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Alamitos Bay Yarn Company
"Horses and knitting, my two passions." Cindy Loeffler is the owner of the Alamitos Bay Yarn Company in Long Beach, California. This knit shop sits on the edge of the lovely and peaceful Alamitos Bay. On a clear day, you can see Catalina Island which is 26 miles across the bay.
Cindy has been knitting as long as she can remember, but isn't exactly sure who taught her, way back when. One of things she does remember, is knitting her father a set of golf club covers. He always wanted a fresh set for his clubs every summer. Cindy has a background of marketing and public relations with 20 years experience, and originally from the east coast. Her friends were very helpful in her start up of the shop, with the perfect location and tons of encouragement.
The Store is nine years old, opening during the month of September. Cindy has one working partner and some 15 part-time employees of all ages, sexes and personalities. Each employee has his or her own following of clientele. The store offers classes, workshops and knit-a-longs, and hosts "Fiber Fun for Kids" every summer. While they may not actually 'knit on the dock of the bay', they do have Knit and Cruise. Some of the retired husbands skipper the electric boats that are docked right behind the shop. Each boat holds up to eight knitters who bring their own lunch along, while they spend two hours relaxing and knitting on the water.
Through the years, the store has been very fortunate to have had many wonderful visiting instructors such as Sally Melville, Brandon Mably, Lily Chin, Barry Klein, Jane Slicer-Smith, Chris Bylsma, Laura Bryant, and Fayla Reiss to mention a few. The store has a seperate knitting annex outfitted with comfy chairs and couches; this they use for classes, drop-in help, and group knitting. Alamitos Bay Yarn Company also has a book club and a men's knitting group as well as several charity knitting groups that come to knit and use the store as a distribution point. Other shop highlights include Stitch N Pitch nights with the Dodger's every summer, Knit 'til You Drop nights and Show & Tell socials where everyone enjoys a glass of wine while showing off their latest finished projects.
Long Beach is 20 miles south of Los Angeles and two hours north of San Diego. The area has perfect weather and great tourist activities including touring the Queen Mary and the Long Beach Aquarium. From downtown Long Beach, you can get to the shop by car, "passport" bus, or the Aqualink boat.
Alamitos Bay Yarn Company has many favorites amongst the staff, but luscious cashmeres and silk blends are certainly popular. The store loves hand-dyed yarns and new natural fibers in every color of the rainbow.
Words from Cindy: The reason I always thought it would be great to have a knit shop, is because of the wonderful, warm memories I have of several shops I visited when I was younger. I hope we can achieve the same for people who visit us. we don't have customers -- we have friends! In fact, we feel very fortunate for all the wonderful friendships that have developed amongst our knitters. It's amazing when we think back over the past nine years, and of all the happy and sad life changes we have shared with each other.
If you live in the Long Beach area or are planning a visit to this unique part of California, stop by this friendly and helpful shop, because they are there waiting to help you fit the right project with the right yarn, and learn something new! |
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