NEENAH (NBC 26) — Whether wielding a hook or baring a set of needles, crafty folk were out in droves celebrating an international holiday on Saturday.
Saturday was Local Yarn Store Day, an international holiday sponsored by an organization called The National Needleworks Association. It drives up business before the dry spell caused by warmer weather.
Tori Dorn owns a yarn store in downtown Neenah called Fibre. She said she was happy to see a huge turnout for the holiday.
“Oh my gosh – so many people!" Dorn said. "It’s our biggest day of the year, so I’ve literally just finally gotten to step away from the register.
Dorn said that she loves what she does, and she loves that she has such strong community support to keep her going.
"Thank you to my community for stepping up and helping us out. Summer is kind of a slow time of year for yarn shops… we’re pretty much able to survive off of today’s sales for the next three to four months, so, very happy.”
The store relies on community support to stay open, but it also fosters local involvement. And Dorn said that is her favorite thing about her livelihood.
“I hand-pick the brands that I work with. A lot of my dyers I know by name. I can talk to you about their children, their life stories, how they started. So, that’s really what I love about having my local yarn shop is that I’m able to support other local artisans. Not just yarn but project bags, lotions, lots of little stuff.”
On Saturday, as part of Local Yarn Store Day, her store also featured a trunk sale of hand-dyed yarns by Northwoods Fibers, a brand by a woman named Kelly Montag out of Menominee.
Shoppers were also treated to free patterns, free pins, and bag giveaways.
So, as the temperature rises, yarn sales will go into hibernation, but Dorn said her shop will remain open despite the seasonal sales slump.
You can find more about Fibre at the store's Instagram page, Facebook page, or website.
