Yarn Pop by Top Shelf Totes, owner Lori Jordan, our guest today on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. And we LOVE our Bags, don’t we?
- http://topshelftotes.com/
Lori was taught to crochet by an aunt at about 12 years old, and her first project was a blanket. About 10 years ago, she picked up knitting because she was inspired to knit socks! She says socks are still her favorite GO-TO project and that she taught herself and later on, through her local yarn store.
Lori Jordan was working at Paramont Pictures to get movies uploaded in services like iTunes and Netflix, at the time knitting was her zen, she says. She and her husband decided to start their own tech company. While on the plane, she realized it would be nice to have a bag that prevented her yarn from rolling down the aisles. She sewed when she was at home, and began with a bag with grommets for the yarn to thread through. Someone suggested taking her bags to Stitches West. Her first time there, she realized that while she thought she had enough, she ran out of inventory by Saturday of the show and spent the rest of it knitting and handing out business cards.
That was the moment of clarity when she realized she’d found her bliss.
She found manufacturers close to her, in fact, the prints are all milled, made and printed in the US. The fabric is a heavier canvas that resists stains and hold their shape and still be machine washable. The prints she uses are great for making the bags coordinate while not ‘matchy-matchy’ although lots of people like having their various bags all the same print.
She loves working with the community, the people, the other vendors at shows, the yarn stores and doing the trunk shows. It’s obvious that these are the things that love her products too!
The first bag was The Single. The yarn threads through the grommet, as stated earlier, and your project can be tucked back in the, there’s a gap that allows the yarn not to get caught in the zipper. She created this bag in this size to be perfect for her socks. Naturally, The Double came next as an option for attendees at the shows, for sock two-at-a-time. Later came The Gadgety, with a pocket for a cell phone with a place to thread the headset cord through. The Commuter came with room for the larger devices like tablets to carry your pattern around with your project. And then the POPULAR Toteable to carry everything!
The bags are becoming collectibles because Lori tries to keep themes and update them. People like the Owl prints, and other people will love the Giraffes. The company is known for the Dandelion print as well.
If you didn’t get to listen to this visit yet, here is the link for where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2014/09/16/pop-totes or you can find it in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yarn-pop-by-top-shelf-totes/id313541727?i=319019330&mt=2
Yarn Pop is so great. And those bags really do pop! It’s amazing how far they’ve come.
Wow! Another super interesting blog show. The yarn pop bags are so pretty and seem like they would be very useful.
I am so in love with Yarn Pop! Gorgeous!
Yarn Pop combines whimsy and practicality. I love these bags!
I love the Yarn Pop bags and all their gorgeous colours.
Lori’s story about learning to crochet as a child, dropping it for years, and coming back to it realizing crochet is much more than afghans is exactly my experience! I love where the new designers are going. I really like the prints of the Yarn Pop bags, I gotta get one
Yarn Pop bags are gorgeous, just what I need.
I’ve never seen a Yarn Pop bag in person. I’ll have to change that.
Lmecoll on Ravelry
I absolutely love the Yarn Pop bags! So beautiful as well as useful. Thanks for the chance to win one!
Great podcast as usual! I love those Yarn Pop bags!
Just love the yarn pop bags! Just having trouble deciding which one I love most. 🙂
Yarn Pop bags are such a great idea! One of those “wish I’d thought of that” moments. We travel a lot so am looking forward to delving into these bags for my yarn habit!
Love the Yarn Pop line! Going shopping online now.
Great back story. I like the patterns on the yarn pop bags.
It was so fun hearing about Yarn Pop bags, they are all so fantastic.
Great interview, it was so interesting to learn how Lori started Yarn Pop!
I’m loving the fabric on the Yarn Pop bags!
I have never heard of Yarn Pop but these bags are so stylish and functional! I will be ordering one in the near future!
I have never heard of yarn pop before but glad to have learned about them. Canvas is a brilliant choice of fabric! Fun interview keep up the good work!
Always love to hear the story behind the genius! I love the dandelion Yarn Pop print!
I hope to see the Yarn Pop bags at VKL in NYC this winter.
Another great show. I have quite a few yarn pops and love the new pink paisley
I’ve never heard of Yarn Pop until the podcast. However, I looked at the bags on the website and they are so cute. I really like the large clutch.
What a great bag for keeping my projects in. Yarn Pop Rocks!
The yarn pop bags are beautiful and useful and I am positive I need one! Thanks Marly for always helping us learn about different products on the market.
The Yarn Pop bags seem so well-designed for yarn crafting, and easy on the eye, I’m definitely gonna have to get one!
Where have I been? I am so glad I tuned in and ‘met’ Yarn Pop totes. I fell in love. I immediately began searching and found a hot pink giraffe gadety bag. Lori, bring back the messenger bag in stripes based on the season. Fun podcast, Marly!
I hadn’t heard of Yarn Pop till the podcast, their products look really durable and have really fun prints, want one!!
The Yarn Pop bags are fantastic! All of the fabrics are great but I especially like the polka dots and the giraffes.
I was lucky enough to find a Yarn Pop bag at a local yarn shop, but I really need another!!!!
I’m so glad you joined the podcast today. I hadn’t heard about your bags or Yarn Pop since I don’t make it to the big shows. They all look wonderful and I like the idea of using a heavier fabric.
I will love to have one of the yarn pop bags. They have beautiful colors and the fabric looks very durable perfect for knitting projects. Love the idea of the grommets for intarsia knitting.
Yarn Pop bags make we want to knit more! They are great “to go” bags for my car projects. These are so beautiful, I would carry them anywhere!
I have a dandelion Yarn Pop bag but now that I’m looking at the bags anew, I think I might need a pink and green polka dot one too!
I would love to try a Yarn Pop commuter bag! Thank you for the chance to do so.
I loved hearing Marly and Lori talking about whether they liked their bags to all match or not. So funny! I’m with you Marly – for me it just feels right when everything matches. I was really interested to hear about how the Yarn Pop bags evolved and especially how the opening near the zipper allows for the yarn to fit through without snagging. I’ll be making a visit to the Yarn Pop booth at the next Stitches West for sure!
These bags are gorgeous! I love to knit on my walk to and from work, and a Yarn pop bag looks like a great way to carry my yarn and supplies!
I organise my entire life in tote bags (not just knitting). I am going to be looking carefully to see which Yarnpop bag would suit me best.
Thanks for another great show. Yarn Pop is AMAZING. I hadn’t heard of them before the show, so thank you for introducing me to them. I can’t wait to start shopping!!
I have seen the yarn pop bags before and worrried about the yarn snagginh on the zipper. So glad you explained how the bag is constructed to be snag free
I squealed when I heard Lori say that she will be at vogue Knitting Live in Chicago. Me too!!! This is my 1st big show and I can’t wait to visit the Yarn Pop booth
I have 2 yarn pop bags and I love them. The prints are so cute. I would love to get a messenger bag, can’t wait to see them.
I haven’t seen Yarn Pop bags before. They are gorgeous and I think I have something new to collect.
I really want to get a Yarn Pop bag. The fabrics are lovely and the bags seem so functional. Off to the website to check out the styles! Loved the podcast Marly – so fun!
Marly thank you for introducing Yarn Pop to your listeners. Very nice well made bags and I know what my next purchased bag will be.
The Yarn Pop bags would make a great gift.
The yarn pop bags are wonderful. I would love to have a nice project bag…
Oh yarn pop, how i love thee!!!
I must have a yarn pop!!!!
I loved the podcast today! It seems like the Yarn Pop bags that really exploded onto the scene over the last year! I love their designs!
I hadn’t heard of Yarn Pops til now. I will have to go looking, they seem perfect!
LOVE these Yarn Pop bags!