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Learn how-to increase, pick up stitches and create an invisible seam with Yarnia in Portland, Oregon.
How did you get started?
I moved to Portland in the summer of 2007, after finishing school in Montreal, Quebec, and in search of a new fun town to put down roots. My own fervent knitting habit had driven me to formulate this crazy idea for a *different* kind of yarn shop -- one that allowed the customer to control ALL of the variables in his or her yarn, that only required them to purchase exactly the amount they needed for a project, and that was less expensive, to boot.
Four days before my 26th birthday, I opened the doors to Yarnia for the first time, and was dazzled by Portland's warm welcome.
Where are you located?
We are located in inner Southeast Portland, on Belmont street, right at the corner of SE 38th Ave.
Which products do you specialise in?
Yarnia is the only yarn shop where you can design your very own custom yarn blend, and buy it by the pound. You choose the fiber, color, thickness, and amount, and we’ll create your custom yarn for you right on the spot — perfect for knitting, crocheting, or weaving!
Not only that, but at our Portland yarn shop, yarn is sold not by the skein, nor the hank, but by the pound.
Don’t know how much yarn you’ll need for a project? Or maybe you know how many skeins or yards you tend to use for a given project, but don’t know how to translate that to ounces? We’ve got lots of tools to help.
Do you have a particular favorite product that you sell?
I am currently under a deep alpaca spell -- I can't seem to wind up a yarn for myself that doesn't include at least a little bit of alpaca in it! It's amazing how including just a strand or two of such a luxury fiber can really soften up a yarn, without driving up the price.
What's on the stereo?
With 3 different gals running the shop any given day of the week, it could be anything from the Grateful Dead to Vampire Weekend to Ella Fitzgerald to Spotify's "Chill Party" station to the Hold Steady.
Where else should we visit in your area?
Twill and ZaZen are both wonderful little boutiques just down the street from us, and on top of that, there are too many delicious restaurants, bars, and bistros to list: I am only scratching the surface by telling you about Circa 33, Side Street Tavern, Sweet Hereafter, Cricket Cafe, and The Pied Cow!
Do you host any workshops, classes or special events?
Yes! We have group classes (Beginners Knitting and Crochet, skill-building, and project-oriented classes) offered nearly every day of the week, as well as our weekly Monday Knit & Crochet Nights where customers have a chance to come and just hang out, enjoy some wine, tea, and snacks, and work on their projects in a free, fun, and social environment.
Is there anything else you'd like us to know?
We also have two easy ways for you to enjoy the Yarnia experience online! Our Online Shop (http://onlineshop.yarniapdx.com) is where you'll find all of our "House Blends" of yarn -- cones that we've already wound up in our favorite fiber and color combinations, ready to knit or crochet with right off the cone.
Or, our Custom Yarn Creator (http://customyarn.com) is where you can have the design-your-own-yarn experience right from your own home. Pull the swatches to the palette at the bottom of the screen, and watch the yarn meter calculate the yardage, price, and yarn weight for you real-time.
Do you have a favorite craft, art or supply shop in your town that we should feature? Send us a message!
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