Monday, August 21, 2006

$$ Pricey $ocks...

I've gotten a lot of eMails asking me where I bought that expensive yarn and needles.

At one of my LYS (Local Yarn Shop)... Wildfiber in Santa Monica and it's a lovely shop and Mel is sort of nice and she has some lovely yarn but yes the price$ are pricey.



Mel the owner is currently featured in the Vogue Knitting Magazine:



Mel and Tracy Ullman have published a new knitting book, not out yet but coming soon. Mel wrote all the patterns and Tracy does the hype. Perfect....

Wildfibers is just one of the yarn stores that I frequent, simply because they are located so conveniently in my path, just down the street from the CoOp where I shop at least once a week. You know one of those markets where you see a lot of people wearing "Birkenstock" sandals, yoga mats and various "weirdnesses", but they are "organic". They have some products that I like and believe it or not the prices at the CoOp are cheaper than other stores. (I have to save money somewhere to afford expensive over priced yarn.... priorities ....

Wildfiber's have a lovely selection of high end yarn but at a lovely mark up and high price$. Now for the friendliness......

Don't even get me started on this one, yarn shops are bizarre because in most shops you can sit down and knit for a spell or browse the book sections and touch the yarns ask for help etc. Now how friendly they are I guess depends on how the owner sets it up. Some are much friendlier than others.

I found that if they totally do not know you at Wildfibers they will just collect your money and want you to go as soon as possible. Now if somehow they see something you've knitted according to your skill level they if they deem you to be an expert knitter or just a novice scarf knitter is how they will talk to you. They have been sort of friendly enough but with a kind of "you really don't belong here" attitude.

After all we are an exclusive shop, we have movie stars clients etc. etc. but after a few visits we will tolerate you. But still I can't seem to stay away, they do have a wide variety of yarns and needles often sizes and brands not carried at other shops and they are geographically conveniently located.

I will review L'Atelier which is another yarn store located in Santa Monica, on the she she Montana strip.

And by the way this current issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine has a lovely section of Socks, guess what sock knitting is in! Just in time, I started knitting socks, I am so relieved to know that sock knitting is in. Socks do Rock.

The needles are:
Needles

Blue Sky Five Inch Double Points. Sets of five petite wooden needles come in a nice little tin. Surina wood is from the Lal Kohla (Elegant Tree) in India.

The ad tells me that:

Highly trained and skilled artisans craft this strong, lightweight, flexible wood into exceptional knitting needles. A lustrous polish is given to the smooth wood, enhancing the superb grain without the use of any harmful chemicals.

Now these are interesting, when I first started knitting with them, I really did not like them they were splitting at the tip but still had a nice "pointy" tip so I took my nail file and gave them a little help and since then I love them. They are $$$

4 comments:

MikKnits said...

You're so right about some LYS. We have one here in Las Vegas that is the same way as Wildfiber. They just want you to spend your money and leave. I'd rather buy online than shop there. The other two, Wooly Wonders and Two Crazy Ladies Yarn Shop, are just wonderful! They make you feel comfortable just walking in the door. If you're ever in town and need yarn, try these two.

فرانسيس said...

You are so right about Wildfiber! I went there once and loaded up on Koigu. While I was there so was Tracy Ulman (sp?), and the 4 people working there acted as though I was the worst person in the world for asking one of them to take well over 100 dollars from me. The lady who charged me did so twice because she was sooooo very uninterested in adding up my purchase carefully. I walked out of there wondering why I ever gave them my money, and never returned. It is a beautiful store, though.

g-girl said...

Here I thought I was the only one that wasn't so impressed with the people who work @ Wildfiber. Well la di da that Tracey Ullman frequents the store..doesn't mean they should treat 'non' regulars like they don't exist. It's nice--expensive as heck like you said though. Can't wait to hear your review of L'Atelier. I've been meaning to go there myself.

MonkeyGurrrrrl said...

I'm with you and the previous commentors - My experience at Wildfiber was abyssmal. And it wasn't as though the shop was bustling. There were two clerks (owners?) and ONE OTHER CUSTOMER who, apparently, was an in-crowd member.

Beautiful space, crappy service (same as Knit Cafe). I love Tracy Ullman but not enough to keep shopping there. I'd much rather go to Stitches from the Heart, where everyone is so nice. Or take a drive to Unwind - also a beautiful shop but with NICE people. I found Black Sheep nice, but $$$$$$$$$, and Knitters Studio nice (but parking a pain).

Can't wait to hear your take on L'Atelier - even the name sounds snotty. :) Oh, and if you're ever out that way, let us know about Stitch Cafe.