What would you like in a crochet-focused LYS?

[Amy]

I would love to be able to open a combination yarn shop--bead shop in the next year or two. I do beadweaving, my sister does bead stringing and makes her own lampworked beads. I also crochet, and I'm just learning to knit.

 

I would love to have a shop with a comfy cozy area for sitting and knitting/crocheting, a classroom plus regular beading area, and of course, all sorts of beads and yarns to play with. Maybe an area with ready-made coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate.

 

My town does have a yarn shop, but it's a 35-45 minute drive across town, and it focuses more on knitters and very high-end yarn.

 

I would want to have lots of crochet, yarn, and beading classes. As full a calendar as I could find enough teachers to teach and students to take the classes.

 

My main question is, what kind of yarns would crocheters like to see in an LYS? Are there yarns that are hard to find at your LYS and the standard other places (Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, and Michael's are all we have locally)? Obviously, there is no way a small shop could compete price-wise on any yarns carried by the big chain stores.

 

But are there enough other yarns you would be interested in? If so, would you share with me the yarns you would like to be able to find locally? What else would you like to see in a shop that focused on the needs of crocheters?

 

I'm not sure this type store would be feasible, but it sure would be fun!!!

[threeolivemartini]

Personally.. what i like to see are things you cant get anywhere else.. i would like unique hooks.. beaded stitch markers.. yarns that i cant get at walmart or any other chain store.. lots of wool selection.. and lots of novelites.. nice comfortable chairs that are condusive to knit as well as crochet.. "conversation" areas.. a few charis grouped together that play into chatting with others but no so large a group some one wouldnt want to sit down ..

[Empress Busy Bee]

Well I'd like to see my name on the lease paper. LOL

I'd also like the comfy area to chat and crochet/knit.

Unusaly yarns and things you can't get anywhere else but I also do want the stuff you can get at the chains. I figure there are others like me who run out and only want the one or two skeins but don't want to deal with Walmart or JoAnns to get it.

I'd also try to get lots of books and magazines especially on crocheting.

I might have free coffee/tea and a coke machine there although my husband thinks we should do a mini coffee shop like bookstores have.

Maybe a tv in near the seating area so we can keep up on soaps, ABC soaps. lol

Classes for both knitting and crocheting, after hours get togethers, and maybe swap groups.

[YarnFeather]

I would like to see it in my town! LOL

 

I think a conversation area would be wonderful in a place like this!

 

I wish you luck!

[Deb]

First and formost... MOVE TO CALIF ~~~ then open your store HERE!

 

Seriously, I like 3Olive's suggestions. Especially the conversation areas.. Most important to me.. is someone who is willing to talk to the customers and make realistic suggestions, give encouragement, etc.

 

The LYS that is closest to my home is owned by a couple. The husband defers to his wife (always ). When I told her I was fulling a bag... she told me that the Paton's Merino Classic Wool would NOT work (huh? ). Then she steered me towards some other VERY EXPENSIVE wool. I wanted to tell her... "Don't treat me like I'm clueless.. just because you've never seen me before."

 

Instead I (took my hook and) left her store.

[Piper0110]

Definitely crochet pattern books and notions. And maybe some less expensive yarns that aren't easily accessible? I can't think of anything specific, but something inbetween what you find at Michael's and what you find at high end stores.

 

It might be nice to have a coffee shop, but then you have the issue of food service licensing. You could probably have a coffee pot going all the time, maybe some tea, and a bowl for donations next to it. I know some stores do this and it really helps offset the cost of the coffee for the owner, and a lot of people are happy to throw in a bit of change or whatever they have for the convenience of the coffee and tea.

 

It'd be nice if you could go kind of half and half on the knitting and crochetting. I've never seen a store that's equally dedicated to both - everything seems so geared to knitters. But I wouldn't want to see you make a shop geared towards crochetters and lose out on the knitting customers too!

 

What a great idea. You should come to my city and open it

[vhanna26]

I guess I'm lucky that my LYS is trying to cater to crocheters even though it's mostly for knitters. I'm teaching classes there and I get to make crocheted displays.

 

My suggestion would be to have lots of nice displays of crocheted items--especially bags, sweaters, and shawls to show off and create interest. I have a crocheted felted bag at the shop on display, and so many are suprised that crochet can felt.

 

Personally, I'm not sure why they are suprised, but they are.

 

Vera

[xantha]

One thing I've noticed that none of my LYS have is crochet hooks and other notions. I pop in to look for clover hooks or whatever and they either have nothing or they just have some Bates hooks -- at twice the price I can get them for at AC Moore/Michaels/JAs. It would be nice to have some of the higher end wooden hooks or the clover soft touch.

 

Also, my LYSes carry no crochet pattern books/magazines. Only crochet -- even the LYS near me that is more crochet-friendly only carries a handful of pamphlets.

 

Yarn wise I never really have any problems. I much prefer to buy yarn at the LYS, but I do think it would be nice if the LYS also carried some of the lower-end yarns. I realize that they don't because they would just charge more for it than the typical chains that also carry it, so that's okay.

 

[Vera, the link to your blog in your signature doesn't work... ]

[vhanna26]

I think I fixed it now. Thanks.

 

Vera