Yarn Store of the Month: Wool Crossing

Yarn Store of the Month continues visiting many of our favourite yarn stores across the world with the beautiful Wool Crossing in Turin, Italy. We spoke to Federica Giudice and discussed the inspiration behind the business, as well as the future of knitting in Italy.

What was the inspiration to opening Wool Crossing? 

 I opened Wool Crossing because I wanted to share my love for knitting. From the beautiful yarns available in the market, to increasing awareness of handmade products, making something unique using your hands and expressing your creativity really helps you to understand the value of completing a project that could take months to make. 

How popular is knitting/crochet in Italy?

Knitting and crochet in Italy was considered as something only grandmothers did, but since I opened the shop in 2012 I can see that the trend is changing and young people are getting passionate about knitting and crochet because they can express their creativity in a piece of knitwear. They can enjoy good company at knit cafés and try all the different lovely yarns there are in the market.  

Since opening, how far has the business developed? 

 Very much! Year after year I have many new customers, both at the shop and online, and there is a very good response to our knitting and crochet classes.

What is the secret to your success?

I believe the secret to my success is the passion I put in my business and the love I have for sharing my knitting and crochet skills. Another important element in the success of Wool Crossing is the community which developed around the shop. 

How has HiyaHiya helped your business to flourish?

Since I started selling HiyaHiya knitting needles and accessories, I have gained even more customers; I was the first shop in Italy to introduce them. At Wool Crossing we love HiyaHiya interchangeable needles, and the fixed 9'' circular needles are among the best-selling products at the shop as many customers love to use them for socks and sleeves. 

 What do you love most about your line of work?

What I love most is the relationship I have formed with my customers and assisting them in completing their projects. This brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. I also love to search for new products to introduce in my shop. 

What trends do you see happening in the craft industry in the future?

I can see the popularity of knitting and crochet are increasing year after year and I can see that the knitting community follows the mainstream fashion trends, which is reflected both in the yarn production section and in the proposals from knitting designers. 

What are your plans for Wool Crossing in the future?

I can say that Wool Crossing is the gathering place in Turin for the knitters with a curious approach about knitting and crochet, and I will keep working hard on offering the customers a good service. I am also a knitting designer and in the future I would love to have more time to design and organise knitting retreats in order to launch new patterns. In 2020 I have already planned a retreat for International Women's Day in collaboration with mYak: https://myak.it/shop/uncategorized/knititng-retreat-festa-della-donna-2020/