Black-Owned Fiber Businesses Create Community

August is Black Business Month, which began in 2004 as a way to support and promote Black-owned businesses. There are hundreds of local yarn shops (LYS) across the U.S., yet I know of only ten that are Black-owned. I make a special effort to promote Black-maker businesses year-round, and I wanted to learn more about these entrepreneurs.

Read about six of these shops, why the owners decided to follow their dreams, the challenges they have experienced, and what they want people to know about their businesses.

But, while Black businesses are growing, Black owners are still grossly underrepresented among overall business owners. One issue is that banks are much less likely to approve a business loan when the owner is Black—even when credit and collateral are considered. Only 16% of Black business owners receive all the financing they apply for compared to 35% of white business owners. As a result, personal savings, and angel investors—described as friends who really believe in the vision for the business—are how many of business owners were able to get started.

The same is true for many black-owned fiber businesses and local yarn shops.

Meet 6 Black-Owned Local Yarn Shops

Click the arrows to left and right in the slideshow below.

Terri J. Haynes, at Gathering Yarns, describes her business as a calling to bring people in so that they can receive healing, experience restoration, and feel like they are at home. Her shop, in Ft. Washington, Maryland, is open and airy, with plenty of space to gather. She has a great classroom space, in addition to a welcoming sit-and-stitch corner. While you are filling all your stitching needs, you can grab some Queen Sheba Beauty (another Black-owned business) personal care products, including hand balm in a variety of scents. Terri is also the head dyer at At Haynes House, and her husband is the sewist behind Uncle Brian’s Bags.

Remi Haygood, at Charlotte Yarn, wants everyone who comes into the shop to feel seen and heard—and special. One thing that she has experienced is people assuming that she isn’t the owner of the shop. She has been the owner of Charlotte Yarn for 18 years and has worked hard to make sure that people who visit are treated like they belong there. So, for example, they don’t assume men who visit are shopping for a female partner or friend. Remi’s shop is the oldest LYS in Charlotte, and the customer service is, indeed, exceptional. The person who helped me the day I shopped there let me try knitting with the needles she was using because I was hesitant to buy metal!

In Chicago, there are two Black-owned LYS: Miss Purl and Dye Hard Yarn. Kamaca Champion, at Miss Purl, has created a space on the South Side of Chicago where people regularly hang out in multigenerational and multiracial groups. She wants to support people in developing a knitting practice where they have the support and tools necessary to create finished pieces. If you buy something from Miss Purl, Kamaca wants you to come back to show off your FO!

Dye Hard Yarns is an LYS and dye studio committed to supporting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ makers. Many Black-owned businesses were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and Dye Hard was no exception. For example, Black-owned businesses received only 8.6% of Paycheck Protection Loans, even though the rules were changed to prioritize small and minority-owned businesses. Chastity Dunlap, the owner of Dye Hard, has a vision of the shop being a community gathering place for adults and kids to learn and grow but especially wants to create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ teens. She is looking for groups in the Chicago area that need a space for charity work, healing, and activism—they are all welcome in her space. She is also the dyer behind Kitty Pride Fibers and sells a large selection of indie-dyed yarn—many by dyers from marginalized communities. You can support her vision for Dye Hard Yarns by making a donation.

For Ewe is a Black-owned LYS in Oberlin, Ohio, with a mission to create an inclusive making community. Lisa Whitfield is passionate about creating a space where Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ customers feel welcome. Her shop, located in a house across the street from Oberlin College (Lisa is an alumna of the Conservatory of Music) is really cozy and features yarn from BIPOC indie dyers, Serendipitous Wool and Lolabean Yarn Co. She also carries yarn in a variety of price points so that yarn crafting is accessible no matter what your budget may be. Lisa also hosts a regular social crafting night on Wednesdays. Check out the website for dates and times.

When Theresa Macklin retired, Theresa decided she wanted to continue to be in service to people—and not sit around doing nothing! Beyond Yarn, located in Union, New Jersey, opened during the pandemic, in the summer of 2019, so she had to figure out how to put the shop online with limited resources. Finances continue to be an issue, and Theresa agrees that this is the biggest barrier to Black business. Despite the challenges, she has developed an inclusive environment where people can have fun. If you stop in, you may catch her dancing!

Believe in Your Dream

These LYS owners frequently talk about having an impact on the community in terms of belonging. They desire to create spaces where everyone, regardless of who they are, can feel like they belong and can develop multigenerational, multiracial, inclusive relationships.

Nearly all the store owners I spoke with said they hope that more Black women will step out in faith to follow their dream. Many of these store owners experienced naysayers and self-doubt, even when they knew they were being called to this work. So, if you have dreamed of starting your own business, just do it! The challenges and barriers can be big, but with the right support, you can overcome them!

Other Black-Owned Local Yarn Shops Not Featured:

Dr. Liz Piatt holds a doctorate in Sociology and is a certified lay minister in the United Methodist Church. When she isn’t knitting or squishing yarn, she teaches, writes, and hosts a podcast about the relationship between race and lived experience from a progressive Biblical perspective. You can connect with her on Instagram and YouTube @theblackknitter.