Save the indie needlearts stores!

Independent needlework stores—cross stitch, needlepoint, knitting, crafts, or hybrid stores covering all techniques—offer the best selection of needleart supplies, the most personalized customer service, and the largest group of experts to help you have more fun with your favorite hobby. They are needleworkers' jewels, the pots of gold at the START of your stitching rainbow, the Oprahs of your creative soul. Now more than ever, in the age of the Internet, we all need to support local needlework stores.

Independent-shop love propelled a passionate group* of knitters to organize a Local Yarn Store Day. It's now a national day: April 21, 2018. While one day may seem insignificant in a year of 365 days, the goal is to raise awareness for local stores that will carry on throughout the year. (We are hoping that needlepoint and cross stitch communities can organize similar events for those shops too.)

*Side note about that passionate group: they include Kris and Oz of Cambria Yarns, owners of the store Ball & Skein & More in Paso Robles, California (photo at right). They're lovely people, full of creativity, incredibly kind and wholeheartedly dedicated to all things fiber—and they're adding Kreinik threads to their store. The local needlepoint shop retired/closed, and people have been coming to them asking for needlepoint supplies. Check their store often for the new stock as it arrives: http://cambriayarn.com/bswp/

Here's what you need to know:

• It's a special one-day brick and mortar yarn shop appreciation day, and it's April 21, 2018
• How to participate: find your nearest store and go shopping or sign up for classes
• Bring friends and influence people to join us in a love of fiber and stash enhancement activities
• List of stores participating: http://www.tnna.org/?page=LYSDayRetailers (shouldn't that be ALL indie needleart stores?)
• Want your local shop to get involved? Jill Wolcott offers ideas on how to involve them: https://www.jillwolcottknits.com/lys-local-yarn-store-day/
• Visit LYSDay's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Localyarnstoreday-317426702015809/  or http://www.tnna.org/page/LYSDay for more information
• Share your shopping photos on social media with the hashtag #LYSDay. Your post may introduce people to shops they never knew about...and in general make the world a happier place :)