The Denial of Bargaining - Grief

Have you ever suffered the loss of one of your local yarn shops?  Knit Together in Stamford, CT is closing its doors and all of us in Fairfield, CT will be very, very sad to see it go. It was a fine shop with a good selection and very good knitters.  It's very emotional to watch them go through this  "process" and yesterday many of their very best customers, including me, showed up to "lend our support".

Some people call it a liquidation sale, but I prefer to call it the grieving process. It has six stages.

Parking. Hunting (also known as Rifling). Bargaining (I won't buy anymore for awhile, really). Pushing. Confusion, and finally, Check Out.

Yes, it's a process and a difficult one at best. But we managed to get through it. Together, of course.

We stood shoulder-to-shoulder, basket-to-basket, in our long 45 minute processional, commisserating over the 40% discounts we had found. Sad, oh how sad.

All kidding aside, and truthfully, I am sad. I am sad to see the closing of a knitting shop. I am sad that knitters won't have lots of choices where to buy yarn. And even though I did pick up some luscious yarn, this isn't the way I like to buy it. Of course, who doesn't like a bargain! But yarn shopping for me is not about bin-diving. It's more like picking flowers. It's something that I share with friends, not something that I step over them to get to.

P.S. A few years back a store called Hook and Needle closed. At the time, I didn't know that yarn had "a fashion" and the stuff I bought in 1997 (think: fling-flash-bling-zing-zap) is now sitting in a bag somewhere. Yesterday, I kept to the basics - Bliss, Cashmere, Tahki Baby Alpaca. 

-  We'll miss you, Knit Together Folk!

Comments

[Christine]

I couldn't agree with you more about the sadness of it all. I was there upon their opening, have filled in for the staff there and thought of the Beaty family as my friends. I am very sorry to hear that they are leaving!

[Marcia]

I'm terribly sorry to hear this news (I got a postcard yesterday) as I had come to know John and Joy fairly well) but I'm not surprised, except that it lasted this long after their move to the west coast. It will be missed, as will they.

[KeanaLee]

How sad.....why did it close?

[Estella]

Okay, we were not far apart in the long line...see the woman in the purple plaid top and red hair? (She was the one that loudly told anyone who went near the Colinnette Firecracker that it is the best stuff in the world...after 30 minutes of that I was ready to put a skein of it in her mouth!) Anyway, just over her shoulder to the right is me with the turquoise blue top and blondish hair! Too funny! We should have arranged to meet. It was a very sad and depressing experience...poor Joy had a look of shell shock on her face. Quite frankly, I don't know where I'm going to shop anymore...might have to stick to online only.

[Scribbles & Bits]

That's so sad (although your aplaca joke at the end was pretty funny!)

[Beth]

A shop near me closed last fall and I was almost embarrassed to be shopping there. I had just recently found them and only been in a couple of times, so I felt like I was taking advantage of them somehow. I suppose they just wanted to sell everything, though...

[Clare Bolduc]

I found your site and wanted to drop in and let you know there is a Stitch n Bitch group in Stamford which I started in August that meets on Tuesdays up at Starbucks on High Ridge Road (near Borders) from 7-9. Would love for you to join us and show off your talent and projects!

Clare

[Pam]

You all wrote such generous comments. We as staff are very sad that the store is closing as well. For anyone who is interested. Clea, Liz and I have organized a knitting network for classes on an ongoing basis. Please visit us at www.stitchandchat.com

[Carrie K]

I've lost three really fabulous yarn stores since I began knitting 10 years ago. I still mourn Betsy's Knit & Stitch, Filati's (moving to Rocklin counts as closing) and most recently, Skein Lane. *sob*