Nina Chicago

During my blog hiatus, I made a trip to Chicago to visit my sister. Still a little nerve-wracking as we continue to muddle through this pandemic, but now that no one got sick, I’m really happy we went.

One of the reasons I’m so happy about the trip was I got to partake once again in a favorite tourist pastime: checking out Local Yarn Shops that are not local to me. On a previous trip, I got to check out Yarnify!, so this time called for somewhere new.

Nina Chicago is a super chic shop in the Noble Square neighborhood. Happy to report they are taking the pandemic seriously (as was most of Chicago, truthfully). Their front door was locked and you had to ring in, so no big crowds could form. Masks were required and you had access to a sink to wash your hands right when you entered the shop.

The local/hand-dyed selection was stellar. It took me a little bit to find them all, because there was a loose organization by weight. Local yarns were tagged, so even though they are spread throughout the shop, they aren’t too hard to find.

They also had this great yarn art installation that I got to partake in! The staff (who invited me to add to the installation) were friendly and helpful, but they also let me browse without being bothered. 10/10, my favorite way to yarn shop.

Naturally, my sister, who does not craft with yarn, came with me. I didn’t want her to feel totally out of place, so I asked her to pick out some yarn and I would make her something from it. Knowing my sister’s bright, extravagant personality, her choices did not surprise me one bit.

“I want a hat out of this,” she said of a hot pink handspun single from Knit Collage. When we decided there wasn’t enough in one skein for the style of hat that she wanted, she added in another KC yarn, a black boucle. I described to her my plan for this hat, and she seemed a bit confused but clearly trusted me to get her the hat she really wanted. I think I delivered alright!

If you’re in the Chicago area, I’d highly recommend a stop at Nina Chicago!