Rae’s Yarn Boutique owner,
Rae Blackledge, recently moved her store to a bigger space on Lansing’s
Eastside. This is the second time Blackledge’s business has grown to
the degree that she’s needed to find a bigger operating space.
According to excerpts from the article:
Starting
out in a stall at the Mega Mall, on Lansing’s north side, Blackledge
brought her passion for knitting to the people. “I have knitted since
fourth grade; my grandma taught me,” she says. “I get very nervous
when I’m sitting still, and it helps to have something in my hands to
keep me calm.
Blackledge has come a long way
since the fourth grade, but her love for knitting hasn’t faded a bit. A
year after opening shop, she moved the business to the Frandor Shopping
Center, where it flourished for nearly three years. On the day of this
interview, she proudly sported a “Got Yarn?” T-shirt behind the counter
of her shop’s new home on East Michigan Avenue. Blackledge moved the
boutique to the roomier digs in early January.
“We mainly moved because we felt it was time to expand our shop,” she says. “We were feeling very crowded.”
Blackledge
says the Frandor location was “divided up very poorly” and had a lot of
wasted space. Now with an open 1,700 square feet, Rae’s has more than
doubled in size, allowing customers more space to learn to knit or
crochet with one of Blackledge’s classes, work on projects or simply
shop for yarn and supplies, Blackledge says her shoppers have responded
well to the move. “I think almost all of our customers have been in to
see the new space,” she says.
Blackledge
says the boutique’s selection and knowledgeable employees separate it
from the “big box stores.” “We can really help out if you have problems
or specific questions,” Blackledge says.
Read the entire article here.
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