For the past five years, Annie & Company located on the second floor at 1325 Madison Avenue has been a popular place for people to gather while doing needlepoint. Annie Goodman learned needlepoint when she was only eight from her mother. And while she is an expert, taking needlepoint beyond traditional pillows and footstools to creations that are actual works of art, she is eager to teach beginners.
Goodman finally heeded the pleas of her customers to expand beyond needlepoint to knitting. Her second store, on the first floor beneath her needlepoint shop, is a knitter’s wonderland. Scrumptious yarns line the two walls tempting visitors to touch and dream about the fabulous sweaters, shawls, and hats that can be created. Comfortable chairs on wheels allow knitters to arrange their own cozy circles to visit while their needles fly.
“I wanted to have a friendly place where people could meet and not feel intimidated,” Goodman said about her needlepoint shop. “On Saturdays, our table is filled with women, many of them not married, who now belong to a group. They go to the movies and out to dinner together.”
Goodman hopes to create the same atmosphere in her knitting store. Judging by appearances, she has done that—and more. The first floor space is light and airy and the large table, which dominates the rear of the store, can comfortably seat a dozen knitters.
A nice addition is the flat screen television where husbands and significant others can watch sports while they wait. Goodman also plans “movie nights” when knitters can work on their projects and enjoy a film.
Goodman admitted that, where knitting is concerned, she is a beginner but a fast learner. She has, however, employed a knowledgeable staff, including Heather Dixon, author of Not Your Mama’s Knitting, and Marlene Edelstein, who has taught knitting for more than fifteen years.
“This is the only store in New York that has both needlepoint and knitting under one roof,” Goodman said. Classes for adults and children have been scheduled for the fall. For more information, go to www.annieandco.com.
