April 2019: Knit House on Main, Julie Stanton, Owner

Welcome to our newest chamber member, Knit House on Main. Owner Julie Stanton has been knitting since her grandmother taught her how to create a yellow headband at age nine. 

Although she took some years off knitting during high school and college, she got back into the craft in her early 30s while watching her young son play baseball.

In 2018, Julie, her husband, Andrew, and their Havanese dog, Grover, moved from a Mill Valley house to a Tiburon apartment that overlooks the bay. “I wanted to be on the water, and I love it,” she says. 

One day last June, while walking Grover, she saw the For Lease sign at 32 Main Street. As soon as she looked in, she knew it was the perfect spot for her to open a knitting shop. She signed the contract for the 1,200-square-foot space and began the renovation.

Eight months later, on Valentine’s Day, Knit House held its Grand Opening. Wasting no time in becoming an active member of the community, the Chamber of Commerce’s February mixer was held in the new shop. 

Knit House carries 120 kinds of yarn, sourced from all over the world, and works with 30 different yarn companies. Yarns run from $10 per skein on up to $50 each. In addition, Knit House sells every type of knitting accessory possible, from needles to buttons and from patterns to zippered pouches.

One entire wall is covered in a rainbow of yarns. Every color imaginable in all weights can be found here with choices from cashmere, alpaca and linen to wool, bamboo and camel, plus more. 

Master knitter Chiaki Hayashi, who has taught all over the Bay Area, will now teach here, exclusively. She offers both beginning classes ($40/hr.) and private classes ($40/hr. or $20/1/2 hr.). She also has started project-based classes ($40) where everyone makes the same item, changing every other month.

Most popular is “The Knit Table,” held every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and every other Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. There is a limit of eight people, and the cost is $20. The instructor will answer any questions and help fix any knitting problems you may have. 

Knit Night is a free, drop-in session, held each Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. There is no instruction, no charge and no sign-up required. Just come, knit and chat.

Registration is required for all but Knit Night. Call, send an e-mail or drop into the store to save your spot. 

Future plans are to bring in experts to speak on all subjects of knitting, have authors of knitting books come to talk, and to have the shop host social events. Trunk shows have already begun. Various yarn companies send finished pieces of clothing for display in the store, made from yarn that particular business carries. 

An alcove in the store is the “library,” where comfy chairs welcome visitors who can read some of the nearby knitting books or look over various patterns while sipping fresh-made coffee. 

Stop by Knit House and meet Julie Stanton and her staff. You might be tempted to start knitting yourself.

“Anyone can learn to knit,” Julie says, “if they want to.”