Educating our local craft shops

[donnalynn2]

Let's educate our local craft stores about crocheting!!!

 

I stopped into Griffins today (I never go in there) but they just opened their yarn shoppe so I thought I'd see what they had in there. They only carry specialty yarns and are a little pricey, but they have just about everything you could think of with the exception of Red Heart.

 

When I walked through the yarn shoppe I came across the lady in charge of it who was knitting (why can't I get a job to sit and crochet all day?) and asked if I was finding everything ok. I told her I was looking for 100% wool yarn. She directed me to the several kinds she had and we started chatting. Come to find out she was stunned that you could do felting with crochet! She thought you had to knit any felting items! I asked her if she had the latest issue of FCEC Magazine and she pulled it out. I showed her the section on felting with crochet and she was floored! Almost the entire shoppe is tailored to the knitter (freebie knitter patterns and such) and I suggested to her that there are several people (like me) who cannnot knit but who use these speciality yarns. (She also thought that you couldn't crochet with fun fur, eyelash or other specialty yarns.) After about a 20 mins conversation with her, I feel good about the fact that in the future they will have more geared towards the crocheter.

 

If you've got a local store like this who needs a clue, strike up a conversation with the people in charge of making changes and maybe it will help!

 

P.S. I don't recommend doing this at Michael's or other big shops as the people at the local level really don't have the ability to change anything nor suggest improvements...

[Qmare]

I have one lys, which shall remain unnamed, which I LOVE for it's selection even though it's priced really high. But, I feel embarassed to be a crocheter when I walk in there. It's like, uh, I only crochet. If they pay any attention to me at all when I go in, they tend to look at my like I'm some alien or someone to be pittied. It's kind of ridiculous. You'd think they'd get a clue and realize that we are a huge buying group and spend money just like the knitters do. Granted, they do carry some books (really nice ones) and do offer a few classes and one type of hook (those soft touch ones), but the way they regard me is kind of sad! They are like Knitting Snobs! It really kind of ticks me off!

 

OK, enough rant... I still go there but I always feel like - oh, there's that crochet lady... hmph!

 

The Tall Mouse near me has a pretty good selection of yarn and have a lot of free pattern hand outs and such.

 

Oh well... I could always learn to knit but am so in love with crocheting that I just can't bring myself to do it

 

Mare

[new2me]

If you've got a local store like this who needs a clue, strike up a conversation with the people in charge of making changes and maybe it will help!

 

I agree with this! Right after I learned to crochet I went to a local craft store where I proceeded to go crazy buying all kinds of yarns. My basket was so full (okay, I spent $279 on yarns, books, hooks, etc., lol) that the store clerk made a comment to the buyer who just happened to be near by. The buyer came over to see what I was buying and we started talking about what and why I was buying. She didn't crochet herself but was VERY interested in what I was buying.

[diamond]

I've become sort of 'infamous' when I walk into Michael's. They know that I won't leave without spending at least $100 (usually much more) and the only thing I buy other than polymer clay products is crochet items. And I'm in Michael's at least once a week or every two weeks. So when I ask for a particular crochet item, they usually listen and try to stock it. So don't think because a LYS is a franchise/chain store, they can't order certain items other than items their local distributors give them. It's just like a grocery store. If you want an item, they will order it. If it doesn't sell well, then they may not order it next time, but so far, everything I've requested is still being ordered by Michael's.

[threeolivemartini]

But, I feel embarassed to be a crocheter when I walk in there.

 

 

why? your money spends just like theirs does!

 

This makes me sad.. you should be proud of your ART.. yes that is right i said art.. its an artform .. and i think even more so than knitting because in my opinion you have many more stitch choices and combinations in crochet...

i do both .. crochet was my first love and always will be !! you should never be embarassed to do something you love PERIOD.. its that kind of action that makes people believe crochet is the red headed step child in the yarn world..

i am very proud i can crochet.. and let me tell you something .. you havent seen upset until you have seen me tell some one off who tried to snub me for using Noro in my crochet... because it was "too good a yarn to waste on crochet"

those of you who know me.. probably know what i did next.. and it wasnt pretty ..

[donnalynn2]

I've become sort of 'infamous' when I walk into Michael's. They know that I won't leave without spending at least $100 (usually much more) and the only thing I buy other than polymer clay products is crochet items. And I'm in Michael's at least once a week or every two weeks. So when I ask for a particular crochet item, they usually listen and try to stock it. So don't think because a LYS is a franchise/chain store, they can't order certain items other than items their local distributors give them. It's just like a grocery store. If you want an item, they will order it. If it doesn't sell well, then they may not order it next time, but so far, everything I've requested is still being ordered by Michael's.

 

I'm really shocked because when I worked at Michaels the standard answer from management was always "I have no control over what I get, it all comes from corporate." If it's working at your local store, GREAT!!!!!

 

Heck, I talked to 3 different employees at my Jo-Ann's including the manager and was told the same thing. "Call corporate. If enough people complaint they'll do something about it, but they won't listen to us."

 

Maybe it depends on who the managers are as to what they are able to do and get done in their stores...

 

P.S. The lady at Griffin's today actually pointed to a bunch of novelty yarn and said "but you can't crochet with these!" and I said "Oh yes I can, wanna watch?" Once I had her look at the FCEC Mag she was impressed. She said she didn't realize you could make things that pretty with a crochet hook. I think a lot of knitters who don't crochet may think this way too... (I'm not trying to offend any knitters out there)

[crochet smartcat]

My LYS just had a huge remodel and doubled their yarn/knitting/crochet department. Unfortunately while they doubled their selection of knitting items, the crochet items still remained the same. One style/brand of all sizes of crochet hooks with the common sizes of double-ended hooks and nothing else. No cabled hooks or other gadgets and if I want a row counter or yarn bobbins, I have to go to the knitting section. Also while they tripled their yarn selection, they concentrated on the newer, expensive yarns, rather than a larger selection of the basics. They only carry RH Super Savers, I would love to see some Caron Simply Soft or RH Lustre, or Symphony or anything that is nicer than regular RH but not super expensive. They have RH Super Savers under $3 and then everything else starts out at over $5 per skein, and so many of the skeins are tiny amounts.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love having the selection of the more expensive yarns. But there are so many other projects that I want a nicer feeling ww, without spending a fortune.

 

There, that is my pet peeve.

[Suebee42]

Maybe Michael's is different fron Jo-Ann's, but at Jo-Ann's we have set planograms. We can only obtain what is in the planogram. If it's not something we stock, we can't get it. We absolutely -are- dictated by faceless buyers in Ohio.

 

I always recommend that people contact Jo-Ann directly via the web site to suggest new product. It's more likely to be seen that way, and therefore more likely to be entertained as a future item carried in the stores.

[Harvestar]

The LYS closest to me has the word "knit" in the name, so I fullly expected to not see too much crocheting in there. The lady wasn't all that knowledgeable about it, but seemed willing to learn and was enjoying the new magazines out (I think she was making something in crochet from the FCEC mag). They have a couple of classes in crocheting, but most is knitting. They also have a free knitting time on Friday mornings... I'd always wondered what would happen if I came in with my crocheting, but I really don't think she would mind. (I did just spend $40 there on really nice cotton yarn )

 

The other non-chain LYS have more selection with crocheting books and stuff, but are bigger all the way around anyway.

 

And I was surprised that my nearest Michaels store had such a large selection of crocheting books as it did! I need to go back and buy one of the books I saw there.

[donnalynn2]

Maybe Michael's is different fron Jo-Ann's, but at Jo-Ann's we have set planograms. We can only obtain what is in the planogram. If it's not something we stock, we can't get it. We absolutely -are- dictated by faceless buyers in Ohio.

 

I always recommend that people contact Jo-Ann directly via the web site to suggest new product. It's more likely to be seen that way, and therefore more likely to be entertained as a future item carried in the stores.

 

That's where I was coming from with my first post. I worked at our local Michaels for a few months and it was the same thing. If it wasn't in the planogram, then forget it. There were a few items they could special order if need be, but they didn't make a habit of it.

 

The fact that a previous poster is able to make things happen at her Michael's is nothing short of a miracle! Wish I could pull strings like that!!!!!!!!!

[losingmymind2]

Locally, our only 'craft' store is one that deals primarily in finished items for the tourist trade. They did carry a tiny selection of yarn, but over the past 2 years, my coworkers and I have almost all taken up crochet, and we have encouraged them to expand their yarn department to easily 4 times what it was. They don't have the ability to carry a lot of the brands we can find at Walmart, but they are willing to special order if they can.

 

They have set up a table in the winter and offered knitting classes. You would be surprised how may people spending a cold wet weekend at the beach (in a town with NOTHING to do but go to Walmart on the weekend), want to learn to knit. I'm going to this winter, and I'm often showing them things I crochet.

[CrochetKitty]

Wish I could pull strings like that!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah, and crochet them into a noose, and...

 

I think someone should tell all these naysayers that you can crochet with anything you can knit with -- with the possible exception of a knitting needle.

[Dejhia]

I guess I am really lucky. My LYS is run by a couple of knitters who don't really like crochet. Theyd do seem to be warming up to it....

 

They do stock a couple of differnt brands of hooks and some crochet books (half as many as their knitting books, but... ). .. I started going to the LYS's Wensday night knitting get togethers... All of the women there were just shocked that you could crochet anything besides an afghan or a doilly... After they saw that crocheting was more than afgrans and doillies, they really warmed up to the idea.... Now, there are three or four crocheters there.

 

Oh well, just as I get used to one, I have to find a new one....

[Qmare]

you should be proud of your ART.. yes that is right i said art.. its an artform .. and i think even more so than knitting because in my opinion you have many more stitch choices and combinations in crochet...

 

Thanks. Well said. I AM proud of the fact that I crochet and actually feel a strong devotion to it. I wish there were more support for it sometimes but I'll tell you, finding this place - Crochetville - has been so GREAT!

 

I have scupted, quilted, painted, made jewelry, etc etc etc and nothing gives me more satisfaction than working with a hook in my hand. Seeing what people accomplish here inspires me.

 

Crochetville ROCKS!

 

Next time I walk in there... I'm holding my hook my hook HIGH!

 

Mare

[AidanM]

You should try informing them that crochet uses 30% more yarn than knitting for similarly sized projects, ergo you spend more money just buying your basic supplies than a knitter will. Tell them to stick THAT in their register and ring it up!

[CrochetAddicted74]

Not to get majorly off topic here, but why is it you all think there is snobbery for crochet? I am happy as a clam I finally figured out how to crochet...I do have a LYS in my area, but I hear that they aren't too well stocked or helpful, so I stick to Michaels. They don't have tons of crochet books, but a nice supply of hooks and yarns, especially the Homespun.

 

 

Robin

[shelain22]

 

i am very proud i can crochet.. and let me tell you something .. you havent seen upset until you have seen me tell some one off who tried to snub me for using Noro in my crochet... because it was "too good a yarn to waste on crochet"

 

those of you who know me.. probably know what i did next.. and it wasnt pretty ..

 

I want to know!! what did you do? ( hang on, let me go pop some popcorn, I'll be right back!)

[reecie]

I've become sort of 'infamous' when I walk into Michael's. They know that I won't leave without spending at least $100 (usually much more) and the only thing I buy other than polymer clay products is crochet items. And I'm in Michael's at least once a week or every two weeks. So when I ask for a particular crochet item, they usually listen and try to stock it. So don't think because a LYS is a franchise/chain store, they can't order certain items other than items their local distributors give them. It's just like a grocery store. If you want an item, they will order it. If it doesn't sell well, then they may not order it next time, but so far, everything I've requested is still being ordered by Michael's.

 

you've gotten really lucky w/ your store! i work as the crochet instructor for ours, and they wont even order anything IIIIII want!!! tell me that doesnt' suck. i've repeatedly told them what the customers say to me about the store and the yarn stock (it sucks) but i'm repeatedly told 'there's nothing we can do'