On my recent visit to Burlington, MA, the first thing I did was look up the local yarn store, Edwina’s Nitch. I’ve read on

Yarn I bought on a recent trip to Edwina's Nitch

Yarn I bought on a recent trip to Edwina's Nitch

several fiber arts blogs lately that local yarn stores (lys) are closing and I feel it’s important to support them when I can. With the current economy, people are visiting larger chains like JoAnns and Michaels with coupons in hand, or purchasing their yarn from the Internet so lys can be struggling right now.

I spent nearly 2 hours at Edwina’s, looking at her excellent selection of specialty yarns. She was giving a knitting lesson to another customer so we all ended up chatting about Texas and yarn and alpacas. I got some 100% alpaca yarn, plus some other great yarns for my stash. Not sure what I’ll do with it yet, but you can never have too much yarn!

I have to admit, here in North Texas, I haven’t visited any of the local yarn stores yet. I know they are a good place to see and feel specialty yarns but since I”m still a newby at knitting, my visit to Edwina’s was the first time I’ve purchased anything beyond basic yarns. I also got a couple of really nice circular knitting needles that I hadn’t seen here locally.

alpaca yarn I bought at Edwina's Nitch in Burlington

alpaca yarn I bought at Edwina's Nitch in Burlington

There’s something about visiting a yarn store that’s inspiring. Edwina’s had lots of knitted and crocheted items around the store so you could see and feel how different yarns could be used. Plus it’s nice to chat with the owner and discuss yarn and fiber arts crafts.

Since I have Internet related businesses, I am glad to see more people selling their wares on Internet yarn and fiber stores and it’s a great outlet for fiber arts crafts, handmade yarns and such, especially since processing alpaca yarn is still somewhat of a cottage industry. Still, I hate to see lys closing due to lack of business.

I really think there is room for both in the fiber arts world. I used to be passionate about bead work and always tried to support our local bead store, even if it was just a $10 purchase here and there. Beads are addicting like yarn and there’s something wonderful about running your hands through a hank of sparkly beads, thinking what you could make with them.

If you’re ever in Burlington, MA, drop by Edwina’s Nitch and check out her beautiful yarns. I also found a website listing fiber and fabric shops all over the US called Needle Travel. Next time you’re traveling or if you want to check out the listing for your own area, try this website to see what’s available. You can search by state and then by city.

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