Ceiling-high shelves stuffed with rainbow hues line the walls of Gerri Bragdon’s Olde Town knitting store.
Two years ago, the idea of owning her own business was just a “what if” conversation with her husband. But now that Knit Knack is a little over a year old, the former English teacher at Arvada High School said the decision was one of the best she’s made.
“I’m not determining someone’s grade anymore,” she said. “And who doesn’t want to be around beautiful colors?”
Bragdon’s shop is certainly a departure from her old classroom. Bookshelves are full of knitting books and binders of patterns, not English lit classics. Large worktables and cushy chairs are draped with sweaters and pieces of quilts. And drop-in knitters looking for some quiet time with their projects can sip fresh lattes from the espresso machine behind the counter. To add to the homey feeling, Bragdon’s puppy, Thor, greets customers by licking their ankles.
Beth Ellis, Bragdon’s “right arm,” said she started working at the store to get relief from the demanding hours she once worked as an interior designer. She teaches some of the store’s rotating knitting classes.
“I can relax a little more,” she said.
Classes are a big part of Knit Knack’s business. Beginning and experienced knitters can choose from classes that will send them home with finished sweaters or socks.
Bragdon said the classes have often fostered friendships between strangers who decide to start a knitting group of their own.
“The goal is to be with friends, and there’s lots of companionship,” she said.
Bragdon has enjoyed watching the camaraderie grow over the course of her first year in business. She feels more established with her customers and her community.
“My husband is a contractor, so he helped set the store up. My friends put prices on everything. So my little community has grown into a community all its own,” she said.
Her knitting community includes everyone from beginners to grandparents and their grandchildren who knit together.
Knit Knack employees must keep up with yarn, project and brand trends to keep their supplies flying off the shelves and their classes full of needle-wielding craftsters.
Ellis said out-of-town customers often ask for locally dyed yarn to take home as a souvenir. The store has also started to carry more organic fibers to meet a recent demand.
The store also keeps up with project trends. Both Ellis and Bragdon hear knitters are sticking to sock projects that are portable and lightweight.
However, many customers wander in without project ideas and leave with armfuls of yarn for scarves and hats.
“You’re first attracted to the colors. Then you think about what you can make,” Bragdon said.
Bragdon said the store has fared well despite recent concerns about the economy. In fact, many customers told her they were spending part of their stimulus check at her store.
“People do crafts like weaving and knitting regardless of the economy. It’s a soothing thing to do. Sometimes, I don’t know what I would do without knitting,” she said.
Need To Know
Knit Knack is located in Olde Town Arvada at 7505 Grandview Ave. The store sells knitting supplies including alpaca, cashmere, washable cotton and organic cotton yarn. For more information, visit www.Knitknack.org or call 303-456-2021.