fbpx

Yarn Pop by Top Shelf Totes

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?

YarnPopTopShelf
https://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.

YPSinglebagShe 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: https://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

Categories: ,

    Leave a Comment

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Melissa says:

    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

  2. Renee says:

    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!

  3. Shelly says:

    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!

  4. Luanne Noon says:

    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.

  5. Melissa C. says:

    The Yarn Pop bags seem so well-designed for yarn crafting, and easy on the eye, I’m definitely gonna have to get one!

  6. Nancy says:

    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!

  7. Vicki Lynch says:

    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.

  8. Brenda Reynoso Pena says:

    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.

  9. Michaeline Reed says:

    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!

  10. Suzanne says:

    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!

  11. Linda C. says:

    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!

  12. carrotmusic says:

    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.

  13. Kate M says:

    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!!

  14. JoyceAnna D'Alessandro says:

    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

  15. Anita says:

    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

  16. Stephanie Axman says:

    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.

  17. Theresa Bartolotta says:

    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!

  18. Debra says:

    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!

Marly Bird

The One and Only, Marly

Marly is a knitwear and crochet designer (and yarn addict) that is here to help you learn how to knit and crochet in a way that's fun and approachable.

Meet Marly

knitting-crochet-projects
mood-netflix-chill

Netflix & Chill

Simple projects for when you want to relax and zone out

mood-social-butterfly

Social Butterfly

Frustration-free projects that you can easily work on in public areas

mood-smooth-jazz

Smooth Jazz

Projects that require a bit more intense focus (but music is nice!)

mood-shh-be-quiet

Shhh Be Quiet!

Advanced projects requiring deep focus (but a big payoff, too!)