Sometimes a sense of community can be found in the most unexpected places and a riot of color is just an indication of the warmth available to all. “Yarn Explosion” has both in abundance. This little house on Airport Road houses enough yarn to knit a scarf that reaches the moon. It would be an elegant and colorful scarf to boot, knit of fine materials. The team of owners has enough skills combined to conquer any thready problem you might encounter. In addition, outside crafters offer classes to increase your skill. Jane Jones, Susan Davis and Marilee Williamson brought their friendship to bear in the business that is Yarn Explosion in October of 2008.
From cashmere to silk to wool and the finest of cotton and blends there is something for every discriminating buyer. Colorful buttons and accessories peek out from the well crafted corners of the house. A whole room devoted to the fine art of needlepoint satisfies both the eye and the imagination. If you were coming just to buy, it would be a satisfactory experience.
Yet the richness of the inventory is actually only the icing on the cake. It is the back room of this little house on the corner that provides insight into the wealth that is available here. This is where you will find the women (and men) that come to just sit and purvey their craft. At any one time knitting needles will fly, crochet hooks will dip, and tiny needles will pierce a canvas with color.
Young and old alike share their stories, their craft and their varied personalities. They are constantly interrupted by someone coming in to explore the whole wall of yarn for sock enthusiasts or the wall of tools designed to make the job easier. When these people talk of their “stash” they’re not speaking of anything illegal. Some people have a closet or even a room full of yarn waiting to be made into just the perfect item, and some people only keep yarn for one project at a time. That concept is a psychological study of its own.
Within the space of an hour the shop bustled with activity. Williamson was on the floor organizing a section of yarn only later to be found manning the register with a knitting project in her hand. Davis was “working the back room” where she was untangling a mistake in a sock, helping someone else with a sweater, and advising a woman with her needlepoint frame set up by a window.
The conversation ranged from lighting and tools to help see, to the horse of one of the women in the room, to some happenings at Hollins College. In the meantime, a young mother and new knitter decided to tackle a simple sweater and was alternating looking at yarn with singing “head and shoulders knees and toes” with her young daughter. A grieving grandmother lifted her head with a gentle smile at the lively antics in the other room.
It is rare for a combination of passion, skill, and friendship to come together in a business venture. To experience the warmth of it visit Yarn Explosion at 5227 Airport Rd, or call 206-2638, or log onto yarnexplosion.com. In the words of co-owner Susan Davis “that’s what friends and your neighborhood yarn shop are for.”
– Christine Slade
