Operation Yarn Shop Love (or what to do if you're having a yarn crisis)

I've seen quite a few posts shared on social media about how knitters and crocheters have been preparing for lockdown for years by stashing away yarn. But no matter how well organised you are, there may well come a time that you realise you're about to have a Serious. Yarn. Situation. You don't have enough yarn of a particular colour to complete a project, or perhaps you just want something new as a treat whilst we are all being encourage to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives. I do have a sizeable stash mini-yarn shop here, yet I'm in danger of running out of yarn in my temperature blanket. You may remember at the start of the year I shared my idea of crocheting a temperature blanket. You can read more about it here. I planned out my colours, and bought one ball of each colour to start with. Of course, I've used a lot of some colours already while others haven't even been touched yet. In fact, I'm in danger of running out of three different colours within a couple of weeks (unless of course the British weather does something weird!) Before long, I'll be out of Denim, Storm Blue and Sage. It's not something that I want to put on the back burner because it's the kind of project that I need to keep on top of, or it'll end up in the naughty corner and won't get finished. So I was delighted to read about a new initiative called #Yarn Shop Love.

The UK Hand Knitting Association, whose members include the largest yarn brands in the country, has recently launched a campaign together with five leading craft publishers to support local yarn shops across the UK – “Yarn Shop Love”

As if doing business on the high street wasn’t tough enough, yarn shops are facing a once-in-a-lifetime challenge to stay in business during this difficult time.  Through social media and regular newsletters, the initiative will be actively promoting the unique benefits of local yarn shops during quarantine to the 7 million knitters and crocheters across the UK.  Though the doors may be shut, many yarn shops are still able to offer an online or mail order service, helpful and expert advice, personal shopping on Facetime, virtual craft groups and workshops. It’s more important than ever to support our local shops, wherever they are. 

Bricks and mortar yarn shops are absolute gems and we really do need to treasure them. When I was a child, there was a yarn shop on almost every high street. Although I do a lot of my yarn shopping online now, especially since I've been unwell and going out is much more difficult for me, there is nothing quite like seeing a ball or skein of yarn in the flesh, to be able to appreciate the colours, the softness, the lustre, the squishiness ... Sadly, the local yarn shops have become a bit of an endangered species, and with the current situation where they are having to remain closed, they may well be forced to close for good. That's why I'm so pleased to see this new initiative. 

But why do yarn shops matter?  Knitting and crochet are incredibly popular crafts in this country.  Not only is crafting a way to occupy ourselves as we spend more time at home, but there are significant and documented benefits to our mental health when we knit or crochet.  And you’re never too young or too old to give it a try.

Annabelle Hill, Chair of UKHKA’s Promotions Committee says: “Yarn shops and the communities they build around them have an important part to play in our retail landscape.  We are here to do as much as we can to support them through this challenging time, which will include tutorials and advice about how to harness social media and apps such as Zoom.”

UK Hand Knitting has a map and regional listings of local yarn shops on their site and will also start to host virtual knitting groups twice a week to help people stay in touch and craft together, details of which will be on the UK Hand Knitting Facebook page. I've looked at the list for Norfolk and discovered a couple of yarn shops that I didn't know about previously. How can that have happened?!  I used to plan our holidays meticulously and would always manage to 'come across' several yarn shops on our travels! But I didn't know about a couple almost on my doorstep! 

There is an online knitting group who will be meeting up this evening at 7pm and I'm seriously tempted to join them. It'll be ok if I'm in my PJs won't it? Why not join in too? Keep calm folks, cast on and carry on knitting and crocheting! xxx