Close-Knit Cafes
On the menu: yarn, cappuccino, and camaraderie
James Darling, 33, a New York fitness instructor, likes to knit--a new hobby inspired by his best friend. And when he needs advice on colors and textures to combine, along with a cup of chai tea and some good company, he heads for Knit New York. "You see people with tattoos and piercing, plus society matrons from the Upper East Side, people of all ages, from all walks of life," he says of the knitting cafe in the East Village, a narrow storefront showcasing designer yarns on Lucite shelves along one side, and opposite, a cappuccino machine and a deli case filled with savory brioche and scones, and soups at lunch. "Conversations start with 'What are you knitting?' but from there, anything can come out of your mouth."
The knitting cafe is the newest stitch in the knitting and crochet revival sweeping the country, as fashionistas rush to create scarves and hats--and now ponchos and wraps, the accessories of the moment. In 1999, there were some 1,400 specialty yarn stores or stores carrying high-end yarn. Today, the National NeedleArts Association estimates 2,000 stores.
The handful of knitting cafes is a throwback to days when knitters learned from relatives and friends. And a reminder that the Internet doesn't have an answer for everything. At the cafes, grandmothers are clearly still into the craft, joined by daughters and granddaughters. While women are in the vast majority, men are picking up needles, too--as evidenced by the weekly "Boyz Nite" at Knit New York.
Suzan Mischer claims her Knit Cafe in West Hollywood, Calif., was the first to pair knitting with noshes--it opened in 2002. "We're a society that has Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, all these setups with tables that sell pastries and coffees," she explains. So, she decided to offer complimentary cappuccino. Simulating a cafe atmosphere fosters a sense of community that's rare at chain bookstores and coffeehouses. That ambience gives indie yarn merchants a competitive edge against craft store chains, where prices are cheaper than in the cafes. "I introduce everybody to everybody," says Mischer. "They get pulled in--if they want to be."
Purls of wisdom. Part of the appeal of both the craft and the cafe is a link to a less hectic era. Walk up the porch steps of Lisbet's Knitting Cafe in the center of Doylestown, Pa., and you'd swear you were going to Grandma's house. Though the shop opened just a year ago, the Victorian brick building suggests a return to a slower-paced time. Inside, the visitor is cocooned by yarn, sweaters, and ponchos displayed from floor to ceiling. In the middle of the front room, several women sit around a big, octagonal table, its surface strewn with balls of yarn, glasses of coffee, and homemade cookies. "Make yourself at home," says the proprietor, Lisbet Christiansen, 48, a Euro-style Danish woman, who learned to knit at her grandmother's knee. "You feel like more than a customer," says Winnie Ellsworth, 40, a nurse who comes in to work on projects under Christiansen's guidance. "You feel like a friend." Her mother, Sue King, 63, also a frequent visitor, adds, "I usually end up staying much longer--and buying more yarn--than I had planned."
In knitting cafes, expert help with color choices and stitches is available--well beyond what you'd find in a class. But that's only part of the support. "You let your hair down, and people start to open up," says Darling, the New York knitter. "And let's face it, we all need a little group therapy." Therein lies the success of these pioneering shops, where tattered psyches are knit up along with sweaters.
INS AND NEEDLES
Five spots to stitch, sip, and dish:
Knit Cafe: West Hollywood, Calif.; (323) 658-5648
Knit New York: East Village; (212) 387-0707
Lisbet's Knitting Cafe: Doylestown, Pa., (215) 230-9970
Mabel's Cafe & Knittery: Portland, Ore.; (503) 231-4107
The Stone Cup Cafe & Gallery: Lyons, Colo.; (303) 823-2345.
This story appears in the April 18, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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