The UK Hand Knitting Association has today 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.
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.
If you are a retailer and want to be included, please contact
[email protected]