Pennywise
Beautiful shop with a wide selection
Was surprised by how big the store is when I entered. You do have to be buzzed in, which is not a problem in my eyes, better to safe than sorry. It’s beautiful inside! There’s a wide selection of needlework canvases, threads and knitting yarn. All the colors were so beautiful just to stare at. I found myself in awe and just wanted to touch everything to feel all the different textures. I was looking through the needlepoint canvases and asks if they had a specific one and I was told any canvas they do not have in stock, they can try to order for me if I can provide the designers name and item number, which is great to know for future projects I’d like to do. They did inform me that there is an industry wide shortage of canvases and fibers, which I already knew has been happening for months prior to the new year, from me following a few Reddit pages for needlework and crafts and visiting other shops. Because of the shortage, it has been hard for needle workshops to obtain a lot of thread colors and any canvas that needs to be painted. The wait times are even longer than usual because the painters are having trouble receiving the blank canvas which comes from Germany, I believe. I feel like a lot of people or customers don’t know this information and are so used to receiving things faster, that they get frustrated when told the wait can take a few months, but I’m very understanding and know there’s a chain of commands that all these shops get their products and supplies from and they have no control over, so this was not new news to me. This shop also had a great selection of knitting yarn and supplies. They also carry some Crosstitch options, which is cool. I found the staff to be very welcoming and friendly. They were very helpful and provided great information. I’ve read many reviews about this store and seen that they were mixed, but my personal experience was great. I am a person of color and didn’t experience any of the things that I’ve read. Nobody was rude to me, I was greeted as soon as I entered they offered help and said if I needed any help, feel free to ask. So it’s hard to believe some of the things that I read. I will say needlework is an older craft. It’s been around for many years and seeing some of the other customers in the store, they are of a more mature age and it may be something of where they’re not used to taking instruction or help from a younger group because elders normally feel the youth is not so knowledgeable, but that is so far from the truth. Someone had to teach them this craft of knitting needlepoint and crochet, and it’s just knowledge that you continually teach and pass down from generation to generation. My mom and grandmother taught me, which is why I love it so much and I find it to be therapeutic. All in all, I would highly recommend this shop. My visit was pleasant. I didn’t have any issues or complaints and I left happy. Everyone else can judge for themselves. I will personally be a repeat customer.