1. This anniversary edition (so to speak) would not be complete without mentioning the shop where it all started 48 years ago. The Little Shop in Addison, Michigan which was owned and operated by Mary Helen Growt, the woman who changed my life. The Little Shop has been closed for many years and Mary Helen is no longer with us but the effect of that magical place still lives within me. I hope all of you have your own Little Shop. To answer the question you were about to ask, "No, I do not have yarn from the Little Shop in my yarn stash."
2. The winner of the most mentioned establishment would fall under all three categories. It is a LYS, online retailer and fiber festival participant. Now who do you think that is? If you read Knitting: A Love Story regularly you would know it is Twisted Fiber Art in Mason, Michigan. I have purchased so much TFA yarn that I call the Stash Studio Twisted Fiber Art South. I love the staff and the totally unique Evolution yarn. I love Meg and Beth and Hazel and Anne. I love their yarn clubs where they try out new colorways on participants. I must admit that I have not been to their new residence but I still regularly see them at Washtenaw Fiber Expo and buy online. They send out a newsletter that grabs me every time I see it. This is the amazing Meg, inventor of the evolution process.
4. On the same day Linda and I became acquainted with Crafty Lady, we were introduced to The Knitting Room in Birmingham. Michigan. Remember when I said that I shot my wad at Crafty Lady? Well, I found another wad for The Knitting Room. It became a place I could relax and knit. I took the class which led to my beautiful Knit, Swirl sweater. Remember my Knit, Swirl?
6. I will lump together all of the fabulous LYS in northwestern North Carolina because I visit them all at the same time. Silver Threads and Golden Needles in Franklin, NC; Friends and Fiberworks just west of Asheville and Black Mountain Yarn Shop have all provided me with hours of touching beautiful fibers, talking to amazing yarn lovers and knitting. The first LYS I visited in the area was Yarn Paradise in Asheville but it is closed now. I was ever so sad when that happened because I loved that shop. It introduced me to Twisted Sisters yarns and designs. I always came away with many new and unusual buttons for my button collection. Even though I only visited the shop in the first week of May, they always knew me.
7. Next I will lump together the amazing shops I visited while in Hawaii. First was Yarn and Needlecraft/Strictly Christmas which wins the award for the most unusual name. Then came Aloha Yarn where I answered my burning question, "Do LYS carry wool yarn in Hawaii?"
8. Then there are those amazing LYS I frequent when we visit Traverse City. My favorite WAS Yarn Quest. It closed about a year and a half ago when someone drove through the shop in July or August. The damages were so extensive that restoration would make it impossible for them to open for their winter season. I was very sad when that happened. Then I discovered The Yarn Shop in Glen Arbor. Tiny little Glen Arbor has just been voted one of the best places to vacation. Some people would think it is because of Sleeping Bear Dunes but I know it is because of The Yarn Shop where I first discovered Madelinetosh's Electric Rainbow yarn. FANTASTIC!
9. I must shout out to Knit 'N Purl in Myrtle Beach, SC. Next to Twisted Fiber Art, I am sure I write about this more than any shop. I love everything about this shop including Molly. I love the way all of the mannequins are dressed, not just shawls and scarfs but with matching coats. I love the way the shop is organized and I LOVE the big knitting table. During our next trip to the coast condo, I will spend much more time at Knit 'N Purl since I wasn't able to in January.
11. About 30 minutes from Adrian is Yarn Envy an eclectic shop that lives in the corner of a garden shop. They have wonderful yarns AND a big knitting table.
In addition to these LYS, there are many which have closed that greatly contributed to the growth of my yarn stash. I am going name a few: Knit-A-Round in Ann Arbor, Knitting On The Fringe in Commerce Township, Yarn Quest in Traverse City, The Village Yarn Shop in Toledo, Fiber Works Knitting and Weaving in Toledo, Yarn Quest in Asheville, NC, The Knitting Room in Birmingham, MI, Lizzie Anne's in Holland and many more.
LYS (both current and closed), online shops and festival Vendors have been co-conspirators in the growth of my yarn stash. I will write about online shops and festivals in the next posts. I love fiber, I love buying fiber and I love meeting the wonderful owners of LYS. I would love to have my readers point me in the direction of new LYS I can visit.