Three Years and Still Here

More often than I would like someone will pass the shop and say something to the effect of: ‘oh, its still here then!’ in a surprised tone of voice. Sometimes I feel as though they might be disappointed – perhaps they were the people who predicted that I would be gone within in a year. Anyway, I am coming up the third anniversary of opening the shop and I am STILL HERE! Not only that, but I still love being here, and I feel as though we are going from strength to strength.

Three years ago we were just coming out of Covid. The lockdowns were over, but it was mandatory to wear masks in public places and people were still nervous about mixing too much with others. Once the mask restrictions were lifted, I started the Social Stitchers sessions, initially just once a month. Now we have four official ones a month and you can find people here any Saturday afternoon with their projects. I love that social element of the shop and I have to confess that it was not my primary focus when I opened.

Due to popular demand, I had to introduce workshops very shortly after I opened, and we have been running beginners knitting and crochet courses ever since. Again, this was not initially high on my agenda – I had just given up teaching antenatal classes for the NCT and I did not think I would teach again – but it was great to put my skills to helping people learn knitting. It meant I had to learn to crochet, a skill which had eluded me for years. We had other people teaching their own workshops in the space as well for a while, but they have found their own premises – Claire Howard for example went so far as to open her own shop in Fakenham which has definitely enhanced the town. We now offer a range of one-off workshops in different skills, but are always open to suggestions from customers as to what they might like to learn. We have started regular knitalongs, where we choose a pattern and everyone casts it on at the same time – the most recent one was the Salty Days Sweater and it has been very successful. The next one is the Christmas Cast On on 21 December – you are invited to come and bring any project that you would like and cast it on to knit over the holiday period.

When I first opened I struggled to fill this enormous space, now we are struggling to find places to put stock. And our range has increased so much too – we started with West Yorkshire Spinners, Lang, Schoppelwolle and Hjertagarn and we have added some Stylecraft, John Arbon Textiles, Malabrigo and Knitting for Olive. And we have plans for new ranges in the pipeline. On top of the commercial brands, I have been lucky enough to be supported by local independent dyers, in particular Fibreworkshop (wonderful Norfolk Horn yarn naturally dyed) and Blue Fern Yarns who have even dyed an exclusive colourway for us.

We have recently ventured outside 16 Norwich Street, taking Venetia’s Yarn Shop to the East Anglia Yarn Festival last year, a trip which was so successful that we are repeating it again next year, this time with a bigger stand. Come and see us there on 15 and 16 March 2025. We have also created our very first Knitting Retreat, which is taking place on 6 and 7 April next year in the lovely surroundings of Little Massingham Manor. There are still a few places available if anyone is interested.

It has also been a joy to learn so much myself over these last three years. As well as crocheting (which I will never love as much as I love knitting), I have learned many new knitting techniques – knitting garments top down in the round, bottom up in the round, colour work, brioche stitch to name but a few. I have absorbed huge amounts of information about wool and its properties, and what wool is best for what project. I am more passionate than ever about the importance of using sustainable fibres and protecting this amazing craft. And there is still so much to learn – I can already spin (sort of), but I want to learn to weave and dye yarn, and do complicated embroidery stitches – should I ever have the time.

And then there is the upstairs. For a while we ran and enjoyed The Gallery Upstairs, but it was a separate business, requiring too much time and effort and a distraction from the yarn shop. So we found Shane – Fakenham Gallery & Framers – to rent the first floor from us, and it is great to have the space being used all the time and to meet all the interesting people who come by to see him. He is a very good framer – or so the happy customers coming down the stairs seem to think.

The best thing that has happened for the shop, in my view, however, was taking on Mandy to help me. She is an amazing asset to the business, perhaps because she herself loves yarn and knitting so much. She is an excellent teacher, and very patient with customers looking for projects, and prepared to take on all sorts of knitting challenges, such as designing sock patterns and creating sa mples for the shop. And we are now taking on a Saturday Girl – lovely Rowan who spent a week doing work experience here during the summer.

Most of all, however, we have enjoyed meeting all of you, whether you are coming in to buy yarn for a project or to learn a new skill or to meet new people, or whether we have communicated through online interactions. There is nothing we like more than to see something that a customer has created from yarn purchased here, whether a hat or a jumper or a complicated Stephen West shawl. Without our lovely customers we would not, of course, still be here after three years. So thank you all very much.

We will be celebrating our birthday next Saturday 30 November, with a pop up shop from Blue Fern Yarns, an all day Social Stitchers session and cake. Please come along and join us.