Black Lace Purse

Pattern by Lisa Daehlin

Back in 2008, when Pilar and I opened All About Yarn in Azusa, I stumbled upon a beautiful pattern in a magazine that instantly caught my eye. It turned out that one of our clients loved it just as much as I did! At that time, we were building our reputation by creating custom knitting projects for our customers. One of my first orders was for a Lace Purse, which I crafted for a customer who came into the store, chose her yarn, and placed her order. Once I finished the purse, we proudly displayed it on our table for everyone to admire.

That experience sparked an idea: Why not turn this project into a knit-a-long for our Wednesday night and Saturday morning knitting groups? It was such a fun and exciting venture! 

We started the Lace Purse by knitting a circular lace mat and then picking up stitches around the doily. After completing the first mat, we started on a second one, sewed the bind-off edges together, lined it with fabric, and knitted a long handle to comfortably wear over the arm.

This project brought joy to those who participated and attracted many customers to our shop. It was a hit! We eventually expanded our offerings to include more knit-a-long classes, which became quite popular since the only requirement was to purchase the yarn from our store.

All About Yarn was the only independently owned yarn shop in Azusa and Covina at the time, and looking back on those early days in 2008 fills me with fond memories. It was a special time that truly shaped my journey in the yarn community.