Feature

Cat-Themed Store Sells
Craft Supplies

Rome Church and her mother, Ethel Stark, operate the Knittn' Kitten, a craft and fabric thrift store near Multnomah Bible College and Seminary.
--Heather Peacock, photo

਍ഀ The Knittn' Kitten craft store is a hybrid between Grandma's house and a new age shop. It's the product of two very different personalities and some good garage sales.

਍吀栀椀猀 猀琀漀爀攀Ⰰ 倀漀爀琀氀愀渀搀✀猀 昀椀爀猀琀 挀爀愀昀琀 琀栀爀椀昀琀 猀琀漀爀攀Ⰰ 愀琀琀爀愀挀琀猀 愀氀氀 琀礀瀀攀猀 漀昀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 琀漀 猀栀漀瀀 昀漀爀 瀀爀漀樀攀挀琀 猀甀瀀瀀氀椀攀猀⸀ 吀栀攀 猀琀漀爀攀✀猀 搀攀挀漀爀愀琀椀渀最 琀栀攀洀攀 椀猀 挀愀琀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 愀爀琀 搀椀猀瀀氀愀礀猀 昀攀愀琀甀爀攀 猀欀攀氀攀琀漀渀猀⸀ 吀栀攀 昀愀戀爀椀挀 椀猀 漀氀搀 愀渀搀 渀攀眀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 瀀爀椀挀攀猀 愀爀攀 椀渀攀砀瀀攀渀猀椀瘀攀⸀㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ Located on Northeast Glisan and within walking distance west of MBC, the store has everything from handkerchiefs and doilies to face-painting books and old '70s dresses. A customer can buy a quilt top from 30 years ago or new fabric to make her own quilts.

਍吀栀攀 漀眀渀攀爀Ⰰ 眀栀漀 猀琀漀瀀瀀攀搀 琀漀 琀愀氀欀 眀椀琀栀 愀氀洀漀猀琀 愀氀氀 漀昀 栀攀爀 挀甀猀琀漀洀攀爀猀Ⰰ 椀猀 愀 猀栀漀爀琀 眀漀洀愀渀 眀椀琀栀 最爀愀礀 栀愀椀爀⸀ 匀栀攀 眀漀爀攀 愀 最漀氀搀攀渀 戀甀琀琀攀爀昀氀礀 戀爀漀漀挀栀 瀀椀渀渀攀搀 琀漀 栀攀爀 猀眀攀愀琀攀爀 愀渀搀 愀渀漀琀栀攀爀 最漀氀搀 戀甀琀琀攀爀昀氀礀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 栀攀爀 渀攀挀欀 琀栀愀琀 戀漀甀渀挀攀搀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 愀猀 猀栀攀 昀氀椀琀琀攀爀攀搀 愀戀漀甀琀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀攀Ⰰ 椀爀漀渀椀渀最 昀愀戀爀椀挀 愀渀搀 琀椀搀礀椀渀最 甀瀀⸀㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ Her daughter is taller, with dark hair pulled into a high ponytail. Butterfly clips held back her long bangs, which gave her face a square look as if she were looking out of a picture frame. Her brisk pace caused the large bracelets she wore to dangle over the tattoos of dragon skeletons that covered her arms. Her lanyard, a My Little Pony miniature and keys, bounced back and forth as she walked.

਍䔀琀栀攀氀 匀琀愀爀欀 愀渀搀 栀攀爀 搀愀甀最栀琀攀爀Ⰰ 刀漀洀攀 䌀栀甀爀挀栀 ⠀漀爀椀最椀渀愀氀氀礀 渀愀洀攀搀 䔀氀椀稀愀戀攀琀栀 䌀愀琀栀攀爀椀渀攀⤀Ⰰ 漀瀀攀渀攀搀 琀栀攀 䬀渀椀琀琀渀✀ 䬀椀琀琀攀渀 椀渀 䴀愀礀 漀昀 ㈀　　㔀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 昀椀渀愀渀挀椀愀氀 栀攀氀瀀 漀昀 䴀猀⸀ 匀琀愀爀欀✀猀 猀漀渀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 栀愀瘀攀 栀愀搀 愀 猀琀攀愀搀礀 昀氀漀眀 漀昀 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀 猀椀渀挀攀⸀ 㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ Ms. Stark and Ms. Church decided to open the Knittn' Kitten after a successful summer running garage sales and a trial run of opening Ms. Church's house once a month for fabric sales. People tried to buy anything they could in the house, Ms. Stark said, including Ms. Church's furniture.

਍䴀猀⸀ 䌀栀甀爀挀栀✀猀 愀爀琀眀漀爀欀 挀漀瘀攀爀猀 琀栀攀 眀愀氀氀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀攀㬀 猀栀攀 栀愀猀 戀攀攀渀 瀀愀椀渀琀椀渀最 猀椀渀挀攀 猀栀攀 眀愀猀 㐀Ⰰ 栀攀爀 洀漀琀栀攀爀 猀愀椀搀⸀ 䠀攀爀 愀爀琀 栀愀猀 戀爀椀最栀琀 挀漀氀漀爀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 挀栀愀爀愀挀琀攀爀猀 愀爀攀 瀀爀椀洀愀爀椀氀礀 猀欀攀氀攀琀漀渀猀Ⰰ 氀椀欀攀 栀攀爀 琀愀琀琀漀漀猀⸀ 㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ Two cats with hand­-drawn whiskers cut out of white paper were clothespinned to the blinds at the back of the store. Stuffed kitties sat everywhere. Old quilts hung on the walls. Customers sorted through the masses of fabric that cluttered the walls, the doors, the tables and the floor underneath the tables.

਍伀渀攀 挀甀猀琀漀洀攀爀Ⰰ 愀 礀漀甀渀最 戀漀礀 ㄀㈀ 漀爀 ㄀㌀ 礀攀愀爀猀 漀氀搀Ⰰ 眀愀氀欀攀搀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀攀 挀愀爀爀礀椀渀最 愀 最甀椀琀愀爀 挀愀猀攀 愀渀搀 愀 瀀愀椀爀 漀昀 昀椀渀最攀爀氀攀猀猀 戀氀愀挀欀 氀攀愀琀栀攀爀 最氀漀瘀攀猀⸀ 䄀瀀瀀爀漀愀挀栀椀渀最 琀栀攀 挀漀甀渀琀攀爀Ⰰ 栀攀 愀猀欀攀搀 䴀猀⸀ 䌀栀甀爀挀栀 昀漀爀 愀 渀攀攀搀氀攀 琀栀愀琀 挀漀甀氀搀 瀀椀攀爀挀攀 氀攀愀琀栀攀爀 愀渀搀 猀栀漀攀 昀愀戀爀椀挀⸀ 㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ Ms. Church disappeared to the back of the store while the boy waited expectantly. When she returned with the needle, he looked it over carefully and finally said, "I think this will be all right."

਍䤀渀 愀 爀漀漀洀 渀愀洀攀搀 琀栀攀 ∀嘀椀渀琀愀最攀 刀漀漀洀Ⰰ∀ 栀甀渀搀爀攀搀猀 漀昀 漀氀搀 栀愀渀搀欀攀爀挀栀椀攀昀猀 愀渀搀 搀漀椀氀椀攀猀 搀漀洀椀渀愀琀攀 琀栀攀 猀栀攀氀昀 猀瀀愀挀攀⸀ 伀氀搀攀爀 眀漀洀攀渀 眀愀氀欀攀搀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀 琀栀攀 爀漀漀洀Ⰰ 搀攀氀椀挀愀琀攀氀礀 琀漀甀挀栀椀渀最 攀瘀攀爀礀琀栀椀渀最⸀ 䰀漀渀最Ⰰ 栀愀渀搀ⴀ眀漀瘀攀渀 猀挀愀爀瘀攀猀 瀀爀椀挀攀搀 愀琀 ␀㔀 栀甀渀最 漀渀 琀栀攀 搀漀漀爀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 氀愀挀攀 昀漀爀 ㈀㔀 挀攀渀琀猀 愀 礀愀爀搀 氀愀礀 椀渀 戀愀猀欀攀琀猀⸀ ഀ A petite older woman with curly, thin red hair, who wore camouflage-print slip-on shoes, entered the store. She walked through the Vintage Room and then started an amiable conversation with Ms. Stark.

਍吀栀攀 眀漀洀愀渀 栀愀搀 愀渀 䔀渀最氀椀猀栀 愀挀挀攀渀琀⸀ 匀栀攀 攀礀攀搀 愀 瘀椀渀琀愀最攀 栀愀琀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 戀愀挀欀 漀昀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀攀 愀渀搀 瀀甀琀 椀琀 漀渀⸀ 䄀昀琀攀爀 愀渀渀漀甀渀挀椀渀最 琀栀愀琀 猀栀攀 昀攀氀琀 愀猀 琀栀漀甀最栀 猀栀攀 眀攀爀攀 愀琀 愀 最愀爀搀攀渀 瀀愀爀琀礀Ⰰ 猀栀攀 愀搀搀攀搀Ⰰ ∀䤀 栀愀瘀攀渀✀琀 戀攀攀渀 琀漀 漀渀攀 椀渀 焀甀椀琀攀 猀漀洀攀 琀椀洀攀⸀∀㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ Most of the store's merchandise comes from estate sales or from the extras from people's sewing projects. Customers have heard about the store through word-of-mouth and on the Internet. The Knittn' Kitten is featured in a few blogs and has its own Web site.

਍䄀 琀愀氀氀 洀愀渀 眀愀氀欀攀搀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀攀 眀攀愀爀椀渀最 戀氀愀挀欀 戀漀漀琀猀Ⰰ 愀 戀氀愀挀欀 䠀愀爀氀攀礀ⴀ䐀愀瘀椀搀猀漀渀 樀愀挀欀攀琀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀 䰀攀搀 娀攀瀀瀀攀氀椀渀 吀ⴀ猀栀椀爀琀⸀ 䠀椀猀 栀攀愀搀 眀愀猀 猀栀愀瘀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 栀攀 眀漀爀攀 愀 氀漀渀最Ⰰ 猀愀渀搀ⴀ挀漀氀漀爀攀搀 戀攀愀爀搀⸀ 䠀攀 眀愀渀搀攀爀攀搀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀攀Ⰰ 瀀椀挀欀椀渀最 甀瀀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀 欀椀渀搀猀 漀昀 昀愀戀爀椀挀Ⰰ 椀渀挀氀甀搀椀渀最 眀栀愀琀 愀瀀瀀攀愀爀攀搀 琀漀 戀攀 愀 眀栀椀琀攀 猀栀愀最 爀甀最⸀ 㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ After sorting through the buttons, he muttered something like, "This store is trouble." He finally tore himself away from the buttons and began to speak with Ms. Stark. He explained that he makes fabric sculptures and works with the design company that made the costumes for the "Lion King" on Broadway and for Cirque du Soleil.

਍䴀猀⸀ 匀琀愀爀欀 猀攀攀洀攀搀 瀀攀爀昀攀挀琀氀礀 愀琀 攀愀猀攀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 礀漀甀渀最 倀漀爀琀氀愀渀搀攀爀 愀渀搀 琀爀攀愀琀攀搀 栀椀洀 愀猀 愀 最爀愀渀搀猀漀渀Ⰰ 椀最渀漀爀椀渀最 栀椀猀 琀漀甀最栀 攀砀琀攀爀椀漀爀 愀渀搀 䠀愀爀氀攀礀ⴀ䐀愀瘀椀搀猀漀渀 挀氀漀琀栀椀渀最⸀ 㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀ He, in turn, didn't seem out of place in a store that rather resembled Grandma's house.

਍ 㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ ਍ ഀ ਍             㰀䠀刀 圀䤀䐀吀䠀㴀∀㈀㔀　∀㸀ഀ

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