LYS Tour: Tablerock Llamas Fiber Arts Studios

There are few things as wonderful to a knitter or crocheter as finding that hidden jewel of a yarn shop in their own back yard! So begins the LYS Tour series here on the blog! We'll be starting with periodic profiles of the shops here in the Pikes Peak region and also include shops from places I travel so that you can include them in your own adventures!


To start us off I got the chance to sit down with Kris, who with her sister-in-law Valerie, own and run the jewel of Black Forest, Co that is Tablerock Llamas to talk about the shop and learn more about running a yarn store!

Kris with Daisy, the official shop greeter and warmer of laps

How did you get started? *

We started the shop in November 2004, but Val and I have been in business for about 20 years! I convinced Val to get a llama to guard her sheep. We started going to fiber festivals and shows and it grew and evolved from there!

Why specifically yarn and knitting for your business?

We had a Taos booth for 11 years, all kinds of fibers and equipment and when we opened up the store we had the same concept. Around the same time we had the opportunity to buy The Dyeworks. Our customers started asking for commercial yarns and we went from there. 

What's your favorite thing about owning a yarn shop?

Probably the people and meeting all the customers that come in, all the projects they're working on and all the colors that they put together. It's a fun kind of business to own, the customers in this kind of business are usually happy because of all the projects that they're working on. 

What surprised you?

Having the amount of customers come here because where the store is! Where we are in Black Forest we're a bit off the beaten path.

Any advice for folks considering opening up a yarn store of their own?

Do your research! Do more research than we did, we were kind of flying by the seat of our pants and we're still kind of learning as we go along. We had an intern who came to work with us because she wanted to open up her own store and she was doing lots of research, including interning with us to learn more.

Random factoid about yourself!

I'm from south eastern CO and in fact my ancestors homesteaded there in the early 1700's!

*Responses are paraphrased since although I can type pretty fast, I never mastered shorthand. 

Table Rock Llamas is located on Shoup Rd in Black Forest Colorado and have an active Facebook presence, you can check out their website here. In addition to a wonderful rainbow of yarns they offer a multitude of classes focusing across the fiber arts world from weaving, to dyeing, to pretty much everything in between and carry a lot of raw fibers. There is also a weekly "Bitch and Knit" that Littlest Owl tags along with me to every week!

Enjoy a tour of the store!