Patsy Engelhard poses for a portrait inside Knit1 oxford.
Photo courtesy of Logan Kirkland | The Daily Mississippian
Patsy Engelhard, owner of Knit1 Oxford on the Square, said her yarn shop is different from most retail stores because knitting is more than just a hobby.
“It’s not that we are selling a product,” Engelhard said. “We are selling an art form.”
Engelhard said her business provides a place both for people to learn and improve their art and for people to share their lives.
“In some ways a yarn shop like ours can become a community center,” Engelhard said.
Engelhard said she feels her store is important because it presents artists with a creative space to refine both their creative process and final product.
“I feel very strongly that the yarn shop serves a purpose of not just supplying people with what they need to knit, but in keeping the craft alive,” Engelhard said.
Knit1 Oxford teaches beginner knitting classes as well as felting classes, which do not require any knowledge of knitting. Knit1 Oxford also provides a spinning class that teaches how to create your own yarn.
“Knitting is a very basic craft,” Engelhard said. “You can make extraordinary pieces.”
The shop puts on two big events each year: a fashion show presenting all that has been created by knitters in the Oxford community and a fiber festival.
Engelhard said the fiber festival gives the community an opportunity to meet local and national artists with the finest hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn.
“Everyone is invited, and everyone should come,” Engelhard said.
Engelhard said Knit1 Oxford pays close attention to the yarns it provides for customers because they will spend their time and creative energy in something that is special to them or given as a gift.
“I think the yarn itself can make the creative process that much richer,” Engelhard said. “It enriches the whole process if the yarn itself has a story.”
Knit1 Oxford carries many different brands of yarn, some provided by local vendors. Engelhard personally investigates sources of yarn and frequently elects to swap for new vendors.
Before purchasing yarn, Engelhard looks into a company’s story, production technique and size.
Generally, she prefers organic, hand-dyed or fair-trade products.
“It’s those types of adjectives that catch our attention,” Engelhard said.
Lynn Wells, an employee at Knit1 Oxford, said she loves every part of the store because of the atmosphere, the people who work in the store and those who come in for business.
“There’s a warm fuzzy feeling,” Wells said.
Wells said knitting became a habit for her that produced rhythm and a relaxing meditation.
“I can’t stand to go a day without knitting,” Wells said. “It gets myself organized.”
Wells encourages everyone to learn how to knit because it is something that has been passed down not only through generations, but also through centuries.
“It is a literal thread that runs through our community and it makes us all a part of the same community,” Wells said. “How can you not love that?”
Senior marketing major Kirbie Tingle said she does not knit, but she thinks the store has strong qualities that will make it successful.
“I’ve never really thought of knitting before, but this store will do well,” Tingle said. “Sororities do crafting, and going to this store would be a great idea.”
According to Engelhard, knitting is something anyone with the desire can do.
“It can be very affordable, and still be very special,” Engelhard said. “You get to make something that is different from everybody else.”
