Fiber Chicks

When I was in highschool, we used to love going to Old Town in Albuquerque dressed up in our spikes, black clothes and white grease painted faces to make fun of the tourists.

Now I am the tourist, walking through the historic streets..right along with all of the other tourists browsing for the best deals on turquoise jewelry and Indian rugs and baskets (some of which are made in Pakistan. I will have to research exactly which Native American tribes moved there and took up residence to continue their art....ahem..)

I am not looking for rugs and baskets, my purpose for coming here as a tourist now is of course fiber related.

A few weeks ago my dad sent me a newspaper article about a new store in Old Town: Fiber Chicks. Two retired women decided to open up a yarn store..nothing new there. But this one is reported to be selling hand spun and dyed yarn from local artists. Really? How cool!

Excuse me while I go on a tangent. My love for yarn is well known..I love it so much I make it for a living now. But why buy handspun over those luxury yarns out there? If I buy a skein of mill spun in a certain colorway, I can go back and buy more in the same colorway. It is plentiful, made of quality fiber and cheaper than most handspun. But that is exactly WHY hand spun is so cherished. It is one of a kind, produced and dyed in small lots, and no two spinners will produce th same fiber in exactly the same way or color. Items created from hand spun are truly unique, and well worth every penny you spend on them. In a world of mass production to satisfy mass consumption, hand spun is a treasure of patience, time, and preservation of an art that literally gave us civilization.

Any larger city or town will have its share of yarn and fiber shops, and Albuquerque is no exception. There are some long standing giants like Village Wools, and the standard craft store stuff. Fiber Chicks is a promising new face in the Albuquerque fiber scene (I am not sure we are a scene, but I will call it that with a lot of hope.)

My mom and I searched along the main plaza in Old Town before visiting the information booth to grab a map. Fiber Chicks is off the beaten path in more ways than one! After wandering over to the east side of the plaza, we wandered down a brick path to a patio enclosed by traditional adobe buildings.

I love these little patios. Sun baked terra cotta bricks, pots of flowers every where and benches to sit and enjoy the view.

Fiber Chicks is tucked back in just such a place, and bonus...it is next to a coffee shop. I could easily picture myself sitting on one of the warm benches on an autumn or spring day, knitting away with a cup of coffee and a biscochito by my side.

The first sight that greets you when you enter the store is a large antique spinning wheel. It is not functional, but it matches the old feel of the adobe building with its low door frames and roof.

The shop sells the standard nicer mill yarns (the Noro display is right up front..yum). The walls are decorated with hand knit projects and one entire wall is dedicated to handspun/dyed yarns.

The second room has a work table for groups to get together around and more yarn of course.

I spoke with Lesley Miller, one of the owners. She is a warm and vibrant person, and her love for yarn and her shop are evident in the conversation. We discuss handspun and the antique spinning wheel, and I found out that she lived in Colorado for a time as well. We talk about the blue expanse of the New Mexico sky, and how much we love the west.

I kept thinking if I lived in Albuquerque, this store would be one of my favorite haunts. Friendly people, a beautiful patio and a laid back feel would make it the perfect place to shop and knit.

Unfortunately, most of the consignment hand spun yarns had been picked up by the artists for the upcoming Taos Wool Festival, but there was still plenty to look at. The hand spun yarns were well crafted, with a lot of variety in the fibers they were spun from. I also noticed a small cubby with some roving for sale. The hanks were generous, and the prices were reasonable for consignment yarn.

Fiber Chicks was well worth the visit, and I admire any store that supports local artisans and sells their work. If you are passing through Albuquerque, it is definitely worth a visit and a chat.

Fiber Chicks

206 1/2 San Felipe NW #9

Patio Market, Old Town

Albuquerque, NM

87104