Interview with The Knitting Loft Founders : Bruna & Maria
The Knitting Loft is yarn heaven for the dreamers, creators, and of course, the knitting enthusiasts. Located in Toronto, Canada, the shop features a modern aesthetic, and unique selection, including indie dyes, natural fibre, and rustic yarns coming in all colours of the rainbow. Maria at The Knitting Loft approached us in 2020 for our Store Design Essentials Package - in order to maximize their inventory and create a space that was beautiful, functional and reflected their desired aesthetic.
Let us introduce you to the founders, a powerhouse mother-daughter duo, Bruna & Maria, who have elevated your ordinary yarn shop experience with a knitting café.
Read on to discover more about The Knitting Loft!
Tell us about the moment you both decided to execute your idea into fruition. How did you start The Knitting Loft?
My mom dreamt of opening a yarn shop for many years before it actually became a reality. In 2017, I was looking to change career paths and my dad found a vacant shop that he brought to our attention. Out of curiosity, we went to go check it out, but within a week the space was rented by someone else. Although we were disappointed, it was that feeling that showed us this was really something we wanted. So! We started planning and concept building, and by 2018 we opened our Brick & Mortar.
What is your curation process when selecting yarns to sell at the shop?
My mom has an impressive eye and talent for yarn selection that neither she nor I can explain. I credit it to 30+ years of being genuinely and deeply passionate about every kind of fibre.
A lot of the time she just needs to touch a product to know its quality - she really is a fibre connoisseur in that way. The final test is knitting with it, which ultimately determines if it's something we'll feature in store.
Which is your most popular product? What makes it unique?
Spincycle Yarns, (especially Dyed in the Wool), continues to be one of our most popular products. While there are many things that make this yarn unique, the colours are truly one of a kind, taking you on a creative journey that lets you enjoy the process of knitting, as much as the finished product.
A key differentiating feature of The Knitting Loft is the knitting café. Tell us more about its origin and purpose.
While my mom and I discovered that we had many different ideas for the shop, having a communal space was something we both had in common - a vision to create something that felt experiential, rather than transactional. The café just felt like a natural feature at that point!
How has the redesign of your space helped in the overall customer experience?
The redesign of our space has boosted the overall 'wow' factor of The Knitting Loft. Especially being in the yarn/knitting industry, it's important to us that the vibe of the shop is modern and different from the stereotypical expectation. Nickeisha has done an incredible job executing that vision.
What is your favourite part of the store and why?
We absolutely love our feature wall, "Dare to Dream". It's become a focal point of the shop, and reminds us every day that this shop exists because of my mom's courage to follow her dream and passion.
What was the most crucial part of the design process for you?
Nickeisha's genuine care to understand and clarify our vision. I knew we found the right designer when she took the time to learn about our brand, and what we wanted, so that she could bring that vision to life in a meaningful way.
Colour blocking is incredibly important in your merchandising! How do you find having your visual merchandising organized this way has impacted your sales?
My mom has always been in charge of the yarn displays - especially since having an eye for colour never came as naturally to me! Watching her over these last 4 years create fades through our displays, and unique colour sets has not only been inspiring to me, but very interesting to see how customers interact with those displays. Especially when colour selection is such an important part of fibre arts, it's exciting when our displays simplify that process, sometimes making selection mindless and effortless.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to open up a retail shop?
Be honest about the workload, and why you want to open a retail shop! While it all worked out for the best, I would have appreciated a more balanced mindset going in, so that I didn't feel like a failure every time there was a hiccup, or challenging moment.
Tell us about your upcoming workshops and events, or anything you have planned next!
We are going to be re-opening our café this year and are so excited after this two-year pause due to COVID. That means our seating area will be back in full swing, and our community members can actually hangout in our newly designed space! Stay in the loop and sign up to our newsletter, or follow us on instagram @theknittingloft, where we'll be sure to post new announcements!
For more information about The Knitting Loft click here.
672 Wilson Ave. Toronto, ON
