Why local yarn stores matter

Saturday is Local Yarn Store Day, a day to visit and celebrate your local yarn store.  We have tons of fun things planned, from yarn tastings and trunk shows to new products and prizes all day.  and I invite you to come and see what's special for this day.  But first, why is LYS day even a thing?  I'm more than a little biased, but here's why local yarn stores matter.

Obviously, with a local yarn store you have a chance to see and touch all the yarns in real life.  You can compare colors and hold the skein up to your face to see what best suits your complexion.  Instant gratification too.  See it, touch it, and walk out the door with it. Right. Now.  Get help, take a class, take a moment.  Your local yarn store is a place to come and a place to be.  It's a third place. 

In his ground breaking book, The Great Good Place, urban sociologist, Ray Oldenburg, coined the term Third Place.  Different from home (first place) or work (second place) Oldenburg says that these third places are the heart of a community's social vitality.  Third places are a neutral public space where a community can connect and establish bonds often based on a shared interest.  They are a place to belong - a place to go when you want to get away from home or work.  Who hasn't done that?  Humans need that sense of place, a feeling of belonging, where everyone shares their passion for whatever.  In a yarn store, you never have to explain why you've got four bags and six projects with you.  We get it.  It's so wonderful to have a place where you can come flop down, pick up your project, and not have to listen to anyone tell you about how their grandmother used to knit/crochet, and what a dying art it is, and how they just don't have time to do it, or any of the 10,000,000 other clichéd things we all hear if someone sees us working on our project.  We speak your language, and we share your perspective. You can come in and chat, or just work peacefully.  We understand each other

Some have said that online communities like Ravelry or coffee shop meet-ups and knitting groups are making local yarn shops obsolete, but I really see no sign of it.  Is there community at these gatherings?  Absolutely, and that's wonderful, but that community is only available  at the appointed times.  A local yarn store, on the other hand, is a business with regular hours, and we're here for you all the time.  You can stop in for a help or a little knitting company whenever you need it.  We're always happy to see you.

A local yarn store is not just a benefit to its customers, but to the wider community as well. Non-yarn people don't get it, but a local yarn store is a huge economic driver.  Like most small, specialty retail businesses, a local yarn store is a destination, and becoming more so as their numbers dwindle.   Yarn lovers often make a day of it bringing friends and family who may or may not share their yarn passion.  They come to shop and then ask, "Where's a good place to eat?  Where can I get a cup of coffee? What other fun things are there to do in town?"  Their excursion provides tourism dollars to help the local economy flourish. 

I am so happy to be a local yarn store owner, and I am proud to serve you on LYS Day, and every day.  If you're a regular, join us for this special event.  If not, come and see what all the fuss is about.

I look forward to seeing you in the shop and around the table.  You are always welcome here.

~Ellen

Back to 23 April 2019 Newsletter