I was always an artistic child growing up, it began with a simple love for writing and painting. Eventually, when I was allowed access to the shared home computer, I discovered the extensive world of YouTube tutorials and – the rest was history. Spending hours and hours acquiring new skills such as origami, knitting and most importantly: crochet. There was absolutely no surprise or rebuttal when I begged my mother to escort me to our local yarn store for supplies.
I became completely consumed in each project, specifically the crochet style of amigurumi which is the Japanese style of smaller, stuffed animals. These creatures were adorable and skillfully sewn; however, as I grew older, this style of crochet was no longer compatible with my interests. Recently, my passion for crochet has been relit and I am constantly seeking new inspiration – I was very pleasantly surprised after my first visit to Birdhouse Yarns.
Admittedly, it was difficult to contain my excitement when entering Birdhouse Yarns. Hues of magenta, turquoise and shades of green yarn envelop me as I skip towards the desk on my right. To my left, stands a long wooden table scattered with shiny knitting needles and skeins of yarn. Two pairs of furrowed brows, joined together in concentration, knit away during what appears to be a private lesson. A smile grows on my face as I turn to continue to the desk. I am met with a pair of glasses and a sweet, warm smile as I explain the details of my visit as well as my reborn passion for crochet. This gentle, friendly lady introduces herself as Harriet and eagerly offers to give me a detailed tour of the store.
Every Weight is Great!
After our initial warm and gentle interaction, Ms. Harriet at Birdhouse Yarns brings the store to life as she guides me near the wooden table, using subtle arm gestures to point out the main sections of the main room. We begin our adventure in the first room which holds the lightest yarn weight class in the store. Most of the yarn balls showcase detailed, ombré patterns; each one including colors that beautifully compliment each other. One of my favorites, included both of my favorite colors: red and black. She then explains to me the clever set up of the cozy yarn shop; each room stylishly represents a different weight class of yarn.
I cannot stop myself from reaching out to feel them, each yarn ball is buttery to the touch, almost melting in my hands. And, the colors! There’s an endless amount of color shades and combinations all placed perfectly, each one complimenting the yarn balls around it. Each blue color weigh was placed strategically next to the turquoise color weighs, which would then compliment the green shades which came next; this theme continued in each room that followed. This room flaunts the beauty of light, finger-weight yarn – which admittedly – I am not so familiar with in my own personal projects.
Into the Thick of It
Ms. Harriet prances through a doorway and I follow close behind her, further into her universe of yarn. It becomes apparent that this room holds a slightly thicker size of yarn. My eyes immediately land on the rack of hand-crocheted shawls and sweaters, however, I pull them away to join Ms. Harriet next to the back wall. Similarly to the previous room, each yarn ball is arranged by brand, color and is labeled perfectly – not a thing out of place. The yarn balls in the room are strategically designed to be suitable for creating items such as shawls, scarfs and simple cardigans. I reached down to investigate a selection held in small, fabric baskets, the texture of these yarn balls resembled loosely wound, fuzzy silk! Not only were they velvety to the touch, but they had also been wound with a slight sparkle that can be seen in the yellow light of the room.
We make our way towards the black rack of clothing and I pick out a couple of the pieces to take a better look. Each one appears to be knitted, rather than crocheted, this peaks my interest further as I imagine how I can adapt similar pieces into my own patterns. For example, this colorful shawl shown below would look spectacular using a crochet hook because of the specific black detailing and constant switching of colors.
The Alpaca Room
Eventually, I believe that we are at the end of our journey. We stand in the third room of the yarn store and I have absorbed enough yarn facts throughout the day to last me the rest of my life. I become slightly sad as I listen to Ms. Harriet talk sweetly about the largest section of yarn in the room, briefly describing the thick, wool material. Swiftly, she spins on her feet, leading me deeper into this colorful world of hers – straight into what I like to call the… Alpaca Room! Multiple black, beady eyes stare back into mine as I take in the adorable room. Each yarn ball in this room is composed of Alpaca fleece fiber producing a soft-to-the-touch feel. They are then all vibrantly dyed, wound up, and of course, hung perfectly so that each hue marries each other and captures the eye!
Our journey sadly comes to an end, and I return to the front desk with gleaming eyes and a wide mouth. I have never experienced a yarn store which such unique color hues and themed rooms. As a needlework artist, my imagination sparked from the moment I walked through the door and didn’t die out for the entire experience.
Another clever aspect of Birdhouse Yarns is that the inside of the store resembles that of a cozy home. With tables and chairs placed for creators to work comfortably down to the small, windy hallways and the comforting spirit of the employees – especially Ms. Harriet. I pounce at the opportunity to pick out a skein of yarn to work with myself; of course, with the endless array of possibilities, this proves a difficult decision. My eyes wander over each section of yarn again carefully, I begin with the monochrome skeins reaching out to observe each one closely. It’s not long before I decide to choose one of the unique, ombre skeins from the very first room. Ms. Harriet sets up a large, wooden yarn ball winder as she waits for me to make my final decision; soon after, I watch her wind a white handle which makes the machine move like a Ferris wheel and my eyes light up like a child at the carnival.
Since moving to Tucson, Birdhouse Yarns has been the first place to not only motivate this hobby of mine – but also provided somewhere in which I can seek guidance from other artists. If you are a needlework artist of any kind, I highly recommend this yarn store for supplies, inspiration and potential connections with similar artists.
_________
Marley Todd is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and just happens to love to crochet!