Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the Week: Get Knitted
Stepping into Get Knitted immediately opens up a world of possibility. Colourful reels and woolly creations are spread over every inch of the walls and there is the feeling that anything you imagine can be created, provided that it’s fashioned from yarn.
The dedicated knitting shop in Brislington opened just over ten years ago having previously only sold online, and a lot has changed in the knitting scene since.
Every inch of the shop is full of creations
“When we opened there really weren’t many similar shops around, it just wasn’t that popular,” says shop assistant Becky Murray (pictured top). “The yarns were a bit uninspired so there was a real gap in the market. We started purely online and we’ve had to evolve over the years due to demand.”
is needed now More than ever
From the knitted shawl draped around Becky’s neck, you can see that she is passionate about everything involving wool. When she isn’t manning the shop or helping to pack online orders, she spends her time dreaming up new designs to create and sell in the shop.
In every space that isn’t taken up by stock, there are handcrafted amigurumi (Japanese knitted dolls), blankets, clothes and more, stitching Get Knitted together into a woolly wonderland.
Just a few of the designs created at the store, including the popular amigurumi dolls
Knitting is all about talking to people, Becky tells me. “We want to give the best service. People can buy yarn in all sorts of ways nowadays but it’s the kind of thing where you generally need to ask questions. Even the most able crotcheters need a little help or a chat sometimes.”
Knitting has been experiencing something of a resurgence, with the popularity of yarn-bombing and an increasing number of young people getting involved.
“We’re probably at the height of it now,” Becky says. “Famous people are sharing that they do it, a lot of men are doing it, and people are getting so creative now. With social media, you can design something and instantly inspire people across the world, it’s amazing.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BU9DJKbDzLp/?hl=en&taken-by=getknittedbristol
Bristol is a great place to get involved in public displays of knitting, with events and large projects happening all the time, such as the recent crocheted crocodile and buoy at the SS Great Britain. While Becky doesn’t have the time to get involved she loves the idea of it.
“Just today we had a lady come in who is knitting covers for the bollards outside her house. She recently did a Doctor Who-themed one. She’s working on a new project now and I’ve seen the plans but am sworn to secrecy.”
Becky adds: “We have a really diverse group of people come in. We get people who are knitting for charity, people who take their creations to art shows. And we are getting more and more men. We have lots of new knitters all the time.”
Get Knitted, 33 Brislington Hill, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 5BE
0117 300 5211
Read more: Meet the Bristol knitwear designer pushing boundaries
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