The shop at 16 Norwich Street, Fakenham, is a light airy space, filled with colour and is obviously the core of the business, although we do have an online shop as well. We are lucky enough, given the smallness of the town and the current concerns around the hight street, to have a steady flow of visitors through our doors and many of them come here just to buy yarn or patterns or embroidery threads or buttons, and then move on.
But the majority of people who come here seem to come for more than just a quick transaction. You would be amazed at the stories we hear – sad stories about recent bereavements, or happy ones about expected grandchildren. People tell us about their proposed moves here and there, about their holidays and their troubles. I love it all. This week, I was visited by someone looking for children’s knitting needles, but who stayed to tell me her entire life story and to show me a photo of herself and her sister on VE Day, wearing dresses made from parachute silk. It was fascinating.
In addition, we have our regular Social Stitchers sessions (details here) usually on Tuesdays, although we have a formal one on the third Saturday afternoon of the month and, to be honest, we always have people gathering here on Saturday afternoons which I love. These sessions are not so much about telling stories but about sitting with like minded people and sharing chat and crafting ideas. My favourite story about the success of our Social Stitchers group is Mandy’s story. She moved up to Norfolk just before lockdown and so did not meet anyone for a couple of years. When I first opened, she called and asked whether there was any regular meet up, so I told her the dates and at the end of the phone call said that I looked forward to seeing her. She says that meant she had to come, even though she was quite nervous. As she tells it, she has met loads of lovely people, made some friends and coincidentally is now working here, a valued part of the team. Even on her days off, she comes to the Social Stitchers sessions, which says a lot, I think, about the support the group offers. We have a hard core of regulars but also have new people join us all the time as others move on. Tea and cake are provided to oil the social wheels. Leaving aside the sense of community, I personally enjoy watching people encourage others to try new and often harder patterns, to step out of their comfort zones and stretch themselves.
We also offer workshops and classes here, from beginners knitting and crochet to learning about more complicated stitches and amigurumi. Again, these are often just as much about meeting people as gaining a new skill, although we were very chuffed to have a customer come in last week and tell us that learning to crochet with us had changed her life – she has made so many things and developed so much confidence, it was lovely to see. Or we had Sarah, who featured on my Instagram a few weeks ago who successfully made her first garment after attending one of our beginners knitting courses.
In April we hosted our first Luxury Retreat, at Little Massingham Manor, which was a really lovely experience. A proper chance to relax for 2 days, to knit or crochet and chat with like minded people, while being waited on and not having to worry about the ordinary stresses of every day life. . I have to be honest, I was a little bit dubious about the concept of a knitting Retreat, but it was wonderful to be able to sit and knit and do nothing else. That comes hard to me – at home there is always the washing to be done or a meal to be cooked or something to be cleaned before I allow myself the luxury of just sitting. I cannot wait for our next one which is on 13 and 14 June 2026, with some people already booked, which is amazing.
Because the next Luxury Retreat is more than a year away, Mandy and I are also planning a Social Stitchers Sunday at the Seaside Day in Cromer – a whole day of crafting, including lunch, in the lovely surroundings of the Cliftonville Hotel in Cromer. We are still waiting to sort out dates, but it is likely to be in September this year. And on 4 July local artist and author Patricia Mullin will be running a creative writing workshop called Spinning a Yarn in the shop from 10 to 4, which sounds really interesting. I think it is not yet up on her website but I am sure she would be happy for you to contact her directly if you are interested.
There is a lot of talk at the moment of the death of the high street, and I have a strong sense of people’s anger and frustration at the steady erosion of community. I prefer to take a positive view. I think humans will always seek out society, and the rise of independent shops on the high street, offering more than just a transactional relationship, may be one of the ways that might help. You only have to look at Fakenham, where not only can you come to this shop to socialise and learn, but where you can learn to make a hat at the Extraordinary Hat Company, or to make lovely jewellery at Claire Howard Jewellery, or to do upholstery with Sarah at Upper Market Place Upholstery. And it is not only our shop in these premises at 16 Norwich Street – we have the Fakenham Gallery and Framers on the first floor where Shane can fulfil your framing needs, or you can just look at paintings, depending on your mood. So as I say, Venetia’s Yarn Shop is most definitely more than ‘just a shop’.