Knitting lovers have a new home to go to.
Glenda's Knit Knook, located at 2729 Lycoming Mall Drive number 3, opened Sept. 5 after about five months of planning.
"My goal was to have a place for knitters in the community," shop owner Glenda Heyd said, "where they can come together and feel comfortable."
Article Photos
GREG HAYES/Sun-Gazette
Shop owner Glenda Heyd helps customer Barb Campbell, Hughesville, check for the gauge on a brand of yarn.
After spending her childhood in Montoursville's defunct "Knit Knook," Heyd decided to revive the name for her own shop, and has received comments from older generations remembering the store.
In her planning, Heyd wanted to have a shop that housed all kinds of yarn of all different colors and variations.
Carrying name-brand yarn, such as Noro, a brightly colored Japanese yarn; Debbie Bliss; and Sublime Line, a luxury line of cotton, customers have quality material to shop for for all kinds of projects.
She also carries cotton, silk and bamboo fabrics.
Because of her love for knitting socks, Heyd also has a large inventory of sock yarn labels, such as Trekking, Panda Cotton and Step (which is coated with aloe and jojoba ol for added softness).
An array of accessories are available for purchase, as well.
Heyd opened her shop just in time for the biggest knitting seasons, she said.
If snow or rain is in the forecast, she said, customers flock to stores to get their materials knowing they'll be in for the night knitting and watching movies.
While fall and winter may be the biggest seasons for knitting, air conditioning in the summer months affords the chance to enjoy "the warmth of knitting with a hot cup coffee" even when it's hot out.
Heyd not only oversees the operation of the store, she spends her time helping customers with their projects, offering classes to teach, such as working with felted fabrics.
"You don't want to make sweaters with felted fabrics," Heyd offered as an example, since the material shrinks by a third during the wash and dry cycle.
"It's good for making purses, hats and mittens."
She encourages customers that purchase materials at her store to sell what they've made.
"As long as it's well-made, they're welcome to sell," Heyd said.
So far, she's sold baby and child sweaters, scarves and purses.
Heyd enjoys the time spent at the shop designed and run for her passion.
"The days just fly by here," she said.
On Tuesdays and Saturdays, she holds a "Knitting Circle." Knitters gather at the store, she said, to drink coffee and discuss, trade and offer suggestions to those who are stuck on a project or want to share what they're doing.
On a normal day, Heyd sees about two to three customers who she advises.
Eventually, Heyd's daughter will be joining in her effort to spread the knowledge of knitting.
Her daughter will help with lace knitting, which is done with very fine yarn for fancy stitches, she said.
Heyd's passion for knitting stems from her childhood when her grandmother taught her about the hobby.
"I've knit off and on for years," Heyd said.
However, about ten years ago, her daughter reignited that passion when she suggested the two of them make socks.
"I was hooked," she said. "I even knit when having my teeth cleaned."
Since then, she has knitted more than 350 pairs of socks.
Since opening Glenda's Knit Knook nearly two months ago, Heyd has found favorable customer response, hearing comments on "the yarn, the colors" and that their experience at the shop has given them a sense of it "just (being) a pleasant to be here."
"People seem to be happy with the store," she said.
For more information visit www.glendasknitknook.com.
