Knitch Magazine

Coming soon to a city near you!

The knitting community is filled with brilliantly talented people who are passionate about their craft. They regularly visit their local yarn shops to see what's new, and when they travel the highlight of their trip is often a visit to a new and different yarn shop where they hope they'll find something unique, something they've never seen before. The discovery of new yarns is an exhilarating part of their journey.

Some knitters are so enthusiastic about their hobby that they actually plan their vacations around it. Who among us wouldn't love to go on the upcoming Tour of Italy with Vogue Knitting magazine? Imagine exploring yarn shops and mills in the Tuscan countryside while sipping on wine and enjoying the local cuisine.

If you aren't able to participate in the European adventure, you might be lucky enough to join Phyllis Howe in one of her magnificent yarn crawls here in North America. KnitchMagazine caught up with Phyllis recently while she was planning another of her fabulous events. We're delighted to introduce her to our readers and to let them know what exciting activities she's planning in North America.

KnitchMagazine: Phyllis, many KnitchMagazine readers aren't familiar with your Yarn Crawls. Can you tell us about them?

Phyllis: This is a free event that attracts knitters to a number of yarn stores in their area. The purpose is to support local independent retailers and acquaint knitters with all the options they have in terms of stores in their area. It also serves to link up fiber and yarn fans with kindred souls within their community.

KnitchMagazine: Do participants tend to be new knitters who are learning the craft?

Phyllis: It runs the gamut − from new to experienced, from young to more mature, men, kids with their moms and so on. It really reflects the evolving face of knitting and needle arts. A lot of them are people who have turned on to knitting because of the social media that has developed around it and their desire to join the community.

The participants tell us they do it for the fun of being with friends and meeting other knitters. They're often curious about other stores in the area that they may not have visited.

KnitchMagazine: So they go on a whirlwind tour of local stores with other members of their local knitting community. It's a great way to meet others who share their passion. How many stores would they see?

Phyllis: Last year in New York City we had 14 stores participate. In Portland, in March of 2010, there were 17 stores.

When we're planning these events, we look for cities that have a strong yarn culture. That usually means that there is a minimum of ten stores within a 75-mile radius. In ideal situations, the stores are reachable by public transportation, but lots of people prefer to drive if they’re outside of a metropolitan area. A crawl always runs for a three-day minimum – giving people enough time to cover them all.

KnitchMagazine: How many knitters typically participate?

Phyllis: In New York city, we had about 2,500 people. In Portland, OR, about the same. Those numbers are estimates based upon the sign in sheets that each store puts out for the event.

KnitchMagazine: It sounds like frenzied fun for the knitters.

Phyllis: It is! They get excited about the raffle baskets, too. Each store gets a big raffle basket, filled with about $350 worth of full sized materials including books and accessories. The more stores the knitters visit, the more they get a chance to win.

Also, we always run a scavenger hunt with a big grand prize, and that has proved to be a big draw. In addition, each store usually does some sort of promotion of their own: a discount on certain yarns, their own raffles, or a special appearance, so customers visit the stores to enjoy those promotions, as well.

KnitchMagazine: Are there more yarn crawls coming up?

Phyllis: The stores in New York City -- including Brooklyn -- and Portland, OR have already asked to repeat it so these could become an annual event.

I'm currently planning a larger stationary event for late August in Portland, Maine. It's called Knit Maine 2010 and It’s scheduled for August 28 and 29^th. It will be held in Freeport Maine, and the website should go live by June 10, if not before, at: www.knitmaine2010.com We’re hoping to make that an annual event, as well. There will be a yarn crawl in Minneapolis, too, if all goes according to plan.

KnitchMagazine: Where would knitters go to learn about your events?

Phyllis: We set up a website for each city's crawl. This site has a map, blog and links to the individual store. We start promoting the event online about six weeks before the crawl and the website stays up throughout the year.

Groups are also set up for the crawl on Ravelry, Facebook and Twitter – all the social media.

KnitchMagazine: It takes a lot of energy to pull one of these events together and manage all the logistics. Do you have staff to help you or do you do it all on your own?

Phyllis: I always work with at least one person in each market − sometimes two. I like working with someone who lives in the city or area, and if it’s a knitter or someone in the industry, so much the better. I wouldn't attempt to do it all on my own. I need and appreciate the assistance.

KnitchMagazine: Obviously, you do this for the love of yarn and knitting. Can you tell us how you got started?

Phyllis: I began knitting at eight years of age, taught by my mother who never liked it as much as I did. I kept at it. When I was about 13, I began knitting for a woman who had a business − doing simple sweaters.

KnitchMagazine: What types of projects do you like to work on now?

Phyllis: I like designing and making children’s knits. Anything that involves stranded knitting or intarsia is fun. I like small, portable things that I can work on when I’m on the subway or waiting on a line − always a reality in New York.

When I’m home, I like working on larger shawls and throws and combining unique colors. The “Nina” shawl in Mason Dixon’s first book is a good example of my taste in color.

KnitchMagazine: You've gone from working with advertising agencies in the entertainment industry to managing yarn crawls. What prompted you to take this change in career?

Phyllis: In between, I went on the client side and managed marketing departments for magazines and a film production company. After enough upheaval in the publishing and entertainment industry, I decided it was time to do something that would reward my passion for handwork and make use of my marketing background.

KnitchMagazine: That business background likely gives you a good perspective of the yarn industry. How do you see it right now?

Phyllis: I have great optimism in regard to the yarn market. New yarns and interesting fibers, young knitters, independent designers, the online community that’s connecting knitters and needle arts people from all over the world − it all points to a robust and growing market.

KnitchMagazine: Despite the economic slowdown we see new shops opening up.

Phyllis: Yes, new stores are opening all the time. Entrepreneurial people who know the value of quality yarn, understand the growing need for personal expression and service are operating them – those are the ones that will survive and grow. Nothing beats seeing the variety of colors, feeling the hand of a yarn and interacting with other fiber artists so there will always be the successful brick and mortar component of the market.

KnitchMagazine: You've seen a lot of shops, obviously. What, in your opinion, is the key to a successful yarn shop?

Phyllis: Service and a willingness to work with a variety of personality types in a personal way. One of the stores with whom I consult on a regular basis − another aspect of my business − is considered a very friendly store and that compliment keeps on being played back to the shop’s owner. Customers gravitate toward a friendly community and personalized service. The other distinguishing factor seems to be the availability of new and unique yarns. Knitters love new yarns.

KnitchMagazine: Yes, we do! We seem to thrive on the new and the different. That brings us to the subject of change. What do you think has had the greatest impact on knitting in the last decade?

Phyllis: The Internet has helped grow the craft enormously with the sharing of information and by linking people worldwide. Local independent stores that host knitting groups and classes have contributed to the growth of the industry by giving people a real sense of community.

KnitchMagazine: And, of course, the Internet has enabled online magazines like ours to serve the knitting community. Do you see any trends in the next three years?

Phyllis: Absolutely. I think we'll see the growth of the independent designer, more artisanal type yarns and emphasis on natural fibers and dyes.

Many thanks to Phyllis for telling us about her yarn crawls. If you'd like to learn more about one coming to a city near you, please visit Phyllis Howe's web site at www.greatamericanyarncrawl.com. If you have a store and would like to participate in one of the great American yarn crawls scheduled for your area, you can contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it