Knit New York
Neighborhood: East Village
Type of Place: Women's Clothing
Description:
Miriam Maltagliati is, in the words of one of her employees, "a
brilliant
knitter." We haven't seen her knitting work to confirm this, but we've
seen her knit shop/cafe, and we say she's a visionary.
With her background in indie-rock bands and relationships with other
left-of-center artists (we've read that she taught the wonderful
actress
Parker Posey to knit), Maltagliati knows what's up in terms of cultural
twists and turns. She saw that the image of knitting, a craft she
loved,
was morphing from that of rest-home recreation to fun and soothing
hobby for all, including the young and the fabulous. So she opened Knit
New York, which sells great wool (from $6–$30 per unit), patterns to
knit by, and knitting lessons ($50/hr for a private lesson; prices vary
for
group classes). It also offers locally made pastries and soup, organic
coffee, and teas and juices; sandwiches are scheduled to enter the
menu this spring. The atmosphere here is cozy and relaxed, the music
dynamic and clearly chosen with care. All are welcome—young and
old, male and female, those who knit and those who just want a good
cup of joe.
As we do not (yet) know how to knit ourselves, we were particularly
interested in the classes. Nonknitters can get started with the
Beginners Knit and Cream Class ($175 for three two-hour group
session), which offers students two sets of needles, two types of
cream-colored yarn, helpful gadgets, a reference book, and, according
to the brochure, "everything you need to know to make a sweater."
"Take It Easy with Miriam" (2 hours, $75) promises that beginners will
complete a cute skull cap (sample available for viewing at the shop) by
the time the class is through. And "Sox and Lox" is a simply terrific
concept—a four-hour class ($125, including materials) that offers a
brunch of bagels, lox, and OJ, along with instruction for making a
slipper sock (you finish one in class and go home with materials to
make the other).
We love this shop—its concept, its beautiful materials, its sense of
peaceful community. And speaking of love: When we visited, the shop
was filled mostly with women—in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond; all
quite cute. We saw one man registering for a knitting class and
thought, "Smart...very smart." Good, sane, creative single guys looking
for the same in a gal would be well advised to put "Learn to Knit" on
their to-do list and show up here for instruction, snacks, and happy
vibes. A word to the wise...
- Pamela Grossman; March 21, 2005
Knit New York
307 E. 14th St.
New York, NY 10003
212-387-0707
Website
Map
Comments:
Sign up for our newsletter !