Cathbell Knits

A Local Yarn Store Like No Other

Exactly 20 years ago today, my life changed forever.

In March of 1999, I moved from Brooklyn to San Francisco. I was already five years into my knitting addiction, and I frequented the Yarn Connection on Madison Ave in Manhattan (sadly, this business has since closed) to buy my supplies. My last visit to the shop was bittersweet; I was very excited to be moving to San Francisco and to talk of my travel plans, but I was sad to say goodbye to the great people (and beautiful yarn) of Yarn Connection. Jane, the owner, lit up when I mentioned San Francisco. “Oh, if you get a chance, there is a great yarn store in Berkeley called Straw into Gold that you have to visit.” I filed that information away in my brain – alongside the half-million other things on my mind pre-move – bought my last skeins of yarn from the shop, and left to start packing.

As luck would have it, I spent the first month and a half in Berkeley before finding a place in SF. And, it was right down the street from Straw into Gold!

Straw into Gold was arguably the coolest, and certainly the most unique, local yarn store I had ever seen. The building was originally an old furniture store from the 1940’s (I think). When I walked in, I saw aisles of hand knitting yarn on the left, sale item aisle in the center, and coned yarns on the right. I went a little further back, there were spinning wheels and weaving looms and spinning fiber to the right, and to the left, books and magazines. (It was a huge store.) At last, I reached the counter. Behind the counter was a beautiful, majestic wooden staircase that lead up to…what was up there?

I had no idea what I was going to do for work in California (ah, to be young and impulsive!). “Hmm, maybe I should apply for a part-time weekend position here and get a full time job in the city.” How great would it be to work in this shop and be around all that yarn? (And hey, maybe there was a staff discount.) So, I went up to the counter and asked for an application. After I filled it out, something told me to go back to the house and get my resume. I did immediately that and handed it to the very nice staff person – JP, whom I would officially meet later – attending the register.

I was this close to accepting a job at a sleazy furniture dealership in San Francisco when I got the call. Could I come in for an interview? Yes! Yes! Yes! And at that interview (with Andy, one of the owners, and Suzanne, the store manager), they revealed the contents of the mysterious upstairs. They were looking for someone to work at Crystal Palace Yarns, their wholesale division.

The interview was April 24. On April 27, they called to tell me that I got the job.

The job would also include filling in downstairs at Straw into Gold. It was like a crash coarse in the fiber arts, working at the store. I learned tons more about knitting, including yarn substitution, the ins and outs of fiber content and pattern writing, and I even took up spinning eventually. Straw into Gold the retail store closed in 2001 (sniff, sniff) after serving the textile community for 30 years.

I was at Straw into Gold for two years and Crystal Palace Yarns for the good part of 18 years. The owners, Susan Druding and Andy MacEwan, recently retired, and I took over the needle and hook part of the business, Crystal Palace Bamboo.

Life can take such unexpected and rewarding paths. And I owe so much to local yarn stores. While the two yarn stores I am writing about have since closed, there are so many other wonderful LYS’ out there to serve our vibrant fiber craft community. Be sure to visit one today. Happy Local Yarn Store Day!