Support your local yarn shop

As lockdown rules are lifted and UK retailers can open their doors once more, we look at all the benefits you get when you visit your local yarn shop

- Lindsay Weston

Our high street has been a tough environment for retailers for many years, even before the coronavirus pandemic hit us. Local yarn shops, just like all other ‘non-essential’ stores, have faced local and national restrictions. Owners have been forced to change how they work, and then close completely, switching to online and postal sales in order to survive. In short, it’s been an extremely difficult year for everyone involved. But thankfully things are starting to change and here’s a reminder of what you can find when you visit a yarn shop near you.

FANTASTIC RESOURCE

Juliet Bernard from UK Hand Knitting says that now, more than ever, we need to support our local yarn shops as they offer so much more to us crocheters than online-only retailers. “Yarn shops and their owners are a fantastic resource for all crafters. There will always be a warm welcome, help to choose yarns, expert advice on pattern problems, and a way to connect with your local community of crafters.” This point is supported by Melanie McKay from Ethel & Em, a city center yarn shop in Lancaster, who says her store is also a community space. “A lot of customers come to the shop for friendship and escape as much as they do for yarn! Our shop is nothing without its people.”

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