Back in May, I had the opportunity to visit three yarn stores that are farther afield than I normally travel. First, I went to Little Tabby Yarns in Moore, OK. Then I visited the McKinney Knittery in McKinney, TX. The final store I visited was Sealed with a Kiss in Guthrie, OK (link to website), which is a little bit north of Oklahoma City. All three were wonderful to visit, and each had its own personality. Little Tabby and the Knittery both have a very open layout and take advantage of big windows and natural light. Little Tabby feels like a place to go and sit and relax in the afternoon. The Knittery has the feel of a beautiful boutique. But Sealed with a Kiss (FB page) is more what I think of when I imagine a yarn store.
Guthrie, OK is a small town just off Interstate 35, north of Oklahoma City. Sealed with a Kiss is in the middle of Guthrie's historic downtown area, which is beautiful. Like the Knittery, Sealed with a Kiss (YouTube channel) is located in the midst of boutiques and the higher end stores of Guthrie. However, when you walk into Sealed with a Kiss (Pinterest), the store doesn't capitalize on natural light the way the other two do. It has plenty of light, but that's not part of the feeling you come away with. Instead, the owner has laid out the displays to make the shop feel small and cozy--a place you could get lost in on a cold or wet day. The shelves are also laid out to create multiple pathways, making it feel like there's always something you haven't seen yet. Sealed with a Kiss (IG) is the lair of a dragon who hoards beautiful yarns, and it's a pleasure to be there in a way wholly different from how I enjoyed Tabby Yarns or the Knittery. Sealed with a Kiss (TikTok) has been around for over thirty years, and you can feel it in the comfortable, unhurried ambience of the place.
You can't really get the feel of it from the photo I took, unfortunately. The photo is from just inside the front door, and the shelf on the right-hand side has a corridor that goes behind it to the displays on the right-hand wall. Beyond the displays is the sizeable sale counter. That's also where they keep a surprising selection of handbags, a beautiful button collection that I sadly did not think to photograph, and embroidery and cross stitch supplies. According to their website, they also sell a variety of acid dyes. I didn't notice them in the store, probably because I wasn't looking, but it's good to know about.
Sealed with a Kiss is mostly focused on wool yarns but not necessarily sock yarns. They do have a good selection of sock yarns (including the self-striping type), but their emphasis lies with heavier weights. They also carry a large selection of Rowan yarns. And despite carrying a lot of higher end yarns, Sealed with a Kiss also carries a reasonable selection of lower priced wools and acrylics.
I bought a skein of Sirdar's Jewelspun, which I'm using for my current project (and next pattern), and a skein of locally dyed sock yarn from HowdyDo Yarns, in a brilliant blue that reminds me of summer skies in Montana. I had a wonderful time during my short visit, and a truly had difficulty narrowing down what I wanted to buy. I very much look forward to a return trip.
This post has been linked to HIH, Busy Monday, Senior Salon, Inspire Me Monday, WITS, Wonderful Wednesday, The Stitchin' Mommy, Thursday Favorite Things, and Create-It!
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