This kind of annoys me...

[angieInCA]

Once again, in order for stores to stay in business they must stock what sells.

 

I have a wonderful LYS that really does cater to Knitters but is very open and wonderful to Crocheters too. They will order anything you want. I asked the owner why she didn't stock more Crochet things and she told me that when she first opened the store she had it pretty much 50/50 knitting and corchet tools patterns and books. The Crochet just didn't sell like the knitting did so when things finally did sell she just didn't restock them. She has to pay for everything up front so if it sits on her shelves for a year that eats at her profit. She explained that the majority of her Crochet clientele were older ladies that really didn't like to spend much of their "Pocket Money" on things like patterns and books because they usually used patterns they had for years. She does offer crochet classes and sells the most wonderful collection threads I've ever seen.

 

And to be honest she doesn't sell much in the way of Knitting books and patterns either. She said she just couldn't compete with the internet on those anymore. People would come in to look at the books and if they wanted them they would tell her they would order on-line because tehy could get it cheaper. Well, the internet isn't paying for bricks and morter.

 

Unfortunately, this wonderful internet we just can't live without anymore (and I would go crazy if I suddenly didn't have it) is destroying the speciality shops in many of our cities and towns.

[catlyn]

Once again, in order for stores to stay in business they must stock what sells.

 

I have a wonderful LYS that really does cater to Knitters but is very open and wonderful to Crocheters too. They will order anything you want. I asked the owner why she didn't stock more Crochet things and she told me that when she first opened the store she had it pretty much 50/50 knitting and corchet tools patterns and books. The Crochet just didn't sell like the knitting did so when things finally did sell she just didn't restock them. She has to pay for everything up front so if it sits on her shelves for a year that eats at her profit. She explained that the majority of her Crochet clientele were older ladies that really didn't like to spend much of their "Pocket Money" on things like patterns and books because they usually used patterns they had for years. She does offer crochet classes and sells the most wonderful collection threads I've ever seen.

 

And to be honest she doesn't sell much in the way of Knitting books and patterns either. She said she just couldn't compete with the internet on those anymore. People would come in to look at the books and if they wanted them they would tell her they would order on-line because tehy could get it cheaper. Well, the internet isn't paying for bricks and morter.

 

Unfortunately, this wonderful internet we just can't live without anymore (and I would go crazy if I suddenly didn't have it) is destroying the speciality shops in many of our cities and towns.

 

I look for new patterns often, in stores in my town, or neighboring town.

I'm always checking out the pattern section at WalMart, and Hobby Lobby.

But their selection doesn't change very often. I have bought some of the patterns that they still have the same of unsold on their shelves, and I can't keep buying the same thing.

I order from Annie's Attic quite a bit, because it seems she has new stuff often.

[deleight]

There is one quilt & yarn shop in a small town not too far from me that I've stopped in a couple times. It's mainly a quilting shop, but there is a small yarn room. She did have both knit and crochet, but whenever I commented that I don't knit, she would try selling me learn to knit books, lol.

 

There's another yarn shop, much closer to me, that caters to both knit and crochet equally. The owner doesn't understand why some shops shun the crocheters since crocheting uses more yarn than knitting, a yarn shop owner could easily sell more yarn to a crocheter for a project than to a knitter.

 

BTW, I am teaching myself to knit. I've crocheted for 24 or so years, and I figure I'll give knitting another shot. I've started a scarf and so far so good. Crochet will always be my first choice, but I think it would be nice to be able to do either.

[MaryPat]

I think part of the problem is the history of crochet. In the US, it was more of a home accessory kind of craft where you made things from leftovers when you didn't have money to buy -- tablecloths, rugs from rags and so on. PAtterns were shared freely -- even crochet magazines had sections at the end where people could bluntly state they wanted a copy of a pattern of such-and-such. It kind of continues in that a lot of crocheters I know do not want to pay LYS prices, do not want to buy patterns.

 

We make use of plastic bags -- I'd bet if you polled a bunch of crocheters and a bunch of knitters -- that a lot more crocheters would find it interesting to think about cutting apart free plastic bags to make things from.

[adagio]

Ironically, at my last visit to my LYS, the shop owner commented that crocheting seemed to be starting a revival!

And although she is a self-professed knitter, she was crocheting something while we visited!

Ruth

[darski]

Ironically, at my last visit to my LYS, the shop owner commented that crocheting seemed to be starting a revival!

And although she is a self-professed knitter, she was crocheting something while we visited!

Ruth

 

There we go... one LYS at a time

 

Muwahahahahahah:devil