A Chat With The Owner: 9 Years of Apricot Yarn & Supply

In preparation of our 9th anniversary as a San Diego local yarn shop, Sadie & owner Sara sat down to chat about the big milestone, trying new things, and building an atmosphere where new & experienced makers can learn from each other.

Sadie: We're coming up on 9 years in business. 9 years is a long time! What makes you excited about running your local yarn shop?

Sara: Well, I really just like a shop atmosphere. Curating the new selection is really fun for me. I get excited to try new yarn when we get it in, and see how other people try it, touch it, all that. And the hands-on help that we do every day, the teaching part, is fun, where I'm helping other people become better at knitting or crochet. And I teach a lot of people to learn to knit and to crochet. I see people go from their first day learning to knit to a finished project. They walk in and choose their own yarn, and after we we wind it, the next time we see them is with the finished piece. And I was the person who got them started!

"And I was the person who got them started!"

My favorite part is helping people, like teaching a new increase style or working through a design element that's hard for them, showing them how to read a chart... because I feel like those are the things that make people not want to make the project they really do want.

Prepping for Local Yarn Store Day, April 2026

Sadie: So what is your "trying something new" philosophy?

Sara: I feel like that's the best way to learn something, to try something new. There's always a project with enough of a challenge to make it... interesting, a little difficult, but not overwhelming. I like to encourage people to find something they really want, and that creates the motivation they'll need to get through the hard parts.

Sadie: Like something they want to wear?

Sara: Yeah, like the end product, because that's how I'm motivated. I've said that to a lot of people when we work together, and once we figure out a technique, it's like they can add it to their toolkit. They no longer have to rely on us, and it builds confidence every time they're able to do something on their own.

Sara's My First Raglan by Pickles Knits

Sadie: Okay. I wanted to ask you about this multicolor sweater [pictured above]. How many strands did you combine to make this?

I feel like you don't operate with a lot of creative constraints... like when you're thinking this is something new or a little bit out of my comfort zone, I'm just gonna try it - see what happens.

Sara: I don't really have any inhibitors like that for myself. I don't feel like I can't do a colorwork sweater, or a weird construction technique in a garment or anything like that. Even though it's line by line and I do have to follow a chart, colorwork is kind of like looking at a color by number. Whereas lace and cables, they're more technique focused. The only thing that I really hesitate with is lace.

For example, I want to do a full cable sweater, and I haven't done that yet. But it's not because I'm worried about not being able to do it. A lot of the time I spend knitting, it's because I need that chill out, make your hands move kind of thing.

"A lot of the time I spend knitting, it's because I need that chill out, make your hands move kind of thing."

For that sweater specifically, I had enough three skeins of white I knew I could use as a base. I used two other strands of scrap yarn, just random stuff, for the rest. Lots of little bits and bobs or mini skeins that I put together. This was a fun one, just because it was a big canvas that I could go nuts on and not have to worry about making a mistake.

First Friday Stitch Social, April 2026

Sadie: I feel like what you value for the shop, a big part of it at least, is just seeing people go through their whole process. There's people who find something they like and they're great at, and they make that something a lot, and there's some people who want to try anything and everything they can. That's cool.

Sara: Yes, and it's not just about teaching people to get started with us. There's also a ton of super experienced knitters that come in the shop. People who worked at the fashion designer level, and some who learned as children and have been knitting for 50 years. Having this atmosphere is really amazing, because I'm always learning, both from the people I've helped and from those who are already much more knowledgeable than I am in the world of knitting and crochet.

"...this atmosphere is really amazing, because I'm always learning..." 

Surrounding yourself with other people who really enjoy what you do, what you enjoy doing, that is really fulfilling.

In The Studio with one of our Emotional Support Chickens