I've just had a conversation with Mary Ann, the owner of Knitter's Niche at 3026 N. Southport. Knitter's Niche isn't a big place, but it's one of Chicago's oldest yarn shops and Mary Ann is known far and wide for her deep knowledge (particularly of lace knitting), her enthusiasm, and her loveably gruff persona.
On Monday night, somebody broke into the shop and made off with $5,000 worth of yarn and, perhaps worse, eight lace stoles representing years of Mary Ann's work.
Whoever the thief or thieves are, they know the craft. With the exception of an entire shelf of inexpensive cotton, all the yarns taken were the cream of the crop, including chunky and worsted weight hand-dyed Misti Alpaca.
The finished works taken included:
- a white lace stole with clematis edging
- a capelet of mossy green, hand-dyed kidsilk with ribbon trim
- a stole in grey-beige hand-dyed alpaca
- a shoulder scarf in sage green cashmere
- a stole in rose hand-dyed cashmere/silk
- a stole in pink hand-dyed kidsilk
- a large feather-and-fan stole in variegated red, turquoise and copper bamboo/silk
If you have any information, please get in touch with Mary Ann at (773) 472-9276.
And if you're the person who did this, I hope:
- every skein of yarn you own or touch gets moths,
- every finished object you've ever made gets torn to pieces, and
- your fingers twist into knots so painful you can never knit, crochet or otherwise create anything ever again.
And karma, may I remind you, is a bitch.
ADDENDA: Well, you can always count on knitters for lightning-fast reaction in a crisis, eh?
Some updates and answers to FAQs. Please read them, I beg you, before you write to me. Please.
- Knitter's Niche doesn't have a Web site, or I'd have linked to it.
- As far as I know, there are no clear photographs of the finished pieces that were stolen. As for patterns, I think several were her own designs or heavily modified versions of other designs.
- When I spoke with her, Mary Ann didn't have handy a full inventory of the stolen yarn, so I can't post one.
- Mary Ann's contact number for anyone who has information is above. I don't have an e-mail for her or a Ravelry name. Honestly, I don't know that she uses either.
- As I'm not the victim or the Chicago police, I really can't do more than offer the above alert in the hope that it might help. If you have information, the best thing to do is contact Mary Ann. If you don't have info, please think twice before calling unless you're looking to place and order or some such–she is still open for business and trying to wait on customers.
- I know what I posted is not a detailed police report, but I'm not a cop. I did my best. Lengthy e-mails taking me to task for not meeting modern law enforcement standards in my note-taking are a waste of your time, and mine. Thanks!
My Karma wish is that person gets Carpal Tunnel which CAN't be fixed by surgery.
ReplyDeleteI hope Mary Ann had pictures of the pieces that were stolen. I would gladly keep an eye out for them!
it is weird, i was going to say carpal tunnel syndrome too. i think this story is the weirdest story. i never met many unpleasant knitters.
ReplyDeleteMary Ann might like to see if this theft could be featured in a 'This week on Ravelry' item to get it out there in the community so they can't be sold - or increasing the chances of identifying the thief.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrible thing to do. May their conscience be burdened forever.
who the hell steals YARN?? and shawls?? WTF!!!
ReplyDeletePeople suck*. I've said it for years.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a former (disgruntled) employee, though.
Whoever it was, may the knitting muse never visit, and a plague of moths on them (but not on the shawls...those need to be returned).
May Karma smite you, you asshat of a theif!
*Pals/friends = People I know and/or like.
People = Everyone else.
(p.s. sorry for the swearing. :P )
How terrible.
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing more and more stories like this, including several from vendors who've been robbed at fiber festivals.
I second Catherine's suggestion!
Can you post something about this via Ravelry? Let people know in case they see something amiss ....
ReplyDeleteInsanity. So very much not OK. I like the idea of posting something on Ravelry -- maybe etsy can keep an eye out, too? I'd hate to think of someone actually selling that shawls to make money...
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad sad situation. My best wishes that the shawl appear unmolested and in near perfect condition.
ReplyDeleteI second the this week in ravelry. It is super easy to get an announcement out.
Horrible. Keep an eye on craigslist and eBay. That's probably where everything will end up.
ReplyDeleteomg, that is terrible! I know it is naive, but I like to think that knitters are more respectful of each other than that. I don't know Mary Ann but as a fellow knitter I'm sending hugs her way. I'm sorry that people would be so terrible as to steal her art and her livelihood.
ReplyDeleteoh man that stinks. I wish there was something us Chicagoans can do.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Mary Ann is doing this, but if not, I'd suggest keeping an eye on eBay - if the thief knew what they were taking, they'll probably be trying to offload it somewhere, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful, mean-spirited person. Poop on them.
How unfortunate. I don't envy whoever is responsible...
ReplyDeleteHow awful!
ReplyDeleteWell, unfortunately, as the knitting community grows, it will contain more and more unpleasant people. Including thieves.
ReplyDeleteHow heartbreaking for Mary Ann. And yeah...keep an eye on eBay.
i'm thinking folkloric karmic payback for offenses against the folk arts community. 1. being required to relinquish children to an evil dwarf. (from rumpelstiltskin, for the certain misreprentation of the shawls' origins - bet the thief claims credit for the work.) 2. being dipped in oil, and cursed with an ass's tail growing out of his or her forehead (for claiming undeserved 'rewards'. can't remember the name of the story.) 3. being turned to stone by the shawls (because i'm spiteful).
ReplyDeletei wonder whether stolen fiber mightn't attract lightning.
have to also echo. yes, get it onto the ravelry front page, if casey's amenable. we'll all keep an eye peeled on etsy - and maybe on ebay as well. did mary ann file a police report? if there are any extant pictures of the pieces, it'd help chicago to keep an eye peeled as cooler weather approaches...
sincerely,
mary
That's just beyond appalling. WTF is wrong with people? Wait, don't answer that. I'm already depressed.
ReplyDeleteThat is very uncool, I'd say! I know the shop and Mary Ann has helped to send me on my knitting paths in her lovingly gruff way. I hope the thief get's what is deserved.
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked. I always thought knitting was just a happy place in this not so happy world.
Oh this is so disheartening. Worst fiber-related news I've heard since a local store owner had to install security cameras when the "shrink" got to be too much at her store and she discovered that it was the "sweet little old ladies" who were doing all the stealing. :(
ReplyDeleteI've been considering a nice hermit cave for awhile. I think I may start looking again.
This is horrible, I do hope everything is returned with speed.
ReplyDeleteThat's horrible. I wonder if maybe she has inventory of dye lots and posted it someplace, that might help people verify if they find the stolen yarn being sold someplace.
ReplyDeleteHow cruel to steal her lacework. That's just low.
That is a total disgrace? How can a person get pleasure from stealing these one of a kind items? In Ravelry speak AGREE (1,000,000) Be sure that Casey sees this!! (the posting not my comment)
ReplyDeleteWow....this is new...a craft-specific crime. I'm speechless.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Karma is a real bitch.
a sorrowful incident. i'm sorry she lost her handiwork, so sad.
ReplyDeleteplus the not touching of the cash box indicates it was a person with a knowledge of knitting. a knitting thief, shameful.
marie in florida
And may the fleas of a thousand camels infest his/her armpits. Forever.
ReplyDelete"Here, here!" to every bit of karma you wished upon them.
ReplyDeleteI think it's horrible that people feel the need to steel and vandalize. What comes around will go around and like you say, Karma is a bitch
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it! The Knitter's Niche was the first yarn store I ever visited when I started knitting 3 or 4 years ago. I met Mary Ann and she was so patient and helpful with my newbie questions.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable. Thanks for spreading the word about this, Franklin!
Unbelieveable. May some really nasty karma prevail!
ReplyDeleteDid they steal her copy of POK? That is something that would show up on ebay. Also it might be a good idea to keep an eye on the various swap lists (like the Yahoo group). When we had a break in at our house a few years ago, the cop looked at me like I was crazy when I said that, even thou they had taken my Palm & my digital camera, they had missed the most valuable items in my computer room - the several large bins of Colinette!
ReplyDeleteSympathy - tons of it! - to Mary Ann. What a sad violation.
ReplyDelete(I'm not personally into the Assignment of Retribution, but I understand where that's coming from, for sure.)
Hope everything is returned intact, and I think the Ravelry heads-up-on-stolen-goods idea is a good one - although I hope it doesn't turn into one of the nastiest threads in the history of The Rav.
lynda the guppy may be on to something there. That fact that the items obviously would have so much personal value seems like an attack. As they say on CSI..
ReplyDeleteThe percentage of jerks is pretty much constant. When the fibre community was smaller, the number of jerks was too. Also, with the expansion of the community there is less recognition member to member, like growing from a town to a city. The sucky side of success.
I beleive the thief will pay sometime somewhere. They may not even connect the "payback" to this event. Might take years. But it will happen.
Mary Ann has all my sympathy, but as usual that doesn't seem to help much. Dang.
Now what was it Grandpa used to say? Oh yeah! "may their arseholes fester over and reopen under their armpits so they need to take off their shirts to releive themselves."
A trend??!? A TREND?!!? Good God.
ReplyDeleteHow can we help?
ReplyDeleteI would gladly donate a couple of bucks or place an on-line order to show my support.
shocking! horrible! karma is a bitch, well put!
ReplyDeleteMy son has a favorite saying...people are animals. It's certainly true in this case.
ReplyDeleteI like Carol's idea. Next week, I shall celebrate the arrival of a long-awaited paycheck by going to http://www.knittersniche.com/ and buying some bamboo yarn I certainly don't need. It won't just do me good.
ReplyDeleteWhoa. I wonder what kind of satisfaction there is in doing something like that.
ReplyDeleteOMG that is so sad. I've met lots of knitters by virtue of our blogging relationships and I've always said that you're unliikely to find an axe murderer amongst knitters/blogging knitters. After this news I think that a FO thief is worse.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who owns a yarn shop. She made herself custom felted slippers with an extra bit of cushion for her one foot that is shorter than the other. You guess it. Someone stole them. I was reminded of the old Irish Blessing, May God Bless Those That Love Us, And Those That Don't Love Us, May He Turn Their Hearts Toward Us, And If He Cannot Turn Their Hearts, May He Turn Their Ankles, So We Will Know Them By Their Limping.
ReplyDeleteI am very, very sad for her loss.
crap, crap, crap! This is just a nasty crime. I agree that the loser deserves a lifetime of moths and other various yarn disasters.
ReplyDeleteHoly hell. That's positively evil. I have a nasty, sick feeling in my stomach after reading this.
ReplyDeleteI feel so badly for Mary Ann.
Dunno what to say, really; I could understand them getting done over for the cashbox (the village library I volunteer in has been had multiple times for the petty cash, but they've left the books) - but having your work stolen is horrible - that's just too knowing.
ReplyDeleteGO, Karma, GO!!
ReplyDeleteif she can post a list somewhere of what was taken-- I'd expect that it'd be offered on ebay or one or another of the mailing lists as stash reduction. If the community is on the lookout, then we can let her know if we see the stuff somewhere.
ReplyDeleteBig hug Mary Ann. I hope you'll find peace quickly after such a terrible blow.
ReplyDeleteWow - the world is getting sick. At our county fair this year thieves stole 3 one-week old piglets, 3 4H rabbits and a pair of origami earrings that my 9 year-old daughter made. Not quite equivalent to Mary Ann's loss, but all the victims were children who put time, effort and cash into their projects. Please, if Mary Ann has a complete inventory list with some sort of photos, post it on your blog so we can help.
ReplyDeleteThat's just disgusting. Someone once stole a hand knitted by my grandmother fairisle sweater. I caught her in it a year later. It had been washed. And felted. I cried, and I wasn't even a knitter then.
ReplyDeleteI know Karma, and not only is she a bitch, but she's mean too. And has a long memory. I'm hoping MaryAnn has photos for people to put up.
That's truly horrible. Whoever did this is not truly a knitter.
ReplyDeleteKarma is, indeed, a bitch.
My heart is a little broken. And I've never had the pleasure of visiting that shop.
ReplyDeleteI'll link to your blog from mine (not that I get that much traffic... but still).
May the thief's karmic reward come swiftly.
And with interest... compounded by the minute!
Two of my best pieces were stolen from my lys who was displaying them as samples. Unfortunately, I bet almost any lys owner could share similar stories.
ReplyDeleteProbably a very "pleasant" thief.
Sorry for her loss.
Sadness for Mary Ann but also for the miscreant. That be some bad juju.
ReplyDeleteMay the moths that attack the theif's yarn lay eggs that hatch quickly.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope the shawls, at the very least, are recovered.
I've not yet shopped much on etsy, and I'm not big on Ebay, but if Casey gets the photos up on Ravelry, I'll happily add my eyes to those watching both sites.
Might be worth watching Craigslist in the Chicago area, as well.
Unbelievable. So incredibly low. Mary-Ann is an expert in Orenberg lace knitting and this theft is really heartless and stupid in a new vicious way.
ReplyDeleteHere is an example of a shawl she made (that's Mary-Ann modeling it): http://www.windycityknittingguild.com/images/2006.08/IMG_2257.JPG
Not sure if this is a missing one but it shows how wonderfully talented M-A is...
My heart goes out to her and I pray for their return.
Mary Ann was the person who kept me knitting when I had my first child. I mentioned that I might not be knitting much when the baby was born. She was standing there with a cigarette and an attitude and said "I had four children and kept knitting the whole time!"
ReplyDeleteI am full of anger at this thief. ARGH.
That is really awful, and likely it was one of "our people" too.
ReplyDeleteMaybe flogging/scourging should be reserved for fiber felonies...
Well, that just sucks little green turtles.
ReplyDeleteFirst it was the shawl and stuff at MD S&W now this.
I'll one-hundredth the suggestion of asking Casey to front-page it, and also the ebay and etsy suggestions. Seriously - to cherry pick like that suggests some serious inside knowledge.
I'm fairly sure that in the wheel of life that a crime like this requires you to come back as a silkworm. Or a boll weevil. I'd have to consult the authorities on that. The boll weevil may be reserved for those who mess with animals at fiber events.
What a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteYou know.. it probably can't be undone... but Franklin-- I'd be more than glad to re-knit (at least) one of the lace items!... I love lace... and would love to help! Can we get a list of the patterns?
I'm figuring (hoping) insurance will cover the yarn that was stolen-- but knitting can not be replace with $.
If enough of us picked a pattern to re-knit....... we could at least send some love their way!
Let me know- I'd love to help.
Wow. I like to think that knitters are better than that. So sad.
ReplyDeleteDH2B agrees with me: what a rotten, nasty, evil thing to do.
ReplyDeleteWe'll be keeping our eyes peeled here in Madison, WI in case the jerk tries (like others have) to unload their loot here.
And many hugs to Mary Ann.
Holy f**k. Sorry for the profanity, but wow. I don't live near Chi-town, but if I did and I had any kind of an inkling who did this, you bet your ass I'd be stalking them with those Size 0 knitpicks.
ReplyDeleteKarma is a bitch and I hope she bites him/her right in the fracking ass.
OMG I cant believe someone would do that. I'm not going to wish anything on them though. The sword of Democles hangs above them. Thats all I'm going to say about that.
ReplyDeleteWhat an utterly stupid thief.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't s/he know that stealing yarn and knitting of that caliber is just about equal to an art heist, where the goods are so hot that nobody will touch them??
I fell so bad for Mary Ann. When I had my yarn shop, I had a pair of socks stolen once....I cannot imagine losing all those shawls.
By any chance does she have a record of the dye lot numbers on any of the skeins? That way if they do turn up on eBay she would have evidence that they are stolen merchandise, and might even be able to get the police to investigate further.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Meg ... Ebay, Craigslist and the like are the places to monitor. It's really outrageous and such a sad commentary on the world we live in.
ReplyDeleteMy jaw just dropped. I confess to a little bamboo envy now and then... but a knitter who's stealing? That seems so strange -- not to mention awful.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do wonder what poor Mary Ann said to explain everything to the police.
I hope someone's keeping an eye on ebay?
OMG! That's insane!
ReplyDeleteKnittersniche.com belongs to an LYS in Michigan, so you'll have to give your condolences (and business) in person.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, Stitches Midwest starts tomorrow in the Chicago area. Is there anywhere there someone could unload that yarn and those garments without being a registered vendor? Like a swap area?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure people are watching Ebay, Craigslist and Etsy, but I'd be more worried about somebody selling quickly before word gets out. Unless, of course, it's personal, which is what it sounds like.
I agree that pictures of some of the stolen works would be helpful. I'll bet if the thief doesn't try to sell them, eventually she's gonna want to wear one of those stoles somewhere and try to pass it off as her own work.
My karma wish is that she tries it, one of us sees it and gets a picture with a cellphone, and Franklin posts it on his blog. Then she can get carpal tunnel in jail.
That is horrible to hear. I'm shocked a knitter would be so evil.
ReplyDeleteThat is horrible to hear. I'm shocked a knitter would be so evil.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the idea that a knitter did this heinous act. This was done by a thief who happens to knit (or understands the value of the items). A true knitter wouldn't do something like this.
ReplyDeleteI am sick at the thought! Bad Karma indeed...I hope every needle that SOB has is broken and or lost, that dyes run, yarns knot, and more, oh so much more....and that he/she has a heart and at least returns the knitted items intact and in good shape. Better not let other knitters find the asshole!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know.
She should probably start checking places like ebay so see if someone is selling them - that kind of work could probably fetch quite a price. Bastards. It seems to be happening a lot recently as well. I hope she gets them back, though.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable! This is like a mother stealing someone else's child (ok, not *exactly* like that...).
ReplyDeleteOMG, makes me want to grab my Adamas, my Kiri, and my Heartland and hide them! Hide them quick! But the angels that watch over knitters will protect her work, I know. Her beloveds will turn up again, no worse for the adventure. They MUST.
ReplyDeletecowardly piece of shit. That is my personal opinion of this thief. I mean really, who the HELL DOES THAT?
ReplyDeleteI'm clutching my Highland Triangle a bit closer today...HOW DARE THEY?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Franklin! I second all the wishes of bad karma RA...that's what my specific wish is - may the thief's fingers become gelatinous "flippers" that won't process much of anything...
(((hugs)))
Oh, my.
ReplyDeleteThere are NO words.
My heart goes out to the store owner.
And I would gladly give my Carpal Tunnel to the nasty person(s) who did this.
(someone should be watching ebay to see if the items come up for sale??)
VENGEANCE IS MINE SAYETH THE LORD....................................yeah, but can I watch on this one...can I can I????
ReplyDeleteThat's heart-breaking! Even if the yarn isn't recovered I hope the knitted works are.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought there would be a black market for such products? It is a sick compliment that your handiwork is worth risking jail time in somebody's mind.
Mary Ann, my thoughts are with you.
OMG. Words fail me, and that is not something that happens very often!
ReplyDeleteIn addition to etsy and Ravelry, could somebody contact the Arts editor at the biggest Chicago
paper(s) and have them do an article? Knitters will read the ebay and stuff, but put this before the general public also.
All the cuss words and references to karma in the comments? Yeah. Me too.
It may not, necessarily, have been a knitter if she puts price tags on the yarn. It's pretty easy to quickly glance down and see a skein for $4 vs a skein for $20. Though they'd have to be someone who was at least slightly conversant in the cost of fibre to have even made the heist in the first place. Either the friend or acquaintance of a knitter.
ReplyDeleteNot much better than a knitter, but...just sayin. This is...ironic...that this happened right after I get told by my home insurance that they won't insure my fibre even though I have thousands of dollars worth. I hope her insurance will fully cover the loss of the inventory - though there is no way to give her back years worth of effort that went into the stolen pieces.
I will spread the news to my friends and family in the Chicago area to keep their ears to the ground and hope these bastids get what's coming to 'em.
A POX ON THAT YARN! How can someone use that or give those items as gifts or even USE them without expecting bad karma? Well... bad karma is well deserved! Grrrrr!
ReplyDeleteMary Ann is in my thoughts, certainly!
That makes me sick! She is such a nice woman and always willing to help in any way that she can. I've also personally seen most of the finished works that were stolen and they were breathtaking. I hope they find who did this and punish them severely. And I'm with you on the karmic curses. I'll add my thought power to yours and maybe it will work.
ReplyDeleteUnfathomonable that someone could sink this low. Even worse to think it is a "knitter" who knows the time and love that goes into each piece of knitting. I hope this crime is solved and the perpetrator brought to justice.
ReplyDeleteMay there person who did this rot in acrylic hell for all eternity.
ReplyDelete(Not to diss acrylic, but would you want that to be the only yarn you saw forever?)
This is very disturbing. Somehow, I naively came to think of my fellow knitters as people who share the same values and ethics as I. This shows how wrong I was. I wonder what makes a person so desperate to steal such a large amount of yarn and someone else's hard work.
ReplyDeleteI've posted this in several Ravelry groups. Hopefully it will reach as many Chicago dwellers as possible. ;_;
ReplyDeleteIs there a mailing address so we can send her stuff? You know, help her re-stock? I couldn't think of a better way to help someone and help de-stash at the same time. I don't have Misti Alpacha, but I'll send what I do have.
I'm so sorry that people gave you crap for trying to do a good deed. :(
ReplyDeleteI wish for the theives a HUGE boil on their butt(s), head lice, a wart on their nose(s) dandruff, and toenail fungus, for the rest of their natural lives.
ReplyDeletebastards. I hope there's a special kind of hell waiting for people who stoop that low.
ReplyDeleteFirst, may the worst Karma humans have known befall the person(s) involved. Second, I hope Mary Ann will search the webs sites where people sell their wares. She may find her things there. One can hope.
ReplyDeleteJust when I think I've heard it all!
ReplyDeleteMy condolences to Mary Ann. That is a terrible loss. I hope that the community succeeds in hunting down the culprit and recovering the shawls. It does sound like a personal attack to me.
ReplyDeletejannedoe brought up an interesting point. What would be helpful to Mary Ann? I don't know if yarn that's been in my stash would be useful to her - however well I may have kept it - but certainly some of it came from my purchases there. Her shop is in one of the neighborhoods where I have a long, long history. I would want to help my neighbor!
ReplyDeleteWill you let us know if there's a meaningful way to help?
UNBELIEVABLE!
ReplyDeleteIt is true , Karma is a Bitch and that is why they don't need your wishes for moth and worse .
ReplyDeleteI hope that they enjoy the harvest of their evil action.
Because as you know if we enjoy a negative thought, word or action then Karma is not a Bitch...no, it turns into a Pack of Bitches......we really don't need to get involved; Karma takes care of things in ways we cannot even imagine.....jejeje..
My heart goes out to the shop owner. My prayers are with her for the recovery of her items.
ReplyDeleteI hope whoever did this breaks out in an incurable itch just touching the fiber or shawls. Anyone who recieves any of these items knowingly is also included in that wish.
What an awful thing. I think you were very canny to put up an alert post to knitters who might be able to watch out for some of the things. I hope the creep or creeps is/are caught. Perhaps it's the same person who took Clara Parkes's shawl in Maryland (I think that's where it was.)
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this to help get the word out.
ReplyDeleteand I CANNOT believe that people would have the nerve to e-mail you for not posting "properly"...on your own blog...
:)
The only people I can even begin to imagine doing such a horrific thing are Dick Cheney and Carl Rove. And they look crappy in lace. :(
ReplyDeletesomeone may have said this already, but new sellers on ebay selling good stuff should be greeted with much suspicion..... grrrr
ReplyDeletethieves are nasty
i just don't get it AT ALL - it just blows me away!
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised... This happened to me last year at Rhinebeck (2007). I had a shawl stolen off my arm. It was entrelac & I had spent MONTHS knitting it... It is hard to believe that people who understand the hard work involved can actually STEAL it... sad... so sad...
ReplyDeleteOuch, ouch, ouch. My sympathies to Mary Ann. I'm glad that others suggested watching ebay and etsy, but may I also suggest someone contact the second hand stores, vintage clothing, and arts/crafts consignment places also if possible?
ReplyDeleteI'm new to the blog, and really enjoying it.
A hui ho, Franklin
Lisa Louie
Kahului, Maui
tropicalknits@aol.com
How horrible for Mary Ann and her shop. Hers was the second shop in Chicagoland I ever stepped foot inside of (the first being the now-closed Yarn Boutique that was on the 3400 N block of Halsted, right at ground zero! LOL).
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memory of my first visit was of Mary Ann out front, leaning against the buliding and smoking. As we entered the store, she said to ask her if we had any questions, and that she'd be back inside after she finished her ciggie. Bwahahah!
And yeah, I hope for removal of fingers for the culprits--by pliers, one by one
Thanks for all the support. I'm trying to see if there are some pictures. Most of the shawls taken were done in the last year so I'm not sure there are any pictures. My digital camera went haywire but I have the memory card and am going to see if the ones taken were photographed.
ReplyDeleteI've been chacking ebay, Craigslist and etsy. The hardest part is that those shawls were 20% of the shawls that I'd be showing at the East Lakeview Art show. I'm knitting as fast as my 10 fingers will go but there is no way I'll be able to complete more than the 2I'm working on right now.
However I do want to thank everyone for the support they have shown me and my shop.
Mary-Ann
Yes, 'trend' might be apt. Ysolda's Elijah was recently stolen from K1 as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad - yarn is replaceable, and insured, but the shawls aren't - but I guess the lesson is that knitters are people just like everyone else. Whether they deserve to have their hands crippled by carpal tunnels, I am not so sure. If, indeed, 'karma is a bitch', we should all be sincerely pitying them.
Wow, there was all that that happened in MD and NH, too, I believe. Crap. It's everywhere, I guess. Crap again.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad situation, and this is inappropriate (maybe), but I just get such a charge out of your sense of humor, and your last quip, followed by "Thanks!" just sent me into spasms of giggles. XO
Special corner of hell, just for them...
ReplyDeleteI am appalled...
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the heartbreak of looking at customers (who also become friends) and wondering if they were the ones that did this---because I promise you, it looks far too close to home.
Under normal circumstances, I don't curse folks but---may the fleas of 1000 camels land directly in their hair--and may they have arms too short to scratch.
Also---as the Chinese say so well---May the culprit live forever in "Interesting times."
Thinking like a vendor here...Are there any new yarn shops in say a 20 mile radius? Stealing the yarn would boost inventory and the shawls would be shop models without the 'work'.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought....Debi
I'm still undergoing growing pains in my own knitting, so reading about this heinousness made my heart ache.
ReplyDeleteYou can be sure it wasn't a theft by someone who was HUNGRY. It was by someone who was ENVIOUS. Shame on them.
I am so saddened to hear about the situation. I was horrified to hear that someone would break into a store and do that.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe that someone would steal from Rhinebeck. But this is even worse.
I wish Mary Ann had pics so anyone local and beyond could keep an eye out for these items. It is truly discouraging that anyone would steal someone's hard work & time when they had an understanding of the craft.
A post on Canspin (Canadian Spinners chat group) noted a lace shawl was for sale on Esty for a ridiculous low price - can you identify it? I don't really know what Esty is - but perhaps someone who can identify the shawls does?
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with people? When they catch them, they should take them out behind the dumpster and beat the crap out of them! I am fervently praying that everything is found and returned in good condition soon!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shocking theft. My best wishes to Mary Ann - and I sincerely hope that everything is returned intact.
ReplyDeleteI think what happened to Mary Ann is horrible.
ReplyDeleteI don't think, however, that she is lovably gruff. She's downright rude to crocheters, and she gave me inaccurate advice on crochet (on so many occasions I decided to never return to her shop). Basically, her advice was that crochet is bad and it's impossible to crochet clothing.
So, again - what happened to her is horrible. But let's not saint her simply because someone stole from her.
and to the people who call on Karma... well, if you believe in it so much, is it possible that Mary Ann had something coming her way? I don't think either is the case (that Mary Ann had bad karma OR that the person who stole from her now does), but I don't know how one separates the two when one DOES call on "karma"...?
Our home was broken into last year-while we were home. The theft from the yarn shop is wierdly more upsetting. While the thief took my husband's computer and my smart phone, it was sad. I heard something at 3am, ran down to the kitchen in my undies and there were coldcuts at the kitchen table and a chair pulled out. The back door was closing as I got to the kitchen. Sad, but fancy shawl stealing gives me such an angry feeling- not neccessary.
ReplyDeleteA pox on the yarn thief! I bet the entire therapeutic act of knitting will be ruined for this sad, warped person forever. I hope so.
ReplyDeleteNow that just takes the cake! When you have to steal yarn. Come on now! I hope the yarn thief is caught! Maybe the police need to check that on-line selling site that is so popular that begins with an "E" to see if anything has been posted. May the yarn Gods retaliation be severe.
ReplyDeleteOh such a shame! I remember how I felt when someone stole my headphones, I can't imagine how she felt to have all that yarn and the years of knitted projects taken. Especially to know it was obviously a fellow yarn lover.
ReplyDeleteI hope the yarn is recovered soon.
stealing has been the sad side of mankind for centuries... that it should be so meaningless, selfish and greedy is another story. this is a good reason to take the time to use a camera to document what you have and to help others SEE what it is and what it looks like. the thief will get their "just due" eventually but in the meanwhile... my condolences to Mary Ann. i hope she will stay busy and forget this miserable event. "good deeds will wipe away the bad, and GOOD thoughts keeps a tidy mind"
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