly I wouldn't be looking for sweater yarn; I hardly make sweaters. But the Tulip baby sweater kits are pretty hot sellers. Of course, I don't know what the climate of Georgia is going to call for either. I wouldn't buy a whole line like Patons or Plymouth - lots of storage and inventory required. If I bought one, it would be Plymouth Encore. Not for the tourists but for the locals

- it's a nice acrylic/wool blend, feels good, is machine washable and dryable and comes in lots of colors.

Do a Google search - I found a hand-dyed yarn website in Georgia

page lists shops in Georgia and what yarns they carry, might giveyou an idea. Brown Sheep is great for felting and relativelyinexpensive.

also recommend seeing if you can find a local knitter to help you.A local needlepoint shop just opened a yarn shop on their ground floor(the NS is on the 2nd floor.) One of the things they did was to hireseveral people who are REALLY knowledgeable about yarn and knitting.If you can get a local consultant, you'll find out more about whatpeople are knitting in your area, what kinds of yarn they're lookingfor, etc.

A very nice feature is to offer yarn winding. Most Brick and Mortar shops do it free for purchases; not all internet stores do, and some charge $1 for it, but it's a good feature.

Good luck!

Alison

Yarn weight wasn't a big factor in my dear departed LNS because a lot of the women who shopped there were proud grandma's. They spent a fortune on things for their precious grandbabies. In many cases way more then they would ever dream of spending on themselves.

I also agree that having a person who is knowledgeable is priceless and you might even consider classes.

Lucille

OK, you say coerce isn't right?? You held it, fondled it, drooled on it....and then put some in your basket!! If that isn't coercion what is??? LOL

Anyway, the 95 year old lady, for whom I made the scarf was so thrilled. She had never seen anything so soft, light-weight and "snuggly" ( her words).

Gill

Yes! It doesn't take more than a skein or two of laceweight to make a beautiful shawl.

It wasn't laceweight but I bought two skeins of silk yarn on my travels that I used to make very simple lacy scarves for two dear friends. They were a huge hit.

I think that, in knitting, as in needlework and quilting, people often like to make something small with exquisite materials. So people will pay quite a lot for something special. And you get a reputation for being a good store to visit........

Just my 2c.

Eimear