Community

Before we opened, I had the misguided notion that running a yarn store would be a piece of cake. Buy some yarn, a cash register, then spend much of the day sitting around knitting splendid projects. Well, let's just say I was a tad naive. We rarely (if ever) have the time to sit and knit at work. This week for example, we've been busy unpacking boxes, making new orders, talking to the bookkeeper, the accountant and suppliers about countless mundane details. Oh and did I mention, paying bills? There are a lot of those. Luckily our passion for knitting and the fiber arts keeps us excited and enthusiastic about our little business.

And this week, I've been reminded of one of the unanticipated joys of our job. Over the last four years we've seen the development of an amazing community of talented, creative and totally inspiring knitters and crocheters. All day long, we see a constant stream of happy and enthusiastic souls wandering around, oohing and aahing at the beautiful colours and textures of the yarn and the inspiring designs in the books and magazines. We've made lots of friends, kindred spirits who share our passion for knitting and crochet. And like any circle of friends, we share the joys and sorrows of our lives.

Yesterday we were sad to learn that one of our friends passed away in January. Judy was an amazing knitter and a lovely person with an incredible passion for her craft. Kathleen and I got a little teary-eyed as we reminisced about Judy's visits. I was happy to hear Kathleen on the phone with Judy's husband, Michael, encouraging him to come into the store for a visit on his own. He's part of our community and we hope we'll see him again. Michael, we're so sorry for your loss.

Thankfully the joys far outnumber the sorrows. Earlier this week we saw Kim Werker who is both excited and relieved to have wrapped the Spring issue of Interweave Crochet. She says it's a knockout issue, we can't wait to get our hands on it! It's been so nice to see Kim create a successful career out of her passion for crochet.

And check out the Yarn Harlot's recent praise for local designer, Sivia Harding. Sivia has taught classes for us ever since we opened, she was one of our first instructors. At that time she was a budding designer who had published a few patterns and now she's famous! Kudos Sivia!

To all of the members of the Urban Yarns community, a huge thank-you for your continued encouragement, support and inspiration. We love to hear your stories, gaze in wonder at your creative projects and share in your enthusiasm. We couldn't do it without you!