Two Minneapolis Yarn Shops – Bella Lana and Stephen Be

January 23, 2012 by Heather 1 Comment

A vacation wouldn’t be a vacation without being a good knitting tourist.  I visited two Mpls., MN shops I’d never been to while out for the holidays.

My fave was Bella Lana.

Owner Cornelia Griffin was helping a customer block a project.  Such a friendly and supportive atmosphere in some LYS are not always present.  She gave me a little tour of the shop and explained her design process for creating the space. Bella Lana’s different from most yarn shops.  A former Bay area architect, Cornelia surveyed knitting friends on the ideal yarn shop environment.  Lighting and a de-cluttered environment were frequently mentioned.  (I’ll agree with that!)

There is one of each yarn in one of each color set out. This makes it easy to peruse. Nothing cascades on top of you when you pull a ball off a shelf.  If your like me you fantasize about swimming in a tub of soft merino singles but it’s tough to shop in cluttered environments.  The lighting’s very bright. Colors are true.

Sweaters for the store mascot (I forget the little dog’s name):

Second store visited is completly opposite Bella Lana in layout and form.

Stephen Be is a Mpls-based designer who specializes in radical and funky.  His store Stephen Be reflects that.

A clean entrance:

There are thousands of yarns in the shop which was once an old firestation.  I like the open room concept but the yarn is stacked to the roof, it’s hard to sort through.  Must work for some.

The shop also functions as a gathering place for knit groups, classes, concerts and community events.  Pretty cool!

Two distinctly different Mpls. yarn shops each with their own charms.