Lois of Jenny Wren

What's your shop called? Is there a story behind the name?

We named the shop Jenny Wren's Yarns after my Nan, whose nickname was Jenny Wren as she was such a busy little lady. She was also a great knitter and I have memories of her knitting clothes for my dolls as well as for me and my sister when we were younger.

Where is your shop and what is the neighbourhood like?

Our shop is in The Saints part of Ipswich, on St Peters Street, just outside the town centre. The street itself is full of independent shops, boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants. It is also one of the oldest and most unchanged parts of Ipswich and is still largely unchanged from photos of 100 years ago with it's mix of Tudor and Victorian buildings still really well preserved.

Who works at your shop?

I run the shop with the help of my part-time staff member Kate who works with me on Saturdays and on Monday too. My mum can also be found helping out occasionally as needs be, and when she isn't travelling on board Doris, her canal boat!

What makes your shop special?

We try and stock yarns that you wouldn't normally expect to find in more mainstream yarn shops. We try and focus mainly on natural fibres like wool, alpaca, silk and cotton and also on British brands such as West Yorkshire Spinners and Baa Ram Ewe. We have a lovely light shop with floor to ceiling windows across the front which makes picking your colours really easy....or really hard as we have so many to chose from. We love colour and try to fill the shop with as many shades of each yarn we carry as we can possibly squeeze onto the shelves!

jwy shop

What are your most popular yarns?

Sock yarn is always popular, with Opal and WYS being the best selling brands as well as Coop Knits Socks Yeah which we have stocked since she launched. Rico Creative Cotton also sells very well as it has such a great range of colours.

Do you have a knitting group? When do they meet?

Our knit group meets at the shop twice a week, Fridays 12 - 2pm and Wednesdays 2 - 4pm.

What's your favourite piece of knitting advice?

Don't be too hard on yourself! Learn as you go and if you make a mistake you can always unravel it and try again. Making mistakes is the best way to learn, we've all been there!

Address: Jenny Wren's Yarns 14 St Peters Street, Ipswich IP1 1XB

Phone number: 01473 805208

Website: www.jennywrensyarns.co.uk

Email: hello@jennywrensyarns.co.uk

Twitter: @jennywrensyarns

Facebook: jennywrensyarns

Instagram: jennywrensyarns

Ravelry: JennyWrensYarns