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Learn how-to stitch Toe Up Socks and a Livlove Headband in #ShopShowcase with Wet Coast Wools
How did you get started?
Wet Coast Wools is owned and operated by me (Glenda), and my husband, Mike Delage. After several years in academia, I was working part-time in a long-standing Vancouver yarn store while trying to decide on a new career path. I had always talked about having my own yarn store, so I started using this in-between time to create a business plan for my ideal (though still hypothetical) store. After several months, the owner of the existing shop decided to close down – we immediately decided to put the business plan into action and take the opportunity to open Wet Coast Wools in the same neighbourhood. We found a new location a few blocks away, and haven’t looked back since!
Where are you located?
We are located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, BC. We are only a few short blocks away from both the West 4th Avenue and West Broadway shopping districts. We are also only a short bus ride from downtown Vancouver.
Our address is 2923 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6K 1R3.
Which products do you specialise in?
At Wet Coast Wools, we sell yarns, knitting needles, crochet hooks, project bags, and a wide range of accessories and tools. Our yarns can be used in all kinds of projects – whether you’re making socks, a sweater, or even a shawl, we have lots of yarns and colours for you to pick from. For every yarn in our store, we can tell you what it is that we love about it and why we wanted to carry it in our store.
We also feature a collection of locally produced yarns, which are created by fibre artisans from all over the West Coast and British Columbia. In this way, we hope to help promote the work of our local artisans and help them share their love of fibre with fellow knitters and crocheters. Whatever you choose, you can be confident that the product will be a good mix of quality and affordability.
Do you have a particular favorite product that you sell?
While we love all our locally created yarns, our current favourites are the worsted and super bulky weight yarns made by Custom Woolen Mills in Carstairs, Alberta. This long-standing Canadian mill spins their yarn from Western Canadian sheep. The mulespun yarn is only lightly scoured, so it retains much of its lanolin (the natural oil produced by sheep), and feels wooly and soft. This is the perfect yarn for We(s)t Coast weather!
What's on the stereo?
Everything from the latest pop music to the Beatles – it depends on who’s playing DJ that day!
Where else should we visit in your area?
We are only a few blocks from Kits Beach and a fantastic view of the North Shore mountains. The West 4th Avenue shopping district - home to numerous clothing, footwear, home, and gift boutiques - is just a short walk away. There many great restaurants in the area as well – we recommend Darby’s Pub and Topenga Café, both of which are right on our block.
If you are looking for crafty supplies, we recommend that you visit Spool of Thread and The Cloth Shop for fabric and sewing supplies, and Country Beads for beads and related supplies.
Do you host any workshops, classes or special events?
We offer a range of knitting and crochet classes throughout the year – the schedule is updated frequently, and can be found on our website. We host two drop-in social knit and crochet groups every week – newcomers are always welcome. We often have Knit and Crochet-a-longs – check out our store blog and podcast for information about current projects!
Is there anything else you'd like us to know?
Glenda and Bernadette, our manager, host a bi-weekly video podcast, which is aired on YouTube. Check out our latest videos at youtube.com/wetcoastwools.
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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