A Saturday Jaunt

I have a cold. It used to just be in my nose but now it’s in my head and my throat and my back, too. Other than the little jaunt that comprises this post I spent much of the weekend on the couch. I assumed that resting a lot would mean I’d be better today but that’s not the case and I’m home from work. I have to be better by tonight as it’s a spinning night at the library and I’m the one with the key! That’s my health situation. We now return to our regular blogging.

I do not have a local yarn shop. This is something I lament frequently. Yes, there are a couple of those big box craft stores 15 minutes away. And yes, there is a small but lovely yarn shop 20 minutes away. But right in my town? Nada.

The closest thing I’ve ever had to a truly local yarn shop is Saftler’s but they specialize in fabric and haven’t really invested a lot in their yarn department. Until now. You see, Saftler’s has undergone some major changes over the last year, including a complete redesign of the store.

IMG_2244.jpgOne of those changes resulted in moving the yarn department to the front of the store and surrounding it with this cute picket fence. It’s adorable and it’s only 7 minutes from my house.

So, Saturday morning Blogless Sharon, along with our friend Debbie, and I went out to breakfast and then headed to Saftler’s for their grand re-opening celebration and sale. Lois was there demonstrating Magic Loop and the yarn department was bustling!
IMG_2242.jpg

They still have a lot of ack-rylic yarn but they’ve got some decent things to choose from as well – including Trekking XXL, thankyouverymuch. And Addi Turbos. Ahh yes, I can now purchase Addis without shipping charges. Squeee!

There were lines at the cash register all morning, a heartening sight for those of us who have been worried that those big box craft stores would drive our local craft store out of business. And I even had a brief chat with Eric, the owner of the store. I told him he had room to start selling spinning wheels and he said . . . wait for it . . . that he’s planning on doing just that. Double squeee!

I’m definitely going to have to stop complaining about not having a local yarn shop now.

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This Post Has 57 Comments

  1. I hope you feel better soon!
    What a nice looking store…I could only hope that our LYS would do a major overhaul–in the customer service dept!

  2. Oh Carole I hope you feel better. We’ve had that same virus at our house and it just hangs on.
    It looks to me like you might be growing an LYS!

  3. I hope you’re feeling better. Colds suck. Period.
    Hey, I heard that Saflter’s was undergoing a makeover. So, there is now fabric AND yarn under one roof? Heaven!

  4. ::passing you a medicinal cup of hot cocoa with fresh whipped cream on top:: Feel better.
    What a charming little store! There’s one like that in Ipswich, but they have quilting attitude, andthe yarn should feel priviledged, etc etc. Little do they know how to really pay the bills. Our world domination proceeds apace.

  5. Doesn’t that look nice. Now I’ll have to take a little trip down to Safler’s to check out the sewing machines and the yarn. Notice I wrote “check out” — the stupid yarn diet!

  7. I hope your poor cold gets better fast. I’m just at the tail-end of a sinus infection (read stuffy head, drainage and cough) myself.

    Your new LYS looks terrific and I’m jealous. I’m headed to mine this morning and it takes about an hour to get there. Otherwise, there is Wal-Mart. Nothing else is available. I keep wishing some knowledgable person would open a cute yarn shop and be so friendly the shop becomes THE gathering place, but… not so far.

  10. Darn it grrlfriend! Feel better quickly. Are you well enough to knit a little. Take care and I have my fingers crossed that you’ll be well enough for spinning tonight. That’s what I’ll be doing;-)

  12. :::: squee-ing with you :::: I understand the “no lys” situation. (45 mins to the box stores – 1.5 hrs to a lys)

    Hope you feel better for tonight. Lay (lie?) down on the couch, grab a cup of tea and wrap your head with bundles of roving. Either you’ll feel better or you’ll be inspired to spin. 🙂

    /red marker…don’t even! 🙂

  13. Oh Carole hope you’re feeling better!
    I really love reading about all the things you do toghether as a community. I hope some day i’ll end up living in a place like that.
    I’m sure you’ll be better by tonight.. it’s spinning night and has some magic in it. 🙂
    love!!
    Frani

  15. Yay for a LYS! I have to laugh that you think a 20 minute drive isn’t local. It takes me that long just to get to town. Feel better (I swear that Airborne stuff helps a whole lot with colds).

  16. Sorry to hear that you’re under the weather. Feel better soon!
    These pictures are such a tease for those of us trying to abstain from yarn buying. Simply not fair!

  17. Your LYS is now only 7 minutes away?! I was rejoicing recently that I had found 2 that were 30 and 40 minutes away, respectively, instead of an hour. For purposed of comparison, Wal-Mart is 25 minutes away and I don’t even KNOW where any other big box store is, they are that rare. Color you lucky and color me green 🙂

  19. You’ll find something else to complain about :). It won’t be easy, though, with all the time you’ll be spending yarn and wheel shopping. (After turning a delicate pea green at Laurie’s score, I’ve decided that the next reasonably priced Reeves is MINE.)

  20. I was going to tell you I’d be happy to take up the no LYS whining campaign since my closest yarn store is 45 minutes away and it’s a quilting store with some yarn where they *tolerate* the knitters. My nearest big box craft store is over an hour away. Yeah I was going to complain and then I remembered I bought half Cara’s stash yesterday so apparently I don’t need one.

  22. I just put the tea kettle on for ya! Want some honey with it?

    No LYS in my town either and the nearest decent LYS is half hour up the interstate, metered parking if you can catch a space during the day. Yay for the improvements going on at yours!

  23. Now, don’t you get into too much trouble with such a nice, convenient LYS — soon with spinning! I do love that there’s one practically right on the way home from work — handy for those emergency knitting situations. ; )

    Get well soon!!

  26. I’m laughing because you don’t consider 20 minutes “local.” My LOCAL yarn shops are all 45-55 mins. away. Actually, that’s a lie. David told me that the “antique” store right here in town has turned into a full-blown yarn store. I did see Noro, etc., in their window, but I had NO IDEA. These are old friends of ours, too. He went in there to buy me a Christmas present — an antique. Totally clueless and baffled by all the yarn, he left without buying anything. Dope! So I need to haul my ass down there, but I’m trying to stay within my stash. It’s a conundrum. 🙂

  27. Hooray for conveniently located yarn! The part about the spinning wheels is particularly incredible news. I’d keel right over if someone told me that there would soon be a spinning supply shop opening only seven minutes from my house!

  29. feel better!

    one question though — what is it about this store that had people lining up at the cash register? we don’t get enough traffic at graceful stitches — certainly not on weekends — and i’m not entirely sure why.

  30. I hope you feel better soon.

    I’m so glad you have a somewhere to get yarn that’s in the neighborhood. Makes me realize how spoiled I am here.

  34. YAY for you – finally a LYS! I absolutely cannot imagine life without one.

    Hope you are feeling better real soon.

  35. Sweet! You’re lucky, even with a ton of yarn stores around here, not a one I know of carries Trekking.

    Hope you are feeling better soon 🙁

  36. Come to my town, we have a nice yarn store. I’ve never been to Saftlers but I’d like to go someday for fabric. Are you cancelling tonight? Sorry you don’t feel well!

  37. ack-rylic hahahah!

    I hope you are feeling better soon! We all have the same thing up here too. Not much fun.

  38. I hope you feel better soon. Colds are such a bummer but I feel sure having a yarn store so close to your home will help speed your recovery!

  40. yay for you! your very own lys :o)

    feel better! sounds like we’re suffering from the same thing but at least you can sit on the sofa and knit. have fun at spin night!

  43. What excellent therapy! I hope you feel better soon–and that you’ve caught one of the milder strains making the rounds this year. Being sick is no fun!

  45. Yay for Saftlers! I went in last summer for some fabric and was surprised to see yarn. I read in the Ledger that they were remodling and maybe expanding. It’s exciting because Saftlers is also about 7 minutes from my house. I go to the Wool Basket in Duxbury and sometimes Dees Nimble Needles in Walpole (right down the street from my mom in Norwood). Other than that, no local yarn shops close to me either. Thanks for the heads up in Saflters, I’ll be stopping by there tomorrow!

  46. We don’t have a yarn store in our town either. The closest one is about 20 minutes away. How great for you to be able to shop for yarn just minutes from your house! I hope you feel better soon.

  47. Oh, I hope you don’t have the cold that moves into your body and never wants to leave. I won’t mention how long I was sick with it… and while I feel a lot better I am still hacking and coughing in the morning. Feel better soon!

  48. hmmmmm, 20 minutes? That is practically NEXT DOOR! We have Walmart. Period. The nearest big box craft stores are 1 1/2 hours away and the nearest LYS that far or MORE. Enjoy every minute that your stores are open. The only good thing about my situation is that I probably spend less money on yarn than I otherwise would.

  49. Poor dear! Sorry to hear you are ill… maybe tomorrow off will be in order after a forced night out into the cold (though I hear it’s not really cold in your part of the country this winter). Hope you are better soon. While I agree about 20 minutes being very close and, really, quite local, at least by my standards, having yarn and needles and maybe even spinning right in the neighborhood is way cool.

  50. Oh, joy! A great new LYS!! And with spinning wheels, to boot!!!

    I hope you feel much better very soon. Colds are such a drag.

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