Actually, Knight is prepared year-round to help seamstresses, brides, crafters, costume designers, interior decorators, millinersand schoolgirls who delight in finding a beautiful bit of ribbon.

The Ribbonerie in San Francisco may be one of a kind. Ribbons are availableeverywhere, but you can't find beautiful variegated-color ribbons, vintage and contemporary passementerie and fine grosgrain, mostmade in France, in very many places.

Knight worked for United Airlines back in the halcyon days when shehad time to wander the streets of Paris between flights. She admired the beautiful ribbon used in candy store windows. Notable to buy any there, she went to Lyon, where ribbons are made, and fell in love with what she saw.

"I knew I had never seen it in the United States," she said.

She "turned the ribbon industry upside down" when she beganimporting 23 years ago. She went from wholesale to retail, and morethan a year ago, she moved from the design district to Spruce andSacramento streets. Knight shares the store with floral artist Rebecca Davidson, whohelps her produce gorgeous window wreaths during the holidays.

The abundance of ribbons in the shop is breathtaking. About 70percent come from France; they include tons of basic colors inwire-edged ribbon (shown in bow above right), cotton and acetategrosgrains, variegated colors known as ombre, novelty, satin, metallics, special designs and holiday patterns, as well as trims, cording, rickrack, tassels, metal threads and elastic. Prices rangefrom 40 cents to $15 a yard.

In a locked case, Knight keeps the vintage and antique ribbons sheloves to collect ($2.50 to $54 a yard). An old cabinet holds allmanner of old-fashioned buttons, made of abalone, mother of pearland more. Bargain hunters can pick through the bins of overruns andend runs along the wall (2 cents to $1.33 a yard).
The Ribbonerie selection encompasses many ribbons made in theUnited States, Germany, Japan, China and India. But Knighthighlights the fine weaving on the French-made ribbons, not tomention some of the styling.

"The French have a nice sense of design," she said.