Compatto Knits Warmth And Fosters Camaraderie

Grace, a chow/labrador mix who wears a knitted collar, is always ready to greet visitors at Compatto, a popular yarn and knitting shop located on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. Co-owners Bonnie Davidoff and Nancy Hannah are close behind the pet, inviting customers to come in and knit, share a cup of coffee or tea, and chat. There are several sitting areas, including a large table near the front door that serves as a place for drop-in knitters and more than 15 classes a month. Free ‘Learn to Knit’ classes are offered for all ages every Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m. On a recent weekend, several middle school students were seated around the table learning the basics. Near the back of the store, next to the coffee pot, are two sofas that give the store a homey feel and provide another area for knitters to gather, work and converse. One Friday a month, the store stays open late for wine, cheese and knitting, and every Tuesday a group of women gather at lunchtime to knit for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. ‘It doesn’t matter about your political persuasion, it’s cold in the desert on winter nights,’ Davidoff said. The knitters create helmet liners in specified military colors (black, green or brown), and some of them feature a small embroidered heart. The group also knits wool socks and scarves made to military specifications. A tag with the knitter’s name is included on each item to make it more personal. ‘We don’t talk about politics while we knit,’ Davidoff said, ‘but we want to do something to show our appreciation.’ Each month, the store usually sends off a box that typically holds about 30 knitted items. The store has a wide selection of unusual yarns including corn silk yarn (made from the ‘silk’ found on corn ears), hand-spun organic cotton, organic wools and bamboo yarn. The owners prefer to carry natural fibers as opposed to the acrylics, with prices ranging from $6 a ball for washable wool to $130 a skein for hand-spun silk with Swarvosky crystals. A skein of silk with little glass beads runs $40. The feel of the yarns is surprisingly soft. ‘This is half the fun of knitting–to feel the yarn,’ Davidoff said. ‘It’s a sensuous experience.’ In addition to selling patterns for an assortment of items like sweaters, mittens, hats and booties, the store carries a range of needles made from birch, ebony, rosewood and bamboo. They have square needles and even needles with tips that light up. ‘Needles are also part of the sensory experience,’ Hannah said, ‘and knitters become partial to the feel of certain ones.’ Hannah grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from Culver High School, and attended UCLA and the University of Connecticut. She lived in Westport, Connecticut and worked as a psychotherapist for 23 years, before moving back to L.A. with her daughter, Liz, a fellow at the American Film Institute. Hannah decided that she wanted to make a career change. She had learned to knit six years ago, when she joined friends who were taking a class. ‘I was hooked,’ Hannah said, and she started an on-line store that sold knitting kits. But realizing that she missed the human interaction she enjoyed as a psychotherapist, she opened Compatto (Italian for ‘close knit’) a year ago. ‘I like people coming in here,’ she said. ‘It feels personal. There are people to talk to, and you become part of their weekly routine and their circle.’ Davidoff, who had learned to knit when she was five, became one of the store’s regular customers. ‘Every knitting store has a personality,’ Davidoff said. ‘This store is welcoming and newcomers become part of the group.’ Davidoff became a partner in November, and calls this her ‘third career.’ After graduating from Hartford College, she lived in New York for 12 years, working in advertising sales. She moved to Los Angeles to open an office for a high-tech magazine and met her husband, Brian, shortly after arriving. Her second career was raising her two daughters, Cara and Chelsea, and volunteering for the Palisades YMCA swim team, at Palisades High School and at the Getty Center. Both daughters were standout swimmers at PaliHi and continue to swim for their colleges. Cara is in her final year at UCLA and Chelsea is a sophomore at the University of Vermont. The owners’ enthusiasm for their store and knitting is contagious. ‘The first three weeks I was here, I was so excited I would wake up in the middle of the night with ideas,’ Davidoff said. ‘People say they can’t knit,’ Hannah said. ‘I can teach anyone to knit in two hours. Once you know how to do that, everything else is manipulating stitches.’ Compatto is located at 2112 Wilshire Blvd. Call (310) 453-2130 for a class schedule.