Knit Wit - The Indie Yarn Stasher

In April, I was in Portland, Maine for a work conference – so reasons other than knitting, unfortunately. And doubly unfortunately, I was in town at the exact same time as a Vogue Knitting Live retreat….which was sold out by the time I got permission to go to my conference. Rats!

To make myself feel better, I found a LYS to stop into while I was in town. Yarn therapy cures just about everything!

Background

I always try to find local yarn stores when I’m in a new town. Sometimes it’s difficult – or impossible – to get to them, but about half the time, I’m able to get to a new LYS. And it’s so much fun exploring different shops in different parts of the country.

When I booked my conference, I immediately began looking for yarn shops. I wouldn’t have a car so I needed a yarn shop within walking distance of my hotel. Knit Wit was about a 15-20 minute walk. That didn’t sound too bad….except that it was 30 degrees, with a strong north wind when I made my trek to the shop. (And two hours later it snowed.)

Fresh off the plane (and needing to stretch my legs), I walked through a nice part of downtown Portland, passed some cute shops and coffee joints…. And then found the blue exterior of Knit Wit.

Selection

Knit Wit had a fantastic selection of yarn which really appealed to this Texan. Why? There were many, many local, Maine yarns. And they were all labeled with a lobster! How awesome is that?!

I was introduced to the sublimeness that is Quince & Co. yarn, the beautifully variegated Done Roving Yarns, and the lovely Knerd String. Also on hand was Dirty Water Dyeworks, Sweet Georgia, Magpie Fibers, String Theory, Green Mountain Spinnery, Stone Wool, Little Fox Yarn, and Skacel, just to name a few.

Convenience

Knit Wit is easy to get to if you stay in downtown Portland. I can’t say if it’s easy to get to otherwise. I walked from the Westin hotel and it was easy to get to – just cold!

The employees were super nice to me. Both the owner and the other employee came to talk to me and assist with my selections. They were the first people in Maine I really interacted with and they were super nice, setting a great tone for the trip as a whole.