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Another incredibly special and quite exclusive store in Sacramento that I somehow have only visited once or twice long ago, and which I've not really appreciate until now. I'm so glad that I have finally paid a meaningful visit to Rumpelstiltskin Yarn Store recently.
Rumpelstiltskin, located on the R St corridor, is quite a long-standing establishment in Sacramento that has been providing the Sacramento fiber art community with supplies and knowledge for over 50 years! Rumpelstiltskin sells a wide selection of high-quality yarns, fiber art tools, and other supplies for crocheting, knitting, spinning, and weaving, so there's definitely a great variety of products offered here for various interests.
Perhaps because the skill level of my two fiber art hobbies, crocheting and knitting, are quite elementary and have not improved much over the years, I've so far had all my yarn needs met at the more conventional arts and crafts stores of the big box variety. But as I am getting more serious about my yarn hobbies, I'm now interested in finding stores that offer more specialized products and even provide classes that will help me improve in my crafts skills.
I am also looking to connect more with the fiber art community in Sacramento because my venture into joining that community so far has shown me how warm and welcoming fiber artists are and it is totally possible to learn from seasoned hobbyists and pros/teachers if one puts their mind to it. I've even connected with some very local yarn enthusiasts at my local library and I'm sure they all have visited Rumpelstiltskin.
On this visit, I saw lots of exclusive brands and types of yarn made of much better material than I'm used to using. From basic wool to more specialized Merino, Alpaca, and Shetland, there were many different kinds available. One I particular liked was the cashmere wool which felt heavenly. I learned that Rumpelstiltskin makes it a point to partner with fiber farms and other small boutique fiber suppliers to source yarn and other fiber products that are not only exclusive, but that are truly local and US-made as much as possible.
Rumpelstiltskin even shares the stories behind each brand they carry and even hosts "Farm to Needle" events to introduce some of their thoughtfully curated products that are specially selected for their quality and uniqueness. As such I noticed that the prices of their products are definitely several times higher than that of regular arts and crafts stores, but again Rumpelstiltskin sells really high-quality yarns and supplies. I did not have any questions for staff during my visit, but I saw a class taking place and noticed that besides the looks of concentration, it was smiles all around as everyone was really enjoying their class, so I'm also going to look into taking a class or joining in one of Rumpelstiltskin's events.
Just from a quick glance at their website, I see offerings of beginner's knitting classes for adults and kids, an embroidery intro class, a felted slippers class which sounds super interesting and practical, a sweater class for those who are ready for bigger projects, and even basket coiling, spindle spinning, spinning wheel, and weaving classes. Besides the classes that have costs associated and private lessons for those who want 1:1 instruction, there are also monthly and periodic free knitting circles for kids and social stitch events.
I did not interact with staff today, so I can't speak on customer service, but maybe on a future shopping trip, I'll hopefully be helped if needed. In short, Rumpelstiltskin really is a wonderful staple in the Sacramento community for fiber art beginners, hobbyists, and pro-level enthusiasts alike and I'm so glad I know more about Rumpelstiltskin now so I can feel comfortable to come back for higher-quality yarn and supplies for more serious projects as well as for classes and events to connect with our local fiber art community.
