It’s always busy on Fridays. Although we’re open for drop-in shopping on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, this seems to be the busiest day. Last Friday I had to confront one of our shoplifters. We now have people check their big bags and backpacks at the front, so she solved that by sticking yarn in her jacket instead – and I saw her do it! I couldn’t 
believe it. I just don’t understand how people justify taking something that they didn’t pay for. She’s the same lady who took a bunch of yarn and my vintage knitting needles the last time she was in (no, I did not get them back), so we were prepared for her and watching her extra closely. FPS. Needless to say, she’s no longer welcome to shop here. Anyway, yay for the cameras in the shop. I know that you can pop in and view things through the webcam throughout the day, but did you ever wonder what the webcam looks like from our viewpoint? I stood behind the Loopy island to take this. That little white box in the photo – that’s your window into Loopy. And you can see the pole where we hang signs to talk to you.
Also going on today: Stocking another new line from Cascade, which will go up on Monday. (Don’t worry – we have more than that of each color. That’s just all the shelf space we could give to it right now.)
Knitting Daughter is home for a long weekend and came in to work for a couple of days. She wanted to earn a bit of money for next semester’s textbooks and I’m always happy to have her helping out at Loopy when she wants to.
The Elves are busy packing up orders, helping customers with projects and questions, and causing mayhem. Seriously. Some Fridays are just like that. How’s your Friday going?
Sheri sunnyandcoldtoday,moresnowheadedherenextweek
Oh Sheri, that is just awful that you have had a thief in your store. I can’t believe people will stoop that low. I’m glad that you caught her. I would be very upset about the needles. I’m glad knitting daughter is home this weekend. Hugs
Can you describe your vintage needles? Or better yet, post a picture? Then we all can keep our eyes open for a similar pair to replace them for you. They might never be the same but all these eyes searching estate sales might find something to cheer you up and create a corner of antique knitting supplies!
Hey Sheri-
Like everyone else says-glad the shoplifter got busted. I think having everyone leave their stuff at the front is great. I know it is a pain for the Elves, but I don’t like hauling a purse around as I shop. Sometimes I just bring my wallet into TLE.
Glad Knitting Daughter is home to help/visit-she is a genuinely nice person (I am sure your other kids are, as well, KD is the only one I have interacted with).
The storm next week looks bad-maybe starting as early as Monday. Be careful!
Happy to hear that you stopped her from taking more items. Hopefully now she will tell all her knitting “friends” not to steal from Loopy! Having worked in retail for 30+ yrs, I’ve seem it all. I wish she would return your needles, it really bothers me that she took them.
Enjoy your weekend with your daughter. I may be working tomorrow at my LYS, but that’s not really “work” for me.
Sorry this happened. I don’t know if you reported her or not, but, she was so bold, she may be hitting other stores in the area. One of my local yarn stores was hit by a shoplifter (or shoplifters). Very sad that people do this.
I remember people shoplifting from the LYS I worked in. I had to confront one of them and asked if they also wanted the yarn that was in their purse. Made a big deal about forgetting she put it there. We suspected her and were right. She never returned to the shop. Hope to knit today…been in bed with lfu since Thursday morning. Ugh!
I’m sure your weekend is great with KD at home.
Crazy! More so that she is so bold as to keep returning! We have had someone burglarizing our neighbor. In the last event, he sat down and made himself sandwiches while the family was sleeping upstairs. How do they rationalize this to themselves?
have a wonderful weekend sheri!! Love my Loopy groupie MH pin!!!
I hope you are prosecuting, and that they can search her home to find the vintage items she took before. Will she try to sneak in, in disguise?
She may be stealing from other businesses as well. Turn her in!
Cannot believe stealing from you, and then returning to the scene of the crime to steal again. She’s not right, something’s a bit off. SAD WOW!! Hope all else is going well for you. You should report her….
I’m glad that this horrible woman came back, even if only so you could ban her. How unpleasant to have to confront her.
To return to your store to shoplift makes me thing that she has a compulsive disorder and really needs to be prosecuted in order to get the help that she needs. It’s not like she robbed the cash register out of need – it is a serious thrill-seeking, attention getting disorder. Too bad it became YOUR problem, but I’m glad you caught her. I live in Chicago, and son is in college in Tulsa – as I drive by (always on non-open days! or in the middle of the night.) I dream of the time when I might be going by at the right time and can stop & shop! Someday!
Can’t believe someone would have the guts to show up again..what gall!!! People are strange. Am in nice warm Florida & will be knitting up a storm..limited tv!!! Have a great weekend with knitting daughter
Sorry you are dealing with shoplifting, hard to believe but I guess they are everywhere. I know someone somewhere probably has it — but it would be great to have a “shoplifter website” that you can post pictures of shoplifters…with the caption “have you seen this person…check her coat/bag…etc”
It is so sad to hear that someone did that to you, it is such a violation of trust. Every time I shop at Loopy Central it feels like I am visiting a friends home, not a store.
Love how you turned the security camera into a fun plus. Fun for us to watch who is shopping – even if they cough cough wear paper bags over their heads.
Having a quilt shop I have had my fair share of those who think they can “take” what they want. I have missed them until they have left and I realize they took something. I am sorry you have people like that also!!! Glad your daughter is home for the weekend!!!
I am sorry about the shoplifer. I have worked in retail and you either have the gangs of theives who are out for specific high cost things like jeans that they can resell at flea markets or the people who seem to steal just for the thrill of it. I think it is the minority who steal things they really need. Alhough, I have a friend who is a district attorney who says he will never forget one of the first cases he prosecuted, which involved a homeless man who stole a bottle of shampoo.
I really cannot imagine someone stealing something that as much as we like to kid ourselves is not actually a necessity. Clothing (especially jackets, hats, gloves and scarves right now), food are both things I can understand even if I cannot condone it. Sometimes I wonder if people who shoplift like that even realize that they are stealing from real people and damaging real lives.
Oh I hope you prosecute and that you do post her picture on the webcam with the name Thief. People who steal deserve to be shamed.
I don’t understand shoplifting, either.
Two different years when my sister-in-law and I were in Tulsa for a cross-stitching weekend retreat sponsored by a shop there, the shop had items stolen while we were in the store. One time it was a finished display model and the other time it was an entire rack of silk embroidery threads (a round, rotating rack almost as tall as a person). That year it was quite warm for October and they had the shop doors propped open and I guess the thief or thieves just hauled it out the door and into their trunk. We learned there had been other instances of shoplifting when the shop was full of “campers” there for the weekend. It just blows my mind.
Srsly? How can you steal with a cute little lamb keeping an eye on you? Now, if it was this week and someone were squirreling away ‘insulation’ from the cold, I’d understand. Still not right, but maybe more understandable. Glad you caught your thief and can move on to other happier Loopyness.
Yes!!!! you caught the thief!! I say yes to posting the picture and the paste “Thief” emblazened upon her face…
I also agree that you should post some kind of picture or description of your
grandmother’s needle so us who love to “junk” in addtion to knitting; might be able to find the same or something close to what you had.
I too have no problem leaving my bag with the eleves, but may I suggest the system that they use at Lady Bug Beads? She has a cute set of lockers that one can leave their purse in and each has it’s own key and the patron is responsible for it. We just retrive our purses when we are ready to pay for our purchases, or like myself, I have a very small card case that I slip into my pocket and when I am finished shopping , I can just pull out this small case and have cash/credit card ready to purchase and I retrive my purse or whatever when I’m ready to walk out the door!!!
This might work for you, but you would have to find room for it or perhaps it could be placed in the hall before entering TLE.
Just a suggestion. But I think that it is fantastic that you caught and confronted the thief and I hope that you had the authorities come and pick her up!!!
Hope that you and Knitting Daughter had a nice visit!!!! 🙂
I that is horrible I’m sorry for you!