Wonder why I write so often about yarn stores I've visited? Because I wish more people wrote about the yarn stores they have visited!
Seriously, if I'm going to go out of my way to visit a place, I want to know if it's worth it! So far, I have reviewed every yarn store I've visited (few as that is)...except the one near my church! Hmm...guess I should do that, huh?
On to the review!
Saturday, my husband had to take the first of two tests to get his non-renewable provisional certification as a school library media center specialist. Since my brother-in-law and his wife live there,
with my three month old nephew, we turned it into a family thing.
After lunch at the State Botanical Garden, we decided to visit the local yarn store, which I just "happened" to have directions to. My mother-in-law is learning to knit right now, so she had never been to a real yarn store.
And this was a great first visit!
Main Street Yarns is such a pleasant place to visit. It's in a renovated barn, with a wonderful side porch, and has plenty of space to sit and relax. It's spacious, and everything is very well organized. Even my brother-in-law and father-in-law didn't mind the visit.
The wall to both sides of the door is full of needles and hooks of all sorts, from the plain to the fancy. By the register, they have a small display of needles with beautiful polymer clay tops. I believe they are locally made.
The yarn selection, too, is great. They had a wide variety of nice yarns; the site lists Alchemy, Art Yarns, Blue Sky Alpacas, Cascade, Debbie Bliss, Elsebeth Lavold, Ironstone, Jade Sapphire, Jo Sharp, Laines Du Nord, Lorna's Laces, Mango Moon, Manos del Uruguay, Noro, O-Wool, Opal Yarn, Plymouth, Rowan, RY Classic, Skacel, and Southwest Trading.
My mother-in-law bought two balls of Jo Sharp Infusion Kid Mohair in Twilight, to make a scarf similar to the sample in the store. I bought two balls of RYC Soft Tweed in a slate blue color, on clearance; it's been discontinued by the Rowan. (I limited myself to the clearance wall intentionally!)
The two women who were there were so nice! They chatted with the guys and offered them Cokes. The website mentions their commitment to Southern Hospitality, and I believe it! One spins, one weaves, and they both knit. We had fun talking about what we're working on, and one woman, Stephanie, is a fellow devotee of book arts, too. Who would have thought it? We exchanged links and blogs, which was fun. (Stephanie, if you read this, HEY!)
All in all, it's a definite must-visit if you're in the Athens area. It's so close (ten minutes from the Botanical Garden), and there's a wonderful orchard store nearby with delicious homemade ice cream. (I recommend the lemon custard. Yum!)
