50 Years of Crafts and Camaraderie: The Flying Needles

Jill Jubelt knitted the beginnings of a dark brown vest as she sat at a long table inside Flying Needles, a needlepoint and knitting shop in Belleair Bluffs.

“When times are hard, people go back to comforting things, not just comfort food,” she said.

Phyllis Glass, of Clearwater, sat across the table from Jubelt as she worked on a deep blue scarf for her granddaughter. ”Here’s your third stitch,” said shop owner Beryl Durham as she leaned over Glass and helped her move past a glitch in her knitting.

Both Jubelt and Glass are regulars. They don’t just shop there, they knit there and talk about their lives with each other and other customers.  Durham encourages knitters and needlepointers to linger. 

“A lot of friendships have been made around the table over the years,” she said. “We’ve had people who’ve gone through bad things in their lives and the support that they’ve gotten from the other girls around the table - it’s very nice.”

Even birthdays are celebrated in the shop when customers bring in a cake occasionally.  Jubelt has been visiting  (and knitting) for 20 years. 

This year, the shop that describes itself as a place to “get skilled help and create a lasting legacy” marks 50 years of business, 10 of them under co-owners Durham and Dianne Colitz.

In the same spirit of friendship fostered within its four walls, Flying Needles is celebrating that anniversary with a raffle to benefit the Haven, a local shelter for victims of domestic abuse.   Over the past few years, Flying Needles staff and customers collectively created half a dozen quilts, which they donated to the shelter as well.

“A few years ago we had a lot of balls of yarn left over and we gave the yarn free to people as long as they would knit a square for us.   They would bring it back and we assembled the squares,” Durham said.

An anniversary celebration for customers will be held at the shop September 3rd with door prizes, giveaways, and wine and cheese.

Durham said newcomers visiting the shop who have little experience don’t have to worry.  “We (the owners) are both knitters and needlepointers.  We love the work.  We love to educate people.”  

Glass is strengthening her skills one stitch at a time.  “I’m a self-taught knitter and that’s different from learning to knit from a professional knitter who knows what they’re doing,” she said. 

What she’s learning from Durham is helping her pass on the hobby to her granddaughter.  “She’s been asking me to teach her to knit but I said I can’t do that until I learn to do it right.” 

Visit the Flying Needles website for more information on the shop's services.