A Fine Move

In November, Maxcine Degouttes moved her yarn shop to a new location. Stitch Therapy now shares a beautiful space with Brooklyn Mercantile in Park Slope at 335 5th Avenue. Maxcine, Brandy and Tamara paused for a photo.

Getting the place ready was a minor Herculean task of rearranging, but after only a few days both shops were up and running with barely a hitch. Two shops under one punched-tin ceiling offer fine yarns, and quality fabrics & trims.

Handmade throw pillows and quilts invite you on a treasure hunt through exquisite bolts of fabric and spools of trim. Brooklyn Mercantile is more than a notion shop. Tamara Lee has a beautiful collection of fabrics for upholstery and drapery as well as wares that will lend an accent to any home — antique coat hooks, note cards, wire baskets, essential oils, and scented candles. Brooklyn Mercantile also holds sewing classes in the basement studio.

Stitch Therapy's cubbies are stocked with jewel tone colors that brighten those somber winter days. Luxury yarns like Cupcake are yummy, and Chiara and Noro satisfy your appetite. The new poly-fiber blends are perfect for a beginner's wallet. Books and magazines perk your interest while you settle in the comfy chair as knit hats and sweaters spy from above. Always in demand, knitting needles, crochet hooks, and stitch markers sit conveniently on the counter in baskets. Liberty Print project bags hang on a Shaker peg rack. Maxcine's mother makes them for the store.

Maxcine loves the new hold-everything counter that I built to outfit her space. She worked out the traffic patterns and customer flow to figure out the dimensions. I lightly stained the birch to bring out its natural burl, and to blend in with Stitch Therapy's other furniture. The light honey colored scheme contrasts with Brooklyn Mercantile's dark wood setting.

The counter is made from furniture grade birch ply topped with a solid maple butcher block surface. The maple is raw but buffed, the birch is finished with 8 coats of water-based urethane — satin smooth, durable, and stroller-proof.

It almost holds everything: cash register, laptop, printer, books & magazines, needles & hooks, shopping bags, business files... etc. Mostly of all it plays well in the new environment.