Yarns ready to go
A new yarn shop is opening in Spokane, and with the spike in the popularity of knitting, it shouldn’t matter that a similar store is practically a knit and a purl away. Holy Threads, in the old Cobblestone Bakery building at 620 S. Washington St., is scheduled to open Saturday at 10 a.m. Owner Chris Simonsen and a crew that includes daughter Renee Larkin, son Garric Simonsen and Heather Shauvin have transformed the 1901 house into an inviting spot to shop for knitting, weaving and spinning supplies.
The second-floor space, most recently used as a bed and breakfast by the Cobblestone owners, gives Simonsen yards of room for classes. Simonsen said she plans to light the wood-burning fireplaces during the cold months, adding to the homey feeling.
When the weather breaks, customers will be able to use the garden in the back of the shop as another comfortable spot for classes or knitting with friends.
A South Hill resident until 1998, Simonsen and her husband, Gary Simonsen, have since moved to a 150-acre farm at Medical Lake.
Less than one mile away, Mary Lindeblad, also a homegrown entrepreneur, celebrated the one-year anniversary of A Grand Yarn, 1314 S. Grand Blvd., last Saturday.
Her store, also run as a family affair with daughter Ingrid Finstuen, has been a hit from the get-go. She credits some of the success to the resurgence of knitting and crocheting.
One of the most popular new trends is making felted bags. The bags are knitted or crocheted out of wool and shrunken in a washing machine to create a dense fabric.
Classes on the technique range from “Felted Mary Poppins Satchel” to “Felted Christmas Stocking.” They are being taught throughout the fall, along with about 40 other classes on various techniques.
For more information, call 455-8213 or go to www.agrandyarn.com.
As for welcoming a new player less than one mile down the hill, Lindeblad said, “We understand, when we talk to other shop owners across the country, that we shouldn’t be afraid of competition.”
There also are several yarn stores on the North Side, including Allinda Knitting Boutique on West Indiana Avenue and Sew Ez Too on West Garland Avenue.
Simonsen is banking on the notion that there’s room for everyone. She believes the two South stores will complement each other, considering the thousands of different yarns available, from high-end novelty threads to natural fibers.
“It’s not just people in Spokane (who yarn shop),” said Simonsen, who’s already has had passers-by pop in from Montana and Idaho. “People will stop at more than one place.
“When I’m in Seattle, I’ll hip-hop from one store to another.”
Simonsen said she couldn’t be happier with the unique building she and her husband bought last April on one of Spokane’s busy one-way, south-to-north streets.
“There are so few homes in Spokane zoned commercial,” she said. “This turned out to be perfect for us, so we went ahead and did it.”
Always fascinated with wools and fibers, Simonsen remembers wearing ski sweaters it as a child, “even when it was 80 degrees outside.” She began collecting yarns about six years ago and has since taken up dying her own wools, which she also plans to sell.
Customers will notice that Simonsen displays a crucifix on her signs and business card. Although her store is nonsectarian, she said, her devotion to her Christian faith was the inspiration behind opening the business.
Simonsen said she plans to donate a percentage of her earnings to various social service organizations geared toward aiding single mothers. She also would like to distribute discount coupons to lower-income women.
She also plans to use the space to promote artists’ works.