Today’s featured place is Friends & Fiber, a LYS that sells not only beautiful yarns, but also the beautiful creations of its owners. They are located in LaGrange, KY. Our interview is with owner, Vicki Kinser.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your shop? What is the atmosphere like? Is there anything that makes your shop different from other yarn shops?

Welcome to Historic LaGrange. Our shop is on Main Street in LaGrange, Kentucky. A working train track runs right down Main Street about 25 times a day. We have a large following of regular customers who love our shop and each other!
We carry a complete line of yarn for everyones projects. LOTS of knitted projects at the shop to inspire.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the history of your shop? How did you get interested in knitting/crocheting? How did you come to open or own a yarn shop? Readers will love to hear your story – so tell it!

My name is Vicki Kinser. I learned to knit at 7 years old. I took the Masters Knitters Class in 1990. We started the shop in 1994. Myself and 2 other ladies own the shop and like to make and sell handcrafted items. I do all the teaching of knitting classes, help knitters with their projects.

3. Which yarns do you carry? Traditional yarns? Exotic or unusual yarns? Novelty yarns? Local farm yarns? Eco-friendly yarns? How large is your inventory?

We carry Plymoth, Brown Sheep, Cascade, Knitting Fever (Noro, Debbie Bliss, Sublime, Katia, Aracania, Ella Rae)
Local Alpaca Yarn and roving, novelty yarns. We have a large inventory to choose from, more yarn coming in all the time.

4. What, if any, classes do you offer at your shop? Do you offer any type of social gatherings for knitters and crocheters?

I teach beginning knitting, specialty classes for chosen projects. I really enjoy helping individuals with whatever they want to make. I tell them to come to the shop, and choose a project they are interested in and I will help them choose the pattern, yarn and help them get started at the shop and come back in with any problems or help they need. We have a large table in the front window where the ladies (and one man) sit and knit on their projects. They inspire each other and encourage anyone who sits down with them, beginners to experts.

5. What trends do you see in knitting in general, and yarn choices in particular?

We love stylish knits with simple lines knit in beautiful yarn. We love purses, felted and handpainted cottons. Lots of baby knitting for gifts, grandbabies.

6. Do you have favorite yarns? What do you use them for?

I would say the favorite during the winter months is Alpaca. Hats, shrugs, fingerless gloves, scarves. During the spring and summer, cotton, silk, linen for summer wraps, shrugs, short sleeve cardigans. Year around we make a lot of baby things with easy care yarn, cotton and cotton blends

7. Do you have a mail order business?

No, but we will mail to anyone from out of town that calls and needs something.

8. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I hear almost daily from shoppers that they love my shop which I really appreciate. My regular customers are so happy to have the shop and me to help them with their knitting passion.

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