Walking down Bedford Avenue on Williamsburg’s
Southside, a new shop window catches
your eye. It may be due to a splash
of color swirling around a nubby
hand-knit hat, or the exquisitely
hand-lettered sign, or (most likely)
the excitable, friendly dog who has
claimed half of the front display
window as her own sunning-spot. Whatever
it is that makes you pause in front
of The Yarn Tree at 347 Bedford Avenue,
you’d be smart to venture inside.
This cozy, pleasant shop is studio
to owner Linda LaBelle, a weaver
and costume designer with a degree
from the Fashion Institute of Technology,
who originally settled on the space
because it was filled with light
and large enough to fit her three
looms. However, after several months
of renovating, the storefront began
to take shape, and the neighborhood
began to take notice.
While weaving, or even putting a
final coat of paint on last section
of wall, Linda would receive knocks
at the door from curious passersby
who would wonder about her looms,
what sort of business was she was
opening, and, most often, were there
yarns or for sale? Finally, the answer
is yes; The Yarn Tree is open for
business, and Linda has been amazed
by the response. Knitters and would-be
knitters have appeared as if from
nowhere, hunting down her store after
a friend had spotted baskets of yarn
in a window near South 4th Street.
Her mailing list grew at the mention
of classes starting this fall, and
customers marveled at the range of
the yarns she had on display.
The stock is impressive. Linda’s
love of fibers makes choosing the
yarns she sells in her shop a highly
selective and careful process. She
has sought out yarns that are handspun,
hand dyed, imported from as far off
as New Zealand or Scotland. She has
fleece spun from organically raised
sheep, green-spun yarns from Vermont
(meaning no chemicals have been used
in the finishing process), as well
as yarn dyed using natural rather
than chemical dyes. And the range
of color she is able to offer does
not suffer for it. Beautiful, rich
skeins of yarn are piled up on the
shelves, inviting you to pick them
up and feel them against your skin.
There are no acrylics here. Instead
you will find cashmere, alpaca, merino
wool, kid mohair, organic cotton
and gorgeous silk, most with swatches
to show what each yarn will look
like when knit up. And if that’s
still not good enough, Linda is happy
to special order yarns for her customers
from a variety of catalogs and color
cards.
These beautiful yarns are bound to
bring out the knitter in anyone,
and for those who need a lesson,
Linda’s shop offers classes
for all levels. In addition to beginner
knitting, there are classes in spinning
and dying your own yarn, sock knitting,
lace techniques, and mitten knitting.
The ten-week sessions meet one night
a week for an hour and a half. Class
size is limited to six to ensure
personalized attention. Linda also
holds half-day seminars throughout
the year on Saturdays and Sundays.
These four hour long classes offer
refresher courses in basic knitting,
as well as the opportunity to experiment
with different and unusual yarns.
There will be classes to teach more
experienced knitters how to make
their own patterns, substitute yarns
for existing patterns and combine
different yarns to create color and
pattern such as Fair Isle or stripes
and checks.
Shoppers receive the same special
attention at The Yarn Tree as do
the students, with Linda taking a
personal interest in each of her
customers. She offers a range of
knitting accessories, and is happy
to help select the best needles in
the right size to achieve the effect
you want for your project. And she’s
made up sachets filled with blends
of lavender or cedar to help preserve
your hand-knits.
For those with no desire to learn
to knit themselves, Linda will be
happy to custom knit a hat or scarf
out of the yarn of your choice, or
choose from the selection of hand-knit
items for sale in her shop. Also
available are Linda’s handwovens – from
soft cotton baby blankets trimmed
with satin ribbon, to very grown-up,
elegant silk scarves. She will also
weave custom fabrics for apparel
or home. In the near future, Linda
hopes to begin custom dying some
of the yarns as well, on site. But
that means more renovating. So for
right now, she is happy teaching
classes and continuing her world-wide
search for new yarns to entice her
customers, ever increasing the possibilities
The Yarn Tree has to offer.
The Yarn Tree is located at: 347 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg,
Brooklyn
(between South 3rd and South 4th
St)
Hours are Monday-Friday, 5:30 - 10:00pm
Saturday and Sunday, Noon - 8pm
Or call (718) 384-8030 for appointments.
