An Open Letter to the Local Yarn Shop
Dear LYS,
Most of the time you are my happy place. You provide unique educational and social opportunities and are vital to the fiber arts community. But why do you make it so difficult to support you? From snobbery to unusual hours, it’s like you’re trying to lose customers. As the great poet and genius, Taylor Swift once said, “I love you, it’s ruining my life.” I don’t want to make you feel bad, rather I implore you to change so others can experience the joy you bring to many crafters.
Why are your shop hours so weird? I never know when you’re open! Noon to 3pm on a Saturday is bonkers. Closed on a Sunday? Madness! Do you know when the average working adult enjoys their hobbies? The weekend! Also, weekday shop hours that exclude any working adult is just bad business. Isn’t that the ideal customer? Someone with a steady income stream who works an average 9-5 job can’t come to your store that’s only open 9-5 during the week.
If you’re going to be part of a yarn crawl or other special event, your shop needs to be open every day of the yarn crawl. If the yarn crawl is advertised Tuesday-Sunday, you need to be open that week, Tuesday-Sunday. If you don’t want to be open every day of the yarn crawl, then don’t be part of the yarn crawl. Outside of special events, and even though I find it irritating, if you want to be closed on Sundays, that’s your prerogative. However, I’d much rather you be open on a Sunday than a Monday.
I want to support you. I would rather buy a crochet hook from you than Michaels or Joann, even if it is a few dollars more expensive. But your weird hours have lost you so much of my business. My neurodivergent brain loses more crochet hooks than I care to admit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to start a project after work and can’t find my hook. It’s only 6pm but you’re already closed so I’m forced to go to one of the big bad corporations.
Speaking of Michaels and Joann, stop shaming people for shopping there. In an ideal world, I’d buy all my fiber supplies from you. However, know that Michaels and Joann have their place for people who cannot afford to spend $30 on a skein of yarn. If you’re honest with yourself, you won’t see them as a true competitor because you should offer things that Michaels and Joann don’t. I go to you for that special speckled yarn or to get expert help with something. Lean into that. If you stop shaming people for shopping there, they will be less intimidated to come into your shop and buy the things that you do compete with Micahels/Joann with (like a crochet hook).
You’ve got to be more inclusive and accommodating. I’m Autistic. If given the choice between leaving my house or staying home, I’m staying home. I crawl out of my hobbit hole to come to your shop to feel yarn. I’m sensitive to fabrics and textures so I have to touch a new yarn before I buy it. So when I do come into your shop and I’m feeling the skeins, don’t say comments like, “I noticed you’re a toucher.” First, people come to the yarn shop to touch the yarn. This isn’t a neurodivergent thing. A lot of neurotypicals feel the same way. If you don’t want people touching the skeins, then you need to put out swatches. But thanks for making me feel ashamed and embarrassed. Also, keep your online shop up to date so when I do want to order yarn I know I already love, I can support you instead of some giant online fulfillment center.
Accommodating means actually providing opportunities to people with disabilities (who make up a HUGE portion of crocheters and knitters, by the way). When you host special events, especially special, paid events, you need to make sure you provide options for people. For example, send out an agenda or an email that explains what attendees should expect. If you’re serving food and drinks, you need to provide a menu of what food and drinks will be served. You know, the bare minimum of what any paid event should include. I don’t mean to be bitter, but you’ve burned me before.
STOP leaving crocheters out! For God’s sake we love pretty yarn too. All you do is talk about knitting, providing knit kits, knit nights, knit alongs – we get it, you love knitting! I love knitting too but before I started knitting, I was only a crocheter. I constantly felt left out and sad I couldn’t participate in some of your events as a crocheter. You’re alienating half of your potential customers. Even though I’m a knitter now (although a very green knitter), I had a visceral reaction when you changed your logo from a general yarn aesthetic to include only knitting needles. Do you not want crocheters’ business? You’re already a niche business and if you continue to exclude half your customers, it doesn’t bode well for the future.
I’m worried about you. I want you to succeed and continue to be around for future stitchers. You are essential to the future of fiber arts, so I beg you to take this feedback with an open mind and know that it comes from a place of love.
Sincerely,
A LYS Tourist