A not so quiet revolution has been taking place in the knitting cosmos. This revolution may actually prove to be to the local yarn shop what the French Revolution was to the French aristocracy, only not so bloody.
From my perspective, the revolution began with Amazon.com. In the early days of the internet, Mr. Bezos thought, “Hey, wouldn’t it be great if you could buy books on the internet. You wouldn’t be limited to just the books that could fit in a little corner bookshop. If you liked reading about obscure religious cults that smoked pot between 1645 and 1672, you could always find the books you wanted. Because we don’t have to have sales staff, operate out of a warehouse, and sell in volume, we can offer a discounted price on the books.” Although, the death of Amazon.com was predicted annually in the early years, the company has gone on to offer not only books, but dvd’s, cd’s, MP3’s, tampons, laundry detergent, iron skillets, baby clothes, shoes, and almost anything one could think of to buy.
Fast forward 15 years… The revolution has come to the knitting cosmos. For many years, I have been a proponent of the local yarn shop. I believe in patronizing the local yarn shop (LYS). I believe in spending money with people I know. Having said all of that, I will also say that I find this commitment wavering.
Aside and Context: As you read the following commentary, please note that these observations don’t apply to all LYS. I have visited many LYS and can say that there are a good many who struggle on in the face of a difficult economy with excellent selection, service, and atmosphere. They are the standard to which I hold all other LYS experience. At the same time, I have heard moaning about how internet sales are killing the LYS. These observations are meant as a means to explain some of the underlying issues and hopefully give those LYS with a less than satisfying yarn purchasing experience some insight to their customers’ psyche.
The reason the French aristocrats and their heads parted company had less to do with the application of the guillotine and more to do with their arrogance. The French aristocrats lost their sense of noblesse oblige. They forgot that the peasants worked to support the aristocracy and not the other way round. The aristocracy also refused to contemplate the possibility of a world without them. I find that many LYS are in danger of suffering much the same fate for the same underlying reason.
There is no one reason I have begun to shop for yarn on the internet versus a LYS, but more of a trifecta of syndromes infecting LYS that have made shopping at a LYS less than conducive to buying yarn. I have shopped in many different cities and states and believe me when I say that the trifecta seems to affect LYS regardless of location. The syndromes outlined below are not meant to single out any one particular yarn store, however, if you feel outraged thinking I am talking about your store, take a breath and reflect on why you’re feeling that the shoes are fitting your feet.
Reason 1: Yarn Snobbery Syndrome a.k.a. YSS
If I had to say, YSS is the issue that seems to be at plague proportions in LYS. I have been in LYS in several states and the customer service left a lot to be desired in more than half the stores. It was obvious that I didn’t fit their preferred demographic and so didn’t meet some qualifier for minimal customer service.
YSS is most unfortunate because customer service is the one area where, generally speaking, a LYS can win out over an internet sale. Now I know that a granny who spends $12 on the cheapest acrylic and then sucks up hours of staff time getting help with a pattern can be annoying. At the same time, it is this type of attention that many customers will pay a premium to receive, myself included.
YSS also extends to the choice of yarn a LYS will stock. Back when knitting returned to hip status and everyone wanted pure spun Muppet pelts for Muppet pelt scarves, it was difficult to find any other kind of yarn at some stores. Now that the new rage is the first grader pencil thick yarns, I have difficulty finding yarn for a shawl.
The remedy for YSS is to ask every customer who comes into the shop what is their favorite thing to knit. A consensus will emerge that will guide the owner to stocking their store to the needs of their customers, in their area.
The backbone of the LYS’ business isn’t necessarily the trendy knitters but the seemingly hopelessly unhip knitter who eschewed the Muppet pelts for reversible cabled scarves. These knitters will continue to knit socks after hand-knitted socks pass from fashion. They will continue to knit lace after the fainthearted have given up their needles in favor of books on tape. They will continue to knit pullovers and cardigans in the face of global warming and balmy winter weather.
Another observation about trends…. Following trendy knitting to the exclusion of other knitting puts the LYS at the mercy of the fickle. During the Muppet pelt craze, so many stores had entire walls dedicated to the hunting of the Muppet. Entire manufacturers committed vast amounts of resources to the breeding and maintenance of Muppet pelt stock. Elmo and Big Bird were forced to employ Blackwater Group to provide for their personal security when out in public. Oscar the Grouch employed the help of some ex-Navy Seals to rig a top notch security system for his trash can. Muppets lived in hiding and fear.
Then as quickly as the trend began, the lemmings turned and ran for a greener cliff. The denizens of the Muppet pelt wearing community moved on to something else – like ship rope weight merino and water polo. The Muppets breathed a sigh of relief and have only recently begun to go out unarmed and unguarded in public. I think I saw Ernie and Big Bird holding hands over lattes at Starbucks the other day. Oh the love that knows no name.
Reason 2: Lack of Yarn Syndrome
Lack of Yarn Syndrome cripples many LYS. On more than one occasion I have walked into a LYS, ( I would say I squealed with delight, only my friends would know I was a big fat liar as I do not nor have I ever squealed with delight.) and pulled the project perfect skein out of the display in triumph as if I were holding the Holy Grail. Angelic voices sing. A ray of sunlight shines on the skein. Then I reach up to pull out more yarn to complete the project, only to hear the angelic voices turn to demonic laughter when I realize that there is only one skein of that color in a bin of fifty of the same type and brand.
In an effort to carry every yarn known to humanity, the LYS has quite a selection of different yarns, but never enough to make more than a scarf. With the disappointment shared only by the Memphis Tigers who lost the NCAA Tournament in overtime to the Kansas Jayhawks, I put the skein back on the shelf and walk back out to the car cursing my bad luck.
A LYS should not be like a buffet restaurant that offers a steak and shrimp station to class up the joint and cajole the customers into believing that a little bit of 500 dishes is oh, so satisfying. After the first 80 dishes, things start to taste the same. Many LYS try, only to annoy customers by not having enough of one yarn, in the same dyelot to knit a project that requires more than one ball of yarn.
Instead, a LYS should determine what niche to fill and be that LYS. There is no shame in being the LYS that only stocks yarn by indie dyers. There is no shame in being the LYS that only stocks all natural fibers. Although some purists will probably disagree with me, there is no shame in being the LYS that only stocks acrylic yarns. The key is to identify the customer base and be that LYS, having enough yarn on hand to knit a project bigger than a pair of socks or a scarf.
Reason 3: Lack of Rhyme or Reason Syndrome
Okay, I have driven to a LYS. I don't admit to hubby that I spent three days planning the yarn shop crawl when he announced where he wanted to go for vacation. I walk in and immediately reach for the asthma inhaler because the yarn is sucking up all the oxygen in the room – what there is left of it. I quickly realize that no one, not the owner, not the staff and certainly not the customer, can possibly find anything in the store. I would love to see if there were something that fills that hole in the stash or would be a great yarn for one of my projects, but who knows. I leave these stores with the shakes caused by over stimulation and frustration.
Since I have returned to university, my yarn budget has tightened. (I am sure that with the current state of the economy, mine is most probably not the only one.) This reality has made me less forgiving of the cavalier attitude towards my knitting needs and more appreciative of the service oriented shops, whether they be local or internet based.
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