Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Just a Wisp of a Thing





My friend Cheryl left town today to visit her family in another state, so last weekend we spent a fun afternoon together having tea, exchanging Christmas gifts and checking out a new yarn shop, Wisp.  

We drove to Granville, a quaint town nestled in gentle hills about a 45 minute drive east of Columbus.  Granville is the the home of Denison University, The Buxton Inn and the Granville Inn, all establishments of some age and esteem.



Wisp is located on the north side of East Broadway, next door to a tea shop and two doors down from Goumas Confections chocolate shop.  This yarn shop is so new (just 8 weeks old) that owner Anne-Sara Odor has not had time to put up a website. 


New or not, there was a lot of traffic in and out during the short time we were there and I can certainly see why.   This little shop was a delightful, bright space filled with a colorful stock of yarn from Rowan (first photo above shows a clever display of luscious Kidsilk Haze), Blue Sky Alpacas, Spud and Chloe, Fibre Company (Road to China shown below), Malabrigo and naturally-dyed yarns by Shilasdair, imported from the Isle of Skye.
 



I love this Shilasdair aran weight, cochineal and logwood-dyed British merino lambswool in colorway Briar rose.


Yarn is displayed hanging from wires, or in cubbyholes, baskets, and glass jars.



Although the selection of books, needles and other notions is small, there are many nice options available.  





Originally from England, proprietor Anne-Sara (too shy to be photographed) worked for a popular clothing manufacturer in Columbus for several years before taking the entrepreneurial leap.  She insists she is a newer hand knitter, but these adorable baby hats and jacket show a nice touch with the needles.



The shop also offers a lovely selection of home items imported from Britain, and books by a favorite author of mine, Jane Austen.











I also loved that the shop had a swatch of every yarn available, an important way to let customers sample the knitted texture, drape and hand of the yarn.   


 
It might be tiny, but if you are in Central Ohio, this little gem is definitely worth the trip.

5 comments:

  1. Wonderful views! What a pleasure is to enter a yarn shop that carries such a wide range of colours and yarns! It is not necessary to buy anything, just to look around is a feast for the eyes.

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  2. Thank you Anna - It was delicious just to look!

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  3. What a beautiful store. We stopped by today and my knitting daughter was engaged and intrigued. Couldn't find them on the web or Facebook, so thanks for posting this entry.

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  4. I love Wisp and am so glad to see it here! Ann Sarah has done a beautiful thing with a small space- she has a great offering and a superb taste level in all she does. We worked together for several years at the "popular clothing manufacturer" and I make sure to visit her shop every chance I get! It is a great place to enjoy color, creativity and a good yarn!!
    -luckycatcraft@etsy.com

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  5. Hello!! I am the admin for the Wisp group on Ravelry and I wondered if you would allow me to use one of more of your pictures on the page? I would really like to launch the group, but I haven't had a chance to get out there to take pictures yet.

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