Momo’s Knitting Nook and Crochet Emporium was one of the stops for the Kansas City Yarn Crawl (KCYC), in September. Momo’s is in Leavenworth, Kansas, and is owned by Ramona Discavage. She was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions, and I’m happy to share the interview with you.
Please tell me about your journey into the world of yarn.
“Yarn was all around me growing up, as my mom is a knitter. At some point, she taught me the basics, at an age I don’t recall. I can remember her making hats for my brothers and me and matching sweaters, as well. My grandmother was a crocheter and made gingerbread men for all her grandchildren.“
How did you first get interested in knitting/crocheting?
“As mentioned above, my mom helped me enter the craft of knitting. Funny twist, as a teenager, I thought that I couldn’t do the same craft as my mother and so “rebelled” into cross stitching. It wasn’t until my mid 30’s that I decided to stop buying scarves for my kids and picked up knitting needles again. This time, I bought bamboo straight needles and Vanna White yarn. I thought I was going all out.“
What inspired you to open a yarn shop?
“I am currently the second owner of Momo’s Knitting Nook and Crochet Emporium. I discovered the store when the military moved us to Fort Leavenworth from Germany. I became a customer and when the original owner put out a notice, placing the store up for sale, I joked with my husband about changing our plans to move and instead buy the store. This was completely a joke, as although my husband always wanted to run his own business, it certainly wasn’t a yarn store he was thinking about. When he responded that this was a possibility, I told him not to say anything more until he knew whether the numbers would support us purchasing the store. After reviewing the finances, we put in our offer and was accepted!“
What was the most challenging part of starting your business?
“The most challenging part of store ownership has been working through issues as they come up without having the requisite business education. Most things can be handled through common sense responses, but we have had bumps that might have been avoided if we had a background in business.”
Any particular hurdles or surprises along the way?
“The pandemic during Year 2-3 was certainly unexpected. We were very fortunate that, after the first couple of weeks, the local authorities allowed store owners – no others – to work in their businesses and use delivery options and pickups to help keep afloat. Our county allowed stores to open gradually, with limited numbers and required masking, at around the 2-month mark, and then opened more as the numbers permitted.“
What can customers expect when they visit your shop?
“Momo’s atmosphere is one of comfort and ease. The fixtures are of warm wood, with seating options spread throughout the store, for both customers and guests who may not be as interested in the fiber world. We organize by weight of yarn. The heavier yarns are in the front of the store and work down to the fingering and lace weight as you move back to the store. In our new location, we have peg walls, so have been able to pull out our main brands of needles and hooks from our tool cabinet. We have a large table for groups, as well as a sizeable craft lounge area. Customers are encouraged to come in and craft anytime the store is open. There is no cost and no requirement to only use store brand yarns – though that is always welcome.“
Do you offer any unique products or services?
“We carry a selection of Th’Red Head Designs yarn in the store day-to-day. Marci is a local dyer, coming from a suburb of Kansas City. We also have a gentleman who is a local forester and woodworker. During his time working on Fort Leavenworth, he has used the wood harvested from the post to create magnificent yarn bowls. Throughout the year, we invite other local dyers to the shop and hold a trunk show. Our classes are one-on-one sessions, which continues the personal touch feel of the shop. Given an unusually large number of lesson requests, we are looking into starting a class schedule.“
How do you foster a sense of community among your customers?
“Our community all starts in the lounge. Having folks from all walks of life speaking to one another about a common love – all things yarn – is a blessing in today’s environment. We have an annual retreat, which is more like a slumber party with yarn, and is a great way to bond with other fiber enthusiasts. CALs and KALs come up organically through conversation. There are some that are built around known outside KALs – Stephen West’s upcoming MKAL, for example – and others are decided by crafters excited about a certain pattern that was dropped and folks jumping onboard. We also have a year-long charity effort, with customers making hats and scarves out of “stale” yarn in their inventory. These are collected throughout the year and then donated to the local homeless shelter the week before Christmas.“
Does social media play a part in your business? What platforms do you use to engage with your customers?
We have a new Facebook page, as our original page was hacked back in December 2023. We use the full name for the current page – Momo’s Knitting Nook and Crochet Emporium. We also have an Instagram account for social media outreach. Our third means of communication is through an email newsletter that we send out with upcoming activities.
What trends are you seeing in the yarn and crafting world right now?
“Crocheting has been very popular. Easily 65-75% of new students wish to learn crochet. Tunisian crochet is becoming more popular amongst current crocheters. Interestingly, tweed yarn has been popular elsewhere in the country, but I haven’t seen a desire for it here in the Midwest.”
Do you have any tips for beginners or seasoned crafters?
“I am a big advocate for the website Ravelry. The pattern database is a perfect place to show beginning crafters what is out there, as many only have a narrow view of what can be made. Oftentimes, my regular customers will see something on Ravelry and pass it to others, which leads to K/CALs.“
What are your future plans for the shop? Any upcoming projects or collaborations?
“We just moved our store location in August. We are excited for the new space, and look to add classes to our lesson plan. The upcoming Stephen West MKAL has excited a lot of local crafters, so we’ll be jumping in with both feet this month.“
How do you envision the future of the yarn community?
“The yarn community is thriving in the Kansas City area. We see a number of young people picking up the yarn crafts and running with it. It is exciting to attend the local yarn events and see the wide variety of people participating.“
Ramona, thanks so much for answering my questions. Autumn is the perfect time for a nice drive to Leavenworth. Be sure to stop by Momo’s and check out the store for yourself – you won’t regret it!
(Watch the video if you’d like to see all our photos at Momo’s from the KC Yarn Crawl!)
Momo’s Knitting Nook & Crochet Emporium
612 Cherokee Street
Leavenworth, KS
https://www.momosyarn.com
Thanks for spending time with me today.
~ Belle
