in which i get a little cranky

There's a new yarn shop about to open in town.

Now, you'd think I'd be happy about that.  On the one hand, yes, I am.  It stumps me that a place this size, with a few knitters and spinners in it, can't support ONE shop.

Yet, we've already seen one shop disappear, and with the recession looming (oh, let's face it, it's already here), small cracks are already showing up.  Shops elsewhere closing, distributors going out of business.  Of course, I did think it had to happen -- there had to be some shakedown in an industry that saw a massive expansion almost purely on the back of novelty yarns. 

But still, it would be nice to see a shop here, a place where community could be built. 

The big question for me, though, is this:  is there going to be an animal in this shop?  Because the reason I didn't frequent the previous shop was because of the animal.

Don't get me wrong -- I understand the appeal of animals, I understand the companionship, I understand how for some customers, they might make the place feel more like, well, home.

But there are some of us out here who have allergies -- myself, to the point of having asthma attacks requiring me to haul out my puffer, and I really hate using the puffer. 

And it's not just visiting the shop -- if any of the animal's dander gets on the yarn, I can have the allergic reaction at home, too.

So, to the business owners out there:  yes, it's your business, and yes, you get to run it how you want it.  I recognize that.  As a customer, I have a choice, and frankly, I'll choose to shop elsewhere if it comes down to having an asthma attack or not.

And I know I'm not alone in this -- there are others out there who don't want to deal with the animals, either.  Is it prudent in tough economic times to eliminate a portion of your potential customer base?

(Just so we're clear here -- I'm a pretty good knitter, I'm pretty knowledgeable, and I'm happy to share what I know.  I'd be a good person to have around during a knit and chat evening.  Just saying....)

Okay, so I'm a little cranky, but I just thought it had to put out there.