The Knitter's Mercantile

I stopped into one of my local yarn shops today and thought I'd share a bit about it and, eventually, about the other yarn shops in my area.  This store is called The Knitter's Mercantile and is located in a generic commercial strip shopping center that has the dubious distinction of being one of the very first of it's kind.   

I went to "the Merc" as locals refer to it, because they carry a great workhorse yarn called Cascade 220 and I found a few of the colors I had in mind while there, so it was a mostly successful trip.  These colors are what I brought home today.

Here is a friendly face to greet customers as they walk in the door - my friend Stephanie (Stephanieknits on Ravelry) who works in the shop.  Stephanie is a first-rate knitter and fellow yarnie, and I always learn something interesting when we get a chance to hang out and talk.  She also loves to spin beautiful yarn and crochets too.  Doesn't she have an adorable hairdo and smile?

Some shop merchandise including the mohair wall and some Manos del Uruguay...

This is the shop's owner Jan at the yarn swift station.  Jan offers terrific customer service and is a good person to ask for yarn recommendations or for answers to knitting questions. 

I love that the Merc has great hours of business and is well-staffed with knowledgeable, friendly people.  They carry a nice range of mid-priced yarn as well as specialty and value yarns - a little something for everyone!  Although it's impossible to choose a favorite, I'd say one of the best choices at the Merc is the large selection of yarn from Rowan.

The Merc has several really big sales per year with many great choices from 25-50% off, and a regular clearance shelf section.  And they offer a great bonus on all non-sale merchandise (including books, patterns and needles) by giving customers points for every dollar spent and when a certain number of points is accumulated, they give customers FREE merchandise credit.  Which really makes their prices, already fair, an even better value.

The Knitter's Mercantile is a great little store for anyone living in Columbus or who is visiting the area.