Foraging For Fiber - Seaside Yarn and Fiber

Seaside Yarn and Fiber has been on my list of musts for the past year. If the hospital is slow and I can slip away early, I always check my google maps to estimate my commute time in hopes that I can slide in really quick before closing. Truth be told, half the time, I KNOW that I won’t make it, but a girl can dream. Right? 

My dream of visiting this shop finally took hold when we took in our pup Devan. At the time, I needed an excuse to visit the beach, and since I also wanted to see Seaside Yarn and Fiber, I thought, why the hell not? 

 

When we drove into town, I was in awe. Broadway center was so cute and filled with all sorts of shops. I’m a storefront slut, and I will visit each shop even if I have no intention of buying. So you bet your sweet butt I was thinking about ‘echandome un taco de Ojo.’ 

You may ask, what’s so special about Seaside? Seaside represents every coastal town seen in movies, but that is rarely seen IRL. They have the cute little outdoor food court, the galleries that we can’t afford, and of course, the ice cream and candy shops. And one thing that I wish every coastal town had but didn’t, (because it’s expensive as hell is..) a yarn shop. *queue Seaside Yarn and Fiber* 

The shop's layout is reminiscent of mom-and-pop shops on the east coast with its enormous storefront, bay window, and deep narrow store space filled with all sorts of treasures. 

At the front of the store, you see all of the yarn that the owner and her sister personally dye under their joint label named ‘siren co’; now I’m not sure if this is an homage to mermaids? But if it isn’t, then I am curious about the meaning. Unfortunately, I could not talk to the owner during this visit because she was on leave...buuuuuuut regardless, she had many soft colors representing the coast. Another fascinating aspect of her shop is that she had ready to dye skeins. I mean, how cool would it be if every knit shop had this type of section? I only know of shop owners who have a secret stash that you have to ask for. 

Another huge plus is that they had shop-specific swag. When I was younger, I didn’t think this was cool, but as an adult who takes great pride in visiting all the stores, I think this practice is fabulous. 

If you ever have the pleasure of visiting, you will also conclude that this shop owner is a fiber enthusiast. I say this because she carries all of the important stuff. She has all of the materials you would need, from blocking mats, wooden cable stitch holders, various knitting books, and other fiber project kits (felting) to all of the brands of yarn that you could want! HHM, Dream in Color, malabrigo...you name it. 

Unfortunately, I am sad to report that there was only one thing that I was sad about...the small sheep that were not for sale. :( SSYF had the cutest little sheep stationed around the shop, and when they caught my eye, I immediately grabbed them and checked for a price tag, only to see that they were not for sale. *sad* 

Silly anecdotes aside, I hope you folks take the time to travel the Oregon Coast, and if you happen to make a knit map, please visit Seaside Yarn and Fiber. And in the meantime, you can also visit their website or follow their Instagram because they always have good sales. So get on it, peeps!!!