NYC Crochet Guild
Written by Lisa Strum for the Big Apple Knitting Guild Newsletter – Fall Edition 2004, reprinted with permission of the author.
What do you do when you are desperately addicted to yarn? How do you capitalize on a 25-year teaching career and invent yourself anew? How do you spin gold from that little bit of sales experience on your resume (or at least, make some kind of income!)? What is the next step after teaching knitting at the local library for PAY? You open up a knitting store, that’s what you do! At least, that is what BAKG member Lisa Strum (that’s me) decided to do. Here, I share my dream come true story with you (oh come ON…don’t tell me you haven’t been bitten by the same bug at least ONCE in your life?)
It all started when my sister-in-law found a little advertisement in Newsday asking, “Want to Teach Knitting?” Now what kind of question is THAT!?! Ask any fiber fanatic her/his fantasy and that knitter/crocheter will tell you either:
a) I NEVER want to work but I ALWAYS want to knit/crochet, 24/7!
b) I want to increase my stash geometrically, at least doubling it every birthday and major holiday (not to mention the minor ones!)
c) I want somebody to finance my life-long ambition to own my very own yarn store.”
Now to know me, you have to realize that although I am reasonably sane and fairly well grounded, I am definitely not rich. I don’t have a handsome financier at my door, and haven’t exactly yet mastered the fine art of saving. (I spend so MUCH on yarn, but look at what I save on visits to the shrink!) I am a little bit of a compulsive knitter, so when anybody waves a carrot stick made up of fuzzy orange eyelash in my face, I need no invitation. So I want you to understand that I did not set out to own a store. But once the idea bloomed like cotton balls turning into skeins mixed with wool and tencel, I began to see the possibilities!
That little 1x1 inch advertisement that said, “Opportunity to own your own retail yarn store” found me when I least expected it. My brother, handing the ad to me at lunch one day, proclaimed with a vigorously uncharacteristic shout, “Go for it!” So off I sauntered in my Nissan to Locust Valley, clutching my mapquest and my cellphone. And there I saw an 800+ square foot yoga studio, nestled in the downstairs of its flagship store (G. Willikers on Forrest Street), just calling out to me, “Make me into a knitting store.”
“OK”, I reasoned, “this is my dream calling to me. All of my life’s preparation is now meeting up right here, ½ mile away from the Locust Valley Long Island Railroad Station. Location, location, location…and if I start up this Knit-Studio on the North Shore of Long Island, just east of Glen Cove, they will come. They will come from the 5 boroughs on the railroad, because it will be convenient, and they will spend the afternoon with you sipping herbal tea or dunking fresh baked cookies into hot brewed coffee or hot chocolate. They will knit until the railroad takes them back to the city, comfortable and fuzzy from yarn. They will come from all over Long Island by way of the LI Expressway, and while they are lunching at all those quaint little restaurants across the street and down the block from the store, I will wrap up their knitting treasures and fiberiffic gifts in special little bags with curly ribbons. Oh, what the heck. At the very least they will come if their last name is Strum, so it shouldn’t be a total bust. I have a big family and lots of friends.”
With this courageous and optimistic attitude, I went back to visit the space again, this time with Hanita Hallak, my sister of the heart and best knitting partner! She liked the idea, had a sense of my vision for the studio and she approved of the space. Hanita talked with the owner of the building, asking terrific questions on my behalf. Then, she gave me her thumbs up. “You can do this,” she encouraged me. And so I believed in myself.
The next day, I began several weeks of research: emails, phone calls and face-to-face interviews. First, who better than the fiberistas on all the cyber lists to encourage, discourage, share expertise, give preferences, recommendations and warnings? So I began double posting questions on Knitting Universe, Ample Knitters, Bead Knitting, Magic Loop Technique, and all those other lists I frequent, asking for feedback. (I even tried “breaking into” the Local Yarn Store Owners list on Yahoo, but though they are strict about who can join…as you must first BE an owner to participate…the moderator sent out the word about my questions.) I queried the knitters on the Hurricane Knitters list in FL (during the last hurricane, no less. REALLY!) And I networked with knitters all over cyberspace. Maybe I could coordinate with a B&B on the north shore of LI and set up/sponsor a knitting weekend? Hmmm. With a little chutzpah, I even emailed Margaret Hubert, Vivian Hoxboro, Sally Melville, Barbara Kerr, Tatyana Mirer and a host of others including Nancy Schoyer (of Nancy’s KnitKnacks), Joan Schrouder, Joan McGowan-Michael of White Lies and many more. Imagine my surprise when they answered my pleas for assistance! Shop owners began to email to share advice while other start-up knit shops, astounded that I had the tenacity to ask the questions publicly, began to email me to ask ME questions. Reps from all the big and little yarn and related companies began to call daily, and before you know it, I was becoming a collector of expert information! Llamas and sheep and goats filled my thoughts. What if somebody finds out I am NOT an expert at EVERYTHING knitted? What if somebody can tell I still cannot drop spindle spin? Oh my! What will happen when I have to decide which yarn to purchase with all those choices to make? No matter. Opening a yarn store (or studio in my case) is a business. I may not get to knit for myself for pleasure EXCEPT on vacation anymore. (See, that part may not be so wonderful. But, to make a living doing something I love more than breathing is such an addictive thought…and remember, I have a dream!)
I must confess that the numerous commentaries that found their way into my email box (sometimes 100 or more a day) could fill a book, and more replies are coming in daily, helping me to shape the vision of my knitting store. (Did I say I plan to open this fall, hopefully on a small scale in October, and then on a larger scale in November.)? FYI, some of the top ten typical considerations/comments/suggestions stockpiled thus far (in case you want to try this yourself someday) were:
1) Get the TNNA “Starting Out Right” booklet. (I did! The minute it came, I realized this was JUST the gem-source I needed for writing a business plan. It is geared for a yarn store. I spent the next DAY writing MS Word notes on my computer as I read it from cover to cover.) What an education that was! Next stop, a visit to the SBA and SCORE to look into financing, incorporating, insurance, taxes, and legal issues.
2) When you open your store, be FRIENDLY! (This is just one big no-brainer for me, but you have no IDEA how nasty a lot of storeowners and workers appeared to be to the knitting public on the lists I frequent. Who knew?)
3) Make a child friendly place so that knitting moms (and dads) can take the kids along. (Not hard for me as I taught elementary school for many years! In fact, a part of my vision is to have family forward workshops and classes. The kids will learn to WASH THEIR HANDS before they touch the yarn on their OWN shelves, knit table and wall at Knit-Studio! (Don’t worry. Adults will have their own hours, space and time at our place.)
4) Order lots of BASIC yarns, of good quality, in large enough amounts (i.e. matching dye lots) to accommodate up to plus sizes so customers won’t have to wait for more to come in the mail. (I will TRY!) And provide good pattern support.
5) Open on the weekends and stay open late to accommodate the working folks. (That is a promise. I am not an early riser anyway, by nature, and I love to stay up late. I entertained the idea of being open solely during insomniac hours and calling the shop “Knitting at Midnight with Vampira the Knitting Nut” but DH nixed that idea!) Most of the family workshops will be on weekends. Adult only meet-ups will be probably once a week at night with varying themes (like Mommy and Friends Get Away for Wine & Cheese Knit Happenings!) After-school knit classes will happen between 4-6 and the store will be open until 8 or 9 PM several nights a week.
6) Hire help immediately, even if only part-time! (Any guild member who wants to earn a part-time income in the store, please step forward. Let’s talk. Anybody want to knit up samples? Let’s chat. Also, please consider recommending another knitter to me, even if they are not a guild member…although I am suspicious of folks who are not members of a good guild now that I belong to three of them and really appreciate what a guild has to offer!)
7) Offer perks to entice new customers! (I will offer all guild members 10% off the retail price of yarn. There will be an additional 10% off birthday club good for one yarn purchase visit (virtual or brick & mortar) during the month of your birthday if you are registered. Also, people who come to class with a friend will receive a little thank-you gift for bringing in other “new to the store” knitters.
8) Offer variety. Stock not only the popular items in the trendy colors and textures (and do not forget the good old standard colors and stand-by fibers in typical weights and twists), but stock what other stores do not carry so you can complement what is being offered out there already. (I will feature a display of hard to find grass-roots or “green market” yarns for those knitters who have everything. I will stock kits like Vivian Hoxboro’s Wine Leaves sweater kit by Harrisville Yarns. I will proudly promote AMERICAN yarns and knitting tools whenever I can. Lots of ideas are coming around the mountain (or is that into the Locust Valley?). Knit-Studio at G. Willikers will have charity knit events too. And I MUST get beads into the mix. Can’t help it! I love BEADS with my knitting thanks to Lily Chin! (Lily, please think about teaching a workshop at Knit-Studio. In fact, any BAKG or other guild member or teacher you may know should contact Lisa in the winter of 2005 so I can feature your favorite tried and true instructors and emerging stars as well.)
9) Get a web site! (I registered the domain name, and invite you to bookmark it for a look in October. It should be complete with shopping cart. After all, I am directly across the street from the local post office. The virtual site and store is now at: http://www.knit-studio.com and is currently under construction.
10) Decide you are NEVER going to sleep again! (You want a bet? If I can knit in my sleep, I can work with my eyes half –closed.)
Now that you have my story to inspire you, maybe you are going to think about opening up your own yarn store. But if you are not, I hope you will watch for the grand opening this fall. After all, I’m “on the lamb” now and inviting you to be a frequent crocheter or knitter at Knit-Studio in Locust Valley. Store hours are anticipated to be Wednesday – Sunday from noon – 8PM (earlier closing time likely on Sunday, so check first)! Call 516-606-6543 for further information.