Knitters Hit The Road...

Today, four of my girlfriends and I (who all met through Ravelry) decided to take a road trip. We drove to Naples, Florida and met up with another group of friends from the Fort Lauderdale, FL area. Most of their group are members of Ravelry's Sweet Stitchin' Betties. Netta is from the Ft. Lauderdale area, so many of these gals are friends of hers. It was so nice of her to share them with the rest of us today! Above: L-R: Monica (monnielu), Adele, Tammy (pazzagatto), Netta (nstherd) and me (craftydeece).

We all met up at a shop called "Gabriella's", named for the owner, and she couldn't have been more sweet or accommodating. Seventeen of us converged on her quaint little shop where she offered 20% discounts to all of us, had a fabulous selection of quality yarns and a little Maltese dog that melted all our hearts. She and her staff were friendly, helpful and so accommodating. I can tell you that I'll be visiting her shop again in the future! I made sure I didn't leave without a photo of Gabriella (Naplesknitty on Ravelry!) and her sweet shop mascot in front of her shop window.

Thank you, Gabriella, for a wonderful visit to your shop!

All of us stood for a group photograph after a morning of shopping, and then we headed over to the local Mel's Diner for a hearty and well-earned lunch. (Shopping can really make you hungry!)

Lunch was great, and then we all drove over to a shop on the east side of Naples. We went to another shop (a not-very-creative "Knitting With...name"), but, in spite of their larger shop and more extensive selection, I won't be going back there. The shopowner was asked it she'd also extend a 20% discount to our group of shoppers, to which she replied "no". She has a sign behind the counter stating that she charges $1.00 for large shopping bags (really!!), and she stapled her "shop rules" to each and every receipt before we left the shop with our merchandise. Oh, yes...there's my personal favorite - a sign that says they can't be bothered to wind your yarn unless you purchase one of their five more expensive yarns. Wow! There really was nothing unique about her establishment and when I looked a little harder, it was actually sort of an "unkempt" shop, so I'll go back to Gabriella's instead on future trips to Naples.

In this day and age, we have many choices of where we choose to spend our money. I prefer to spend it where I feel welcomed and appreciated. Isn't it interesting how the attitude of owners and staff can make such a drastic difference in shopping experiences?

I've added a photo album with pictures of my Ravelry friends. You can see a few more photos there.

Gabriella's
14950 Old US 41 in the SunCentury Plaza, Unit 3
Naples, Florida
• Hours:
Sunday 12 - 3 pm
Monday & Wednesday 10 am - 7 pm
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday 10 am - 3 pm
• Her phone number is 239 325 9251 if you need directions.