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‘Crates’ offers yarn, supplies
Published 12:00pm Monday, July 7, 2008When Anna Thompson and her mother, Wendy Reiten, took up knitting a few years ago, they found it instantly addictive.
“It’s very portable and I’m very much appreciative of the instant gratification,” Thompson said. “You can whip out a scarf or a handbag in a couple of days and you’ve already got something to show for your work.”
After years of driving out of town for knitting supplies, Thompson and Reiten have enlisted the help of father and husband Kirk Reiten in starting Crates of Yarn, a yarn shop that opened in the old Java 101 space on Lincoln Avenue just last week.
As the name suggests, the store’s specialty is yarn and lots of it. Crates of Yarn offers yarn from both U.S. companies and abroad, including countries like Italy and France. One of the store’s suppliers, Frog Tree Yarns, imports alpaca from Bolivia as part of an effort to support individual artisans, many of whom are women. The store also carries hemp, as well as a brand of yarn that’s 5 percent chitin — the same material in crab and lobster shells.
“This isn’t the type of yarn you’ll find at the big box stores,” Kirk Reiten said.
Much of the yarn is on display throughout the store in old milk crates the Reitens bought at a creamery in Moorhead roughly 30 years ago. The store also carries material for crocheting.
The decision to open Crates of Yarn came after Thompson ended an earlier job and had time to invest in an idea she and her mother had long talked about. The family has been at work in the store since March, painting the walls, installing additional lighting and re-doing the ceiling tiles. At the back of the store the family created what Thompson calls a “sit ‘n knit” spot where visitors can relax and work on projects.
Crates of Yarn formally opened July 1, to the delight of local knitters.
“We had one lady tell us she was going to camp outside until the first (of the month),” Wendy Reiten said.
Thompson says the store will offer classes for both beginning and more advanced knitters, and a Crates of Yarn Web site is also in the works.
Thompson serves as manager of the store, while Wendy, postmaster in Dent, and Kirk, traffic manager for ShoreMaster, are the formal owners.
Hours at Crates of Yarn are as follows: Monday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
