Need a name for a fictional vintage clothing/knitting shop
February 2, 2018 1:06 AM Subscribe
One of the characters in a story I am writing owns a shop in Balham, South London. It started out as a vintage clothing shop but has expanded in recent years to selling wool and offering classes in knitting and crochet. It's also kind of a hangout place for the craftily-inclined.
I'm looking for a name for the shop. The name could address only the vintage clothing side since that came first but ideally the character would have renamed the shop when they expanded into knitting to reflect both aspects of the shop.
Any ideas?
I'm looking for a name for the shop. The name could address only the vintage clothing side since that came first but ideally the character would have renamed the shop when they expanded into knitting to reflect both aspects of the shop.
Any ideas?
Best answer: Twinset and Pearls / Twinset and Purls
Vintage Cast Offs / Vintage Cast Offs and Cast Ons
posted by Thella at 1:36 AM on February 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
Vintage Cast Offs / Vintage Cast Offs and Cast Ons
posted by Thella at 1:36 AM on February 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
Aaah just came here to post "Cast Offs"! So I'll go with my back up, "A Stitch Out Of Time". Maybe "Castaways" could work, too?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:39 AM on February 2, 2018
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:39 AM on February 2, 2018
I can’t tell if you’re looking for something stodgy sounding or young-and-fun. If it’s the latter, how about Off the Hook?
posted by aubilenon at 1:44 AM on February 2, 2018
posted by aubilenon at 1:44 AM on February 2, 2018
I think a pun along these lines is very common in yarn store names, but maaaybe it can do double duty here: A Ewe's Clothing Store.
posted by Wobbuffet at 2:11 AM on February 2, 2018
posted by Wobbuffet at 2:11 AM on February 2, 2018
Second Skein
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 2:22 AM on February 2, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 2:22 AM on February 2, 2018 [4 favorites]
Old and Crochety?
posted by muhonnin at 2:41 AM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by muhonnin at 2:41 AM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Threads
This would be especially funny if the shop was opened in the 80s.
posted by Mchelly at 4:43 AM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
This would be especially funny if the shop was opened in the 80s.
posted by Mchelly at 4:43 AM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Skein and Bones.
posted by tilde at 5:05 AM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by tilde at 5:05 AM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Shorn Again
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:56 AM on February 2, 2018
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:56 AM on February 2, 2018
I'm grasping for a reference to the title of the charming comedic play Lettice and Lovage but it's not coming to me (Knittage and Vintage feels like a stretch)... or the charming comedic television program Ripping Yarns (Flipping Yarns, but that might sound too rude)?
I like the idea of having a nice name for a vintage shop which then can twist nicely (but not too predictably) into a nice name for a knitting hub. What about going from The Retronaut (kitschy astronaut helmet or logo of same) to The Retroknot? Too boom-boom squeaky-horn ha-ha?
posted by pammeke at 7:49 AM on February 2, 2018
I like the idea of having a nice name for a vintage shop which then can twist nicely (but not too predictably) into a nice name for a knitting hub. What about going from The Retronaut (kitschy astronaut helmet or logo of same) to The Retroknot? Too boom-boom squeaky-horn ha-ha?
posted by pammeke at 7:49 AM on February 2, 2018
Hither and Yarn
posted by bullatony at 7:53 AM on February 2, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by bullatony at 7:53 AM on February 2, 2018 [4 favorites]
Knitpicker's (an allusion to ragpickers)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:15 AM on February 2, 2018
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:15 AM on February 2, 2018
Reboot
posted by orange swan at 9:49 AM on February 2, 2018
posted by orange swan at 9:49 AM on February 2, 2018
The Caftan & Chenille
posted by newmoistness at 9:51 AM on February 2, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by newmoistness at 9:51 AM on February 2, 2018 [9 favorites]
It's over 20 years since I lived in Balham and it did start to head upmarket the instant I left, but the Balham I knew was a very down-to-earth place where a cutesy name would have struck the wrong note. If it's a small business where the owner was very visibly involved, I think naming it after the owner might be more natural. Or maybe after a local landmark such as a street or a park.
posted by kelper at 2:27 PM on February 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by kelper at 2:27 PM on February 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
The Caftan & Chenille
That's an effing mic drop right there
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 2:49 PM on February 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
That's an effing mic drop right there
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 2:49 PM on February 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Wow, you are all amazing! Thank you very much. I’ve been thinking about this for weeks and haven’t come up with anything nearly as good as these.
posted by shibori at 10:21 PM on February 2, 2018
posted by shibori at 10:21 PM on February 2, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by harmless at 1:21 AM on February 2, 2018