Tricoter Knitting Specialists

Hello:

Today, I visited Tricoter Knitting Specialists with my neighbor knitting friend, Lyla.  This shop is in Seattle,

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on the Eastside of the city near Lake Washington near a very nice neighborhood named Madison Park.  Neither of us had ever been there.  Lyla had bought some yarn and a pattern from their booth at the Mariner's Stitch N Pitch last summer.  She knit a beautiful linen stitch shawl.  She used some gorgeous yarn by Blue Moon Fiber Arts, I'm pretty sure it was their Twisted but I do not know the colorway.

The shawl is beautiful.  Lyla needed to block it, and stitch it together, then buy and attach the buttons (just for show as you don't knit buttonholes.)  She had called the shop to ask about the best way to block the piece and they told her to come by, they have a blocking/steaming table and would be happy to help her do it.

I had heard of this shop, but as they haven't participated in the Puget Sound LYS tour either year that I did, I had never been.  Also, we have so many wonderful shops in our area, did I need another shop?  And, on top of that, I had heard that they carried very high end yarns that are very expensive.  Let's face it, I am KNITTING FROM STASH until after Christmas.  I almost left my credit card home.  But, I brought it and was simply a ROCK.

The store is mostly organized by color.

with all different yarns mixed together.  There are the baskets of a certain type of yarn on the shelves, and below there are drawers filled with more skeins of the colors and yarns on display.

All around the walls are beautiful samples knit up.  I didn't photograph those.  Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

The best thing about the shop, however, is the service.  They helped Lyla pin out her shawl, and steamed it for her.

It took about 10 minutes to set.  Then, one of their assistants taught Lyla how to mattress stitch it together.  While she was sewing the piece, we saw a young mother working on her first sweater, one for her 3 year old daughter, being helped to pick up and stitch the button band.  We saw another woman being helped with the neck and shoulder decreases on a sweater.  Two more people came in and were helped with knitting questions.  The tutoring was generous, thoughtful, and kind.

Tricoter doesn't just sell patterns, yarn, and knitting tools.  They will knit the sweater for you.  Or, if you like to knit but not to finish, they offer a finishing service.  Pretty amazing.

Lyla wasn't as rock-like as I, and she left with a cowl pattern and enough yarn for two cowls.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet from Madison Park