The Melrose Messenger

Sit ‘N Knit Yarn Store Celebrates 4th Anniversary

This past weekend Sit ‘N Knit celebrated their 4th anniversary under the ownership of Jennifer Schnorrenberg Goldenberg. The yarn store provides crafting supplies, expertise, and a community for crafters of all kinds.

Sit ‘N Knit has been a Melrose staple for 35 years, first in the spot behind Main Street where Sushi Corner is now located, and then in its current location in Cedar Park. Four years ago, Goldenberg purchased the shop from Leanne Leno, who had renamed it Lucky Cat Yarns. Recently Goldenberg returned the store to its original name - Sit ‘N Knit - in order to convey that the store isn’t just a place to buy yarn, but a place where people can come, sit for a while, and find community.

Goldenberg says that the best part of owning the store, which she calls her “passion project,” is the friends she’s made through the store’s crafting community. There are a number of knitting groups, both formal and informal, that meet in the store, and every day that the store is open, people stop by looking for their friends or favorite employees. “We try to be very welcoming to everyone,” said Goldenberg, “and create a safe community.”

Goldenberg wants that community feeling to extend to people outside the store as well, so she puts free hats out in front of the store during the winter for anyone who needs one to take. “Need is in the moment,” she said, and the knitters in her store’s community are happy to provide hats for the wider community.

Sit ‘N Knit carries a number of specialty yarns, including some created by local dyers. On display on Saturday was the Toil and Trouble line of hand-dyed yarns created by Ana Campos in Salem. Campos even created a special colorway in honor of the 4th anniversary celebration. The store also provides spinning supplies, and Goldenberg herself is a proficient spinner.

Sit ‘N Knit welcomes crafters of all skill levels: while there is plenty of yarn and wool for advanced knitters, crocheters, and spinners, there are also less expensive yarns for first-time or simpler projects. “Any time we’re open,” said Goldenberg, “you can get a drop-in lesson. We invite anyone to sit and knit!”

Many people who drop into Sit ‘N Knit learned how to knit years before and forgot. “It’s like riding a bike,” said Goldenberg. Asked what she would say to anyone who’s thinking of learning to knit, she said, “Knitting is two stitches - if you can make those, you can make anything!”

Posted August 6th, 2024