LYS Day the Interweave Yarn Fest Way!

Though it might be a joy to spend all day driving around between all your favorite yarn shops, it was truly a delight to have a special selection of yarn shops, both local to us and otherwise, in one place for Interweave Yarn Fest. During these fiber-filled four days, crafters shop the marketplace, take classes, and soak in the soft and colorful yarnosphere.

This may have also qualified as a super intense, four-day long Local Yarn Shop (LYS) Day. But friends, there really is an official LYS Day! It’s on Saturday, April 21, and it’s brought to you by The National Needlearts Association. Out of the over fifty vendors in the Interweave Yarn Fest Marketplace, we had six LYS booths selling their yarn-happy goods to an enthusiastic crowd.

Bringing Craft to the Masses

The Eugene Textile Center out of Oregon has so many things happening. It can be called an LYS, because they do sell yarn, fiber, and beyond. But the learning opportunities that the ETC provides takes this team over the top. Employee and weaver Patty Huffer explains that the ETC is fostering an interest in spinning and weaving with their expansive, ongoing curriculum. But the most exciting part for her? “We have grown our guild in Central Oregon by twenty-five or thirty members over the past year – and they are all young people.” This is great news for the handmade life!

No matter the scale, whether from an operation like ETC or a smaller business like Lambspun of Colorado or Susan’s Fiber Shop out of Columbus, Wisconsin, every stitch of support matters to crafters. Both of these shops were on hand at Yarn Fest, building interest and loyalty to craft. One need only look at the events offered on the websites of these two businesses to see that establishing a learning haven for makers is part of what makes an LYS special.

[envira-gallery id=”422034″]

Always There for a Fiber Assist

The Stitchin’ Den out of Estes Park, Colorado is an established regular at Yarn Fest. Yet again this year, their swifts rotated constantly in an effort to wind yarn into workable skeins for shoppers in need. The Longmont Yarn Shoppe was there to both teach and sell, with owner Gail Sundbery-Douse present to ensure crafters got their due in stitch input and fiber.

Visiting with My Sister Knits at our event garnered a perspective that can only come from a shop new to Yarn Fest. Their second year as a vendor in the marketplace had them soaking in the love and marveling at the attendance and interest. They are one of the official shops that have registered with TNNA to support LYS Day.

Where will you be spending your time on LYS Day? We hope this special day for small businesses and crafters is one of celebration, laughter and friendship. And of course, stitches and stitches and stitches.

Craft on, crafters!

Jenn

Got your supplies? Start your project!