LYS Feature: The Yarn Store at Nob Hill - Albuquerque, NM

December 1, 2020

Local Yarn shop, The Yarn Store at Nob Hill is located in beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico

Nestled in a popular part of ABQ, Nob Hill is a street lined with brewpubs, pizzerias, music stores, and one cute yarn shop.

It’s easy to say that Albuquerque has been one of my favorite stops along our travels so far. Never a shortage of yummy places to eat, fun things to do, new sights to see, and awesome people to meet.

Located in a trendy part of Albuquerque, NM - The Yarn Store at Nob Hill is a cozy place to get your stitch on, find beautiful yarns, and meet wonderful people

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One of the coolest parts of town is a street named Central Avenue, commonly known as Nob Hill. Close to The University of New Mexico, this street is the perfect place to grab coffee, do your shopping, pick up some records, meet friends for lunch, and, of course, pick up lots of delicious yarn!

I first visited ABQ just after my trip to Mongolia (literally . . . I flew from Mongolia to ABQ and my luggage ended up somewhere else in the world!) for the annual Balloon Fiesta. I was jet lagged and craving real food (note to self: bring more granola bars with me if I go to Mongolia ever again because I don’t eat lamb!). Albuquerque did not disappoint!

But there I was; the home of hot air balloons, the filming location for Breaking Bad, and endless blue skies. I was in town for the Balloon Fiesta, but I knew I was going to be back a little later in the year to teach at The Yarn Store at Nob Hill. I stopped in after I survived the early (and FREEZING!) mornings of the Balloon Fiesta to meet with owner, Jaime. We sat down and discussed the classes I would be teaching and set some dates and times. I wandered the yarn shop and could not walk away empty handed!

Talking with yarn shop owners is always something I really enjoy because I never tire of learning about anything fiber related. Having worked at several yarn shops in my life, I knew enough about the business side to know that it’s not all fuzzy sheep and soft cuddly goats! Owning a yarn shop is a lot of work. It’s not going to make you rich. It’s a labor of love. But . . . it’s the most amazing way to immerse yourself in the fiber community and all the amazing people that call a yarn shop their home away from home.

Here is an interview I did with owner Jaime where I learned a little more about her shop.

Tell me a little about yourself and the path that lead you to owning a yarn shop.

Jaime: The store was started 10 years ago by Tere McDowell, a lifelong Albuquerque native. She loves her neighborhood of Nob Hill and wanted to enrich it with a yarn store, thus The Yarn Store at Nob Hill was born. Knowing that community was the most important part, she knew that as long as that component was nurtured, the rest would fall into place. Tere is still at the store, but we're trying to slowly transition her into a community member role so that she can enjoy the fruits of her labors. 

As for myself, Tere poached me from a desk job at the University to take over as manager in 2017. Her son Ryan is my partner both in life and in the store (he's behind the scenes/tech guru). I earned my degree in sculpture, and had run a craft studio in the Student Union building, so it was refreshing to return to a creative environment. I had taught myself to knit very basically/badly from a book about 15 years ago, so I knew I had to do some homework when I came to the store. I still feel like a "yarn baby,” but I think I'm picking things up pretty quickly.

Were you a customer before you were an owner?

Jaime: Because I had just recently been in school, my focus had been on other art mediums and I didn’t give myself an opportunity to need yarn and come into the shop. I had always admired the mural on our back wall of the hands knitting themselves, so it felt good to finally come in.

Tell me a little about the neighborhood where your shop is. How long have you been there?

Jaime: Nob Hill is just over 100 years old, and one of the last "walking neighborhoods" in the city. It's got some of the best local shopping and eating/drinking options in ABQ. Because of its proximity to the University, it continues to evolve and remain cool. Tere has been here for decades! I lived in this neighborhood briefly in my 20s and very happily returned about 3 years ago. 

What music plays in your shop?

Jaime: Everyone who works here plays something completely different! I prefer indie music, but sometimes you'll hear news radio, coffee shop/chill out music, something dancey, or waves to zone out to. 

Roving priced by the ounce, but customers can buy fraction of ounces as well.

How is your shop arranged?

Jaime: The store is generally laid out by weight, but of course it can't be just that simple. Some brands we have lumped together (Like Malabrigo, Brooklyn Tweed, Rowan), or by other like-attributes: plant fibers, baby, local, etc.

How often do you get to knit for pure pleasure rather than doing something for the sake of the shop?

Jaime: I've been getting much better at adding my own personal knitting projects into the mix. I will admit that I was really bad about this for a while, but I think that was mostly because I was also trying to just learn as much as I could without being attached to the end result. I would say that right now I've got a 50/50 split between personal and work projects!

What are some of the most popular yarn brands requested? 

Jaime: Malabrigo, Noro, and Rowan.

What indie dyers do you sell in your shop?

Jaime: For locals, we have Zia Woolz, Breaking Yarn, Stephanie Hagelberg, Shepherd’s Lamb, and many others that are sold on consignment. We’re ALWAYS looking for more locals to stock! (NOTE: You can read my interview with Michaeli of Breaking Yarn here.)

Tell me about the adopt a cat program that you participate in.

This is Hootie - the cat they had in the shop when I visited. He and my husband bonded immediately!

Cats Around Town is the name of that program, which is run through Animal Humane. We’ve actually had to pause (no pun intended!) participation in the program while our hours are shortened [due to COVID] because I just couldn’t stand to have a cat spend that much time alone in the shop waiting for its human to come. I miss having a cat there soooooo much! We will resume our participation once things get a little more solid.

Do you have any knitting groups that meet weekly?

Jaime: Due to COVID-19, we’ve had to pause all of the extracurriculars at the store (sadly no classes, hanging out, events, etc). Under normal circumstances, we have a lot of weekly activities. Any time we’re open we welcome folks to come work (knit/crochet/weave/spin/whatever!). We also have a Men’s Knitting/Crochet group (Fridays 5:30-7pm), Friday Night Knits on the first Friday of the month (we stay open until 9pm and folks bring food/drinks), a free Spinning Group every third Sunday from 11am-1pm. We are really looking forward to being able to start these activities up again, as they are fundamental to the very spirit of our store. And we miss everyone!

A crochet class that was going on when I was in town (pre-COVID)

Anything else about you or your shop that you want to share with the world?

Jaime: Just that we are so happy to be here and feel honored to serve our community. We learn so much from our customers and want our shop to feel like a yarn heaven away from home. You can find us online (The Yarn Store at Nob Hill) and on Instagram @theyarnstoreatnobhill.

Rapid Fire:
Knit or Crochet? Knit.
Most purchased fiber? Wool and bamboo blends.
Most popular color? Being in New Mexico, we definitely sell a ton of turquoise and rust colors.
Least popular color? Black. We purposefully don’t carry much at all because it doesn’t sell.
Favorite thing people like to knit/crochet? Socks and shawls for sure!
Least favorite thing people like to knit/crochet? That’s a tough one . . . swimsuits and underwear, probably! LOL.

So, if you are ever in the Albuquerque area, take an afternoon to stop by The Yarn Store at Nob Hill and pick up some fiber beauties. Then be sure to allow time to check out one of the local restaurants just steps away. I recommend Slice Parlor for pizza and beer or Flying Star Cafe where you can get a delicious mac and cheese sandwich. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

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