TED and NENA - a knitting and yarn paradigm

A Paradigm change!

Ever heard of TED TALKS? I am always intellectually charged from these. Here's one for Store Stories - a story for anyone involved in Sales and certainly applicable to Yarn selling and knitting stores. AS Yarnies, we might feel our market is "hand made" "crafters" and creative people. We know there is more to it. This talk by Joseph Pine will open your eyes to a new approach to marketing and presenting your wares. My focus in watching it is the yarn business - it fits beautifully as Joseph moves through history explaining what it is that constitutes trade and selling from the agrarian society to today. Actually knitting still goes from the aggrarian and today - all at the same time. We are wonderully unique. Briefly, Mr Pine will take you through the paradigm of viewing your "product" as a commodity such as "yarn" to the actual "experience" that playing with yarn can bring you. When you think of selling an "experience" you are selling the therapy aspects, the connectedness to other knitters, the joy of completion, the spirit of creativity using your own adaptation, the joy of working with your hands... it goes on and on. Your challenge is to sell this experience in the most affective way to YOUR market. I encourage you to follow this through for 17 minutes. Have a cup of tea and pick up your simplest knitting project, relax and enjoy.

I encourage you to, then, reflect and write about your own personal take-away and share that in the comments below.



A practical application to the TED talk is NENA (New England Needleworks Association) - the experience of a trade show in your fields of expertise. What is the Experience YOU wish to take from NENA which is coming next weekend? As Shop owners from New England, I plan to share the excitement of new products and the "buzz" that is encouraging knitters around the world. I will have freebies to hand out, product samples to try. I will have my Victoria Spinning Wheel for you to "experience". I will also have show specials so you can take some of these experiences back to your customers in a timely and economic manner.


As a Manufacturer's sales rep in the industry, this is a great opportunity for me to network in the industry. I can have all my samples, color cards, swatches, patterns etc , all out in the open for you to view altogether. I have been planning for months and working with my vendors to give you the best experience that I can. I will have more "show and tell" than I could possibly fit in my car! Seriously, look at that car! (The picture above is what I look like unloading for a hotel show... with Gracie)


The Paradigm of Joseph Pine has helped me look at the sales cycle in an different way. I believe there is a lot of merit to it as we apply it to the knitting industry today.

I would love to hear your comments, don't be shy!

The little yarn shop that could - Northampton Wool

11 Pleasant St
Northampton Ma. 01060
413-586-4331
nohowool@yahoo.com

Linda Daniels and Northampton Wool is my choice for a first example of the greatness of yarn shops in New England. I am starting our "crawl" here because Linda should be an inspiration to all. Linda combines the old fashion comfie knitting store ambience, wood floors, piles of beautiful fibers, a big table in the middle to sit, knit, share and learn, with the contemporary classes, styling, helpfulness of today.

Northampton Wool in Northampton Mass is often overshadowed by a nearby neighbor of much larger size. Her customers, however, are loyal and still a growing population. That's the beauty of each individual yarn store - you each have an individual "character" and people choose you because of that.



Linda has written a book - The Northampton Wools knitting book. Great projects big and small. I especially recommend the Reversible cabled scarf on page 5 done with Karabella Aurora 8. Have you tried this fiber? 100%wool worsted weight, cool water washable, just beautiful to work with.


Linda has designed sweaters for Movie stars. she has knit garments for Charlize Theron and Michael Caine for Cider House Rules and for Halle Berry in Perfect Stranger.

But here's the tip for today from Northampton wools - it's BLUE HERON RAYON METALLIC. Linda has designed a scarf - or a series of scarfs out of this fiber. they are pretty simple and truly show off the fiber to it's fullest. this Rayon Metallic is a great fiber for summer knitting, is washable, and has just a bit of sparkle to brighten up a summer evening - and your mood! And here's the shop trick that I found sooo brilliant. LInda knits up a swatch of the fiber in the pattern for a scarf and displays it with the pattern that she has written. Customers can see how beautifully the yarn knits in that pattern, how simple and stunning the fiber works into the glitz.



A little bling goes a long way. A lacey scarf, a tight patterned scarf, turn it into a stole. it's a great fiber for drapey t-shirt, sleevelesss shirt... A great fiber for summer knitting. And did you know Rayon is NOT a synthetic fiber. It is also called "viscose" and "art silk". It is a manufactures, regenerated cellulosic fiber - according to wikipedia (4/23/2009). AND it's MACHINE WACHABLE! Check it out on Ravelry or at www.blueheronyarns.com or call Linda at the shop.

Northampton Wools has a strong group on Ravelry at northampton wools ma !

Yarn Yarns and Store Stories

Coming soon, stories of yarn stores and yarns that relate mostly in the New England States. In my job as a Manufacturers rep for yarn suppliers and knitting paraphenalia, I get to experience and share with many different shops and yarnies, including spinning and weaving. It is my intention to present stories from these knitting stores, samples of some of the wonderful projects they are successfully offering their customers, as well as information about some of the events that they are host(ess)ing. All this is to increase enthusiasm and interest in knitting, spinning, weaving and general fiber awareness that is occurring across the country (world).



The experience of Fiber is multifaceted, the more we know, the richer our experience. Combining my experience with certain Yarn lines and suppliers to the world of knitting with the associations I have in the field with the yarn stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island, I plan to offer a travelogue of information and diversity in the fiber business.



If you are interested in being featured in this blog, let me know and we will begin work on it. I intend to include only features and stores with the approval of the owner. I believe this will enhance the knitting experience and that Yarn solutions we can bring to our busy lives.



This is a busy season of trade shows and new offerings from the suppliers end. It is also a busy season for knitters to switch hats for the gardening season. As such I will be gathering data and information and intend to begin these "yarns" mid to end of May. Meanwhile, I await comments and suggestions from readers and potential readers.



Thanks for stopping by



Jan