waving goodbye to the wool shop

[julesjones]

I am bereft. My local wool shop has upped sticks and left for a neighbouring village, because their lease has expired and the renewal rates are only affordable by chains. I didn't go in there all that often, but it was very, very handy to have within walking distances on those occasions when I needed some piece or other of sewing kit. Their primary thing was knitting, but they also catered to cross-stitchers like me, and had a nice stock of general sewing kit. They are responsible for entirely too much of the non-book/fannish clutter in this house, not least because they have been very helpful in my recent attempts to (re-)learn to knit.

They've only moved, not closed, but they've moved somewhere that's far enough to require wheeled transport to get there. This is probably a good thing in terms of stopping me from popping in and buying something because it was there, but alas, what am I to do when I actively want or need something? At least I did get to their last day party on Saturday, and thus acquired entirely too many balls of scarf wool, along with a couple of things I actually needed as opposed to "Ooh, shiny!"

Comments

[lexin]

The one nearest me (at Leyton) closed not long ago. Saves me money, but I do mourn its passing.

[julesjones]

It's sad when they close altogether. At least mine is still only a bus ride away, which is better than not there at all.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I think I should subscribe to things that I don't actually buy much from, but which I depend on to be in my mental landscape as a source of solace when needed. It probably wouldn't work, but I feel that there should be a way.

[julesjones]

There was a certain amount of that in some of my purchases from there. :-)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

That is sad. I'm fortunate enough to still have a very good wool shop 5-10 minutes walk away. I wish I could spend more there, but I overindulged in Abakhan when I was still visiting my Dad in Prestatyn and so I'm busy working through the stash.

But I do fancy learning how to knit socks, and the shop has this intriguing self-patterning yarn in the window. I've resisted it so far, but I suspect I will succumb before long.

[julesjones]

My shop has had various models of that in the window over the last couple of years, and I keep looking at it and thinking that it's an incentive to learn to knit. :-)

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

That's sad - we had a Lincraft (big wool and fabric) shop open in town last year, which is a little better than before when we had to drive halfway across the city :(

And a couple of other (totally different, but the principle's the same) shops I liked to browse in at Christmas closed this year: one of them had been there for 20 years and even if I didn't buy anything, I felt nostalgic and sad...

[julesjones]

I've still got a length of dove-grey lining silk in my stash which I bought in Lincraft nearly thirty years ago. One of these days I'll do something with it...