New Knitting Store Offers Yarn, Classes, and More

A new knitting store has opened in Winchester, and it’s already buzzing with a steady stream of customers. Another Yarn opened in mid-October at 600 Main St., in the space formerly occupied by Six Seeds Video.

The knitting store is owner Teresa McGonagle’s first retail venture, and also the start of her second career. McGonagle spent decades working in international financial services for the likes of J.P. Morgan and Citigroup, spending most of her time overseas. When she traveled, she carried her knitting with her on the plane. She also made sure to visit yarn shops wherever she went.

“You could find yarn anywhere,” McGonagle said of that time. After awhile, she noticed knitting shops were disappearing and yarn was harder to find. More recently, she noted, the trend seems to be swinging back again, with interest in knitting picking up again.

McGonagle had dreamed of owning her own yarn shop for awhile, but it wasn’t until she took an early retirement and devoted herself to taking care of family that she really considered the possibility.

She was teaching at Wild and Woolly in Lexington and was inspired by the owner of that shop and others in the area. Finally, she decided it was time to go for it and began looking at retail space. The newly vacated space in Winchester seemed serendipitous.

“The minute we walked in, I just knew. It’s the perfect knitting locale. You’ve got the bagels and coffee for morning and wine and cheese for evening. And the dry cleaners in between,” McGonagle said, smilingly referring to her shopping plaza neighbors, , , and .

The shelves of Another Yarn are stocked with yarns of all types and colors, plus knitting supplies, magazines, patterns, and more. The shop offers ongoing classes and knitting groups, including fix-it sessions, social knitting, refresher and beginner classes, and instruction on specific items such as gloves and mittens. In the works are parent-child classes and possibly a “sip and knit” class in conjunction with Pairings next door. Needlepoint classes may be in the future as well.

McGonagle was about five years old when her mother taught her how to knit. Now, her mother is a fixture in McGonagle’s shop.

“I think she was nervous about it, and especially about the drastic career change, but I think she’s enjoying it,” McGonagle said.

McGonagle herself never gets tired of knitting. She said she loves the mathematics of knitting, the construction process, the fiber and dyeing of yarn. She loves how there’s always something new coming out, though the craft of knitting is ancient.

She also loves the challenge of teaching a variety of students. Some, she said, need to be taught to relax – literally, to breathe – while knitting. More creative types need to be grounded in basics like counting stitches to keep their handiwork from unraveling.

“It’s fun to help people find the balance,” McGonagle said.