New here... Any one in Iowa?

[shewantstoknow]

I live in Ames...
The best places here, besides Hobby Lobby, are..
Rose Tree Fiber Shop... on West St...they have a lot of neat stuff like yarn, fabric, etc.
Campus Book Store and University Bookstore...neat art supplies and journals
Hobby Town...Next to Hobby Lobby...strange model making things, the people there are super nice, metal, glass, plastic.
West Side Aggets & West Side Plastic...Really far west on Lincolnway...Mom & Pop, family businesses...can get anything made out of plastic, they cut it for free and all sorts of rocks and gems for jewelry
Grandma's Closet?...like Grandma's Jewelry Box but on Welch Ave
Some other vintage store on Lincoln Way in campus town...can't remember the name...they sell and rent vintage clothes

That's all I can think of now...

That is funny- i have lived in ames for 10 years and i have never heard of West Side Aggets or West Side Plastic until now...it sounds like a pretty neat shop. Is it the kind of place that i would feel uncomfortable in if i am just going to check it out? What kinds of specific projects do they do? i am fascinated!!! haha also...i was wondering what aggets are...   

[BeadHead]

I'm from Iowa!  I go to school in Mt. Vernon, IA (near Cedar Rapids and Iowa City) but I'm from Waterloo, IA.   

Someone in Mount Vernon? woah. Thats where i live... i wonder if i know you...
I think silver spider could qualify as crafty.... its in mount vernon, for those of you not familiar with it. awesome little store. jewelry, toys, accessories, clothing... love it!

[pastry_heart]

Des Moines here!  

here is a local tip -- The American Counciil of the Bliind Thriift Store! Man (SW 9th & McKinley  - approx) MAN they have some good stuff.... and cheap too!  

hey thanks i live on the south side.

[EvilTadpole]

I live in Chicago now, but born in raised in Iowa.  I originally grew up in Lakewood (that small town outside of Norwalk ha ha ha), then moved to Des Moines (Clive) when I was about 10 or 11.  Nice to see that the arts and crafts are alive an well there.  My mom said that there use to be a great fabric shop out in Adel, but its now closed.  I'll post if I hear from her about any new places that are bargains.  We are both bargain hunters (or warriors would be a more correct term)

[dr_marti]

Hi, all - just found this thread!  I've lived in Ames since May 2006 - before that in Decorah.  I used to work in West Des Moines and now work in Perry (not sure anyone's mentioned anything that far west yet?)  There is a new store in downtown Ames called Prairie Fibers (I think) with stuff for dyeing your own yarn and needle felting and stuff like that.  So far, I haven't taken up any of the crafts that they have supplies for, but it's beautiful stuff.  There is a knitters' group, Heartland Knitting Guild, that meets at the Ames Public Library, I think monthly or bi-monthly.  The Ben Franklin in Perry actually has a ton of crafting supplies and fabric.  The yarn is mostly Red Heart and Lion Brand, which may or may not be desirable for knitters/crocheters, but they seem to have supplies for almost any other craft imaginable.  I second the recommendation for the yarn store in downtown Cedar Falls (kind of tucked away but worth seeking out), and there's a nice new one in Decorah as well.  In Des Moines I like the "pink house" yarn shop, Creative Corner, in Valley Junction.  My favorite yarn store there was The Village Knit Wit by Roosevelt High School, but unfortunately it closed.  I'd love to hear of any crafty get-togethers in this area, as I haven't yet hooked up with craft buddies in this part of the state!

[RondaS]

I am in Waterloo - PM me if you are nearby - could always stand to have some company while crafting - trying to introduce a friend to Crafters so if you see this "HI!"

Ronda

[stacybee]

In Des Moines I like the "pink house" yarn shop, Creative Corner, in Valley Junction.  My favorite yarn store there was The Village Knit Wit by Roosevelt High School, but unfortunately it closed.  I'd love to hear of any crafty get-togethers in this area, as I haven't yet hooked up with craft buddies in this part of the state!

Hey, I just discovered that the pink house shop has free knitting and crocheting classes on the first and third Monday of every month!  They just ask that you buy supplies from them.  I think they have a really nice selection.  And it's not like, "This week we are learning how to purl..."  you just go and they will help you with whatever you need help with.  I'm going to start going once the holidays are over!

[knittheory]

I'm in Iowa City!  I've lived here for about 2 1/2 years and I'm a grad student at the university.  I love the store guides a few people have posted here for IC - I made a list of like five stores I'd never heard of before which I'm totally gonna check out once the insanity of Christmas break dies down 

One store I haven't seen mentioned, which I think is awesome, is Artifacts.  It's on the corner of Market St. and Gilbert St.  It's an antique-y store, sells lots of furniture, but also tons of other crazy weird things that would totally lend themselves to craftiness.  There's a small clothing section in back, lots of old greeting cards,  bunch of boxes of art prints and old prints of plants/animals from some sort of natural history archives, jewelry, kitchenwares, and tons of other strange & interesting stuff.  I like to go in there every few weeks & just browse, cause their inventory changes really frequently.  I've gotten a really cute small bookshelf, the perfect mirror to put on my dresser, and some really fantastic pins/buttons to name a few things.  A fun place to just browse around in.

[amazon.blonde]

So, I know its been awhile since anyone posted but... I AM FROM IOWA.  born and raised near Denison, about 2 1/2 hours from Des Moines.  I got to Chicago and Wisconsin Dells a lot so I get lucky and find my crafty stuff there.  We have a Ben Franklin also and it pretty much blows.  I can find some decent fabric there once in a great while.  Anywho, Hi

[aytchjay]

Amazon, I went to high school in Dunlap!!