If you are lucky enough to have a needlepoint shop near you, cherish it.
I was thinking about this yesterday because one of my old LNS’s has a charming club coming up.
It got me thinking about the LNS’s I’ve used and why I’ve picked them.
My first LNS was The Pine Needle (read more about it here). It became my LNS by default because it was the only one we knew about. You might be in the same situation, your only choice for a LOCAL shop is the one closest to you.
I was lucky because this shop was great, always helpful and encouraging. Characteristics especially important to an awkward teen with an unusual hobby.
My other LNS when I lived in Pittsburgh was The Porcupine, pictured here. It’s still around and a lovely shop. They endeared themselves to me way back in 1979 when they told me it was fine to stitch with pearl cotton when another shop had told me this thread was “too fragile” for needlepoint. They proudly showed me their open sign stitched in pearl cotton. It’s still being used many years later.
After moving to California it took me awhile to find a new LNS. My first one was Black Sheep in The Cannery near Fisherman’s Wharf. Happily a bus ran from my office to the shop, but often I’d take a cab back having missed the bus. This shop introduced me to painted canvases.
About the same time I discovered The Crewel World in Oakland, literally at the end of my block (read about it here). It was a great store and quite a hub for needlepoint (Jane Zimmerman taught there for years). I would often find unusual threads there. I stayed loyal through two owners and a move/consolidation to the suburbs. Happily that location was near to a new job, so I could go there.
When we moved to Napa in 1990 I had a choice of two shops. One became my LNS and the owner a good friend. Needles to Say brings out what I think is most important in an LNS: friendly, helpful people. Being nearby is very helpful, but good people trump it every time.
If the folks at the shop are welcoming you won’t be afraid to:
- bring in a canvas you bought on vacation to buy threads
- bring in your kids when you are shopping with them
- call to ask their advice on a thread and have them send it to you
- meet friends there to stitch or shop or both
The other shop, I’m afraid, had none of these qualities. After Needles to Say closed, I would drive 45 minutes to go to David McCaskill’s old shop rather than go to the other shop in town, a place that was the antithesis of a good LNS, even though it had a huge selection of threads.
What do you look for in a great shop?
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Nancy Cumberledge says
So glad I’ve found your blog! Now please tell me, what is an LNS?
Nancy Cumberledge says
Nevermind. I just figured it out! Sorry. I’m a little slow sometimes (almost always).