Interview: The Crafty Yarn Shop

What’s the story behind The Crafty Yarn Shop?

We started in 2009, with a few of the more popular lines to start with. In the beginning I thought it could be built up to a small business run by myself and possibly one other helper. Nearly five years later there are six of us! My husband Tony works full time in the business, as well as and my son, daughter-in-law and a couple of other members of staff. We have built up the yarn side to a level we are happy with at the moment and we have just started stocking some fabrics so we will see where that leads us in future.

What do you look for in the yarns and products you stock?

Three things: good quality, value for money, and availability.

What do you think makes you stand out?

We hope our wide range of products and good customer service makes for a great experience for customers. And we have a new website - we put a lot of thought into the new design!

Can you tell us a little more about the new site?

We wanted something fresh and up to date. Our original website was a bit of a “first attempt”, as prior to that we had limited knowledge of web design! We have used those experiences to help us create the new website, as we now know what works and what we wanted to be different. Most of all, we wanted something simple to use.

New features include sliding shutters that move across the products when you hover them, and give a bit more description; a better zoom function; and a quicker, easier checkout experience.

Why did you decide to take on fabric too?

Customers were coming into the shop and asking us if we did it. We had quite a few enquiries about different things like fabric and buttons, so we are going continue to expand.

Have you always been a knitter?

I learnt to knit at the age of seven. My mum was a knitter and I used to sit and watch her from a young age - she would cast on for me, then I would knit a few rows. Then I progressed to knit and purl, and from there I learnt myself after new combinations of stitches.

Why did you decide to make a business out of knitting?

What better job to be in that something you love and are passionate about? I love knitting – although running the business does limit the time I get to knit! – and I love the colours and feel of the yarns. I get very excited when the new season’s stock arrives; I have to feel and look through all of them and I definitely scan through the yarns wondering what I will knit with them!

What are you knitting at the moment?

I am in the middle of some patchwork squares to sew up to make a throw for our bed. My husband bought me a kindle for Christmas, and I have just seen a pattern for a kindle cover, so that’s what I’ll be starting shortly. I have some yarn set aside for a women’s waterfall jacket, but I tend to leave bigger projects for the winter months when you’re indoors more.

What can we look forward to from The Crafty Yarn Shop in the future?

Apart from more fabric lines, more accessories and some additional ranges of yarn and pattern offers we are planning, it’s hard to say really. It’s such a busy ever-changing environment, we have to adapt to the needs of our customers and the climate. We hope we’ll continue to grow and provide the best service we can for our customers.

Browse the Crafty Yarn Shop selection at www.thecraftyyarnshop.co.uk