The Genuine Purl Review

The Genuine Purl
Yarn and Needlework Shop
Chattanooga, Tennessee 
   
     Last weekend I went on a family vacation to Chattanooga, Tennessee.  (That is a very family friendly/walking friendly/stroller friendly city in the South. It really makes a great weekend trip.  Especially when the weather is nice.)  While there, I decided to check out the local knit scene.  Why not spread the word about cool yarn shops in places I am fortunate enough to visit? I found one knitting/needlework store located on the north side of town.  It is called The Genuine Purl and is a great shop.  The woman who greeted me in the store was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.  She was also very welcoming to my husband and 1.5-year old son I dragged into the store with me, too.  There is seating in the store for knitters and waiting husbands alike.  It is always nice to walk into a store and feel like you just made a friend.
     The store itself is cozy and well-stocked with a utilization of wall space that is nothing short of impressive.  The layout is a bit strange, with four different "rooms" that you can walk through in a circle.  Two-and-a-half of the rooms are filled with yarn and knitting/crochet notions, all organized well...at least to me.  The rest of the space is dedicated to needle-work.  I did not spend a lot of time in this section, but there were a lot of flosses.  The selection of needlework patterns seemed eclectic, though I have only dabbled in cross stitch and there was not much of that to be seen, so I feel I do not have enough knowledge of the field to assess whether it was a "good" collection or not.
     The store has good hours, open daily except Sunday; and was open promptly at 10:00, as posted.   (I hate it when stores open late.  I know, things come up and I should be more forgiving, especially of small, local establishments.  If I flip that statement around to something more positive, I love when a store opens on time.)  Also, as a bonus, it is right across the street from the most delicious biscuit breakfast place I have ever been to.  Completely unrelated to yarn, I tried milk and honey (mixed together) for the first time...I had no idea it was so yummy!  
     As far as I have been able to unearth, there is no webpage for the store, but there is a Facebook page that you can access by simply googling "The Genuine Purl, Chattanooga."  I would have liked to see a webpage, but I looks like they keep their Facebook page pretty current and avidly support their local knitters, both beginners and experienced knitters.  

Bottom Line:  It was a great shop and if you ever find yourself in Chattanooga, it is worth poking your head in to see.  It makes a great souvenir...buy some yarn and then make a small project that will help you remember the great time you had in that location.