The Wooly Bully Yarn Company in Springboro, Ohio is a gem of a yarn shop. When Amy Winstead told me she wanted to learn to knit or crochet, I was all in favor of it. But, even when Tom and I are in Ohio, we are two hours away from the Winsteads. So I searched online and found this wonderful local yarn shop just a few miles from their house. I could take Amy there to get her started and then she could stop in at the store if she needed any help.
The only problem with taking Amy to Wooly Bully Yarn Company was finding a day to do it. We got a day in January and then had a snowstorm that dumped two feet of snow in one day. No driving to Miamisburg that day! We scheduled a second day and Tom and I ended up needing to be with my parents. Finally, our third try proved successful. We met Steve, Amy, and Emma for lunch at Mission BBQ. Afterward, we headed south to the yarn store.
Wooly Bully Yarn Company has been in a historic building in Springboro for many years. The owner, who helped orient us to the shop, has owned the shop for the last year and a half. I didn’t get her name, but she took time describing the various yarns and helping us find what we needed. I had studied the yarn shop online and knew that they had a good variety of yarn. They had the standard big brands, which tend to be good quality and lower priced. But the shop also has some beautiful local yarns and hand-painted yarns. There is lots of wool and cotton, but also silk and mohair blends.
Wooly Bully Yarn Company has lots of wonderful classes and regular knit along days. The shop seemed very friendly and welcomes knitters (or crocheters) to stop in and stitch anytime. They do ask that you use yarn that you have bought in the shop when stitching in the shop. All of this makes it a good resource for Amy as she learns to knit.
I picked out a knitting pattern before heading to the Winsteads and printed out two copies. Most people start learning to knit with a scarf, but it can get boring over time. I picked the Beginner’s Stitch Sampler Scarf which changes stitches every six inches. This helps a new knitter learn more stitches without getting bored. The pattern is a free download on Ravelry. I printed out two copies because I wanted to knit it along with Amy.
We looked at yarn for a little while. Amy settled on a color she liked in the recommended yarn, but then found another yarn in a similar color that she liked even better. I picked out a color from the recommended Cascade 220. We found a circular needle in size 8. I bought one with bamboo ends so the yarn would stick to it better. When you are a new knitter, it is easier to knit if your stitches aren’t falling off the needle. I added a darning needle to our pile and we were ready to go.
The owner of the shop wound Amy’s yarn for her. We all, even Emma, enjoyed watching the swift and the ball winder turn. Amy put her yarn and needles in the project bag I gave her and we headed out.
When we got back to the Winsteads’ house, Steve and Tom played with Emma while Amy and I sat down to knit. Amy caught on to the knitting very quickly. We used a mnemonic that Cheryl Giddens taught me – stab, strangle, and scoop out the guts – for each stitch. It sounds violent, but describes the action of the needle pretty well and is easy to remember. Here is a video of the method.
After Amy had completed several rows and seemed comfortable with the steps, Tom and I headed home. I heard from Amy the next day that she had taken out what she knit, watched a video on casting on, and had started over. You can learn anything on YouTube! My favorite knitting channel is Very Pink Knits and I wrote down the link for Amy on her pattern.
Wooly Bully Yarn Company is a great little shop close to Amy’s house. I wish they were closer to my house, but I will just have to use it as an excuse to visit the Winsteads more often. I’m coming along nicely on my scarf – on to the second section. I’ll have to get Amy to send me a current picture of her scarf.