Major Change in Fiber World May Unlock Opportunities

Major change always causes apprehension, and in this case, the bankruptcy of XRX/Stitches is going to cause some financial distress too.

Responding to Major Change, 1

What can you do?

• Buy yarn from vendors who are losing income from the loss of the shows;
• Encourage others to buy directly from the vendors or from LYS;
• Spend a little extra to support this industry;
• Take classes from teachers on other platforms, or better yet, on their own platform;
• Buy magazines, books, publications that interest you;
• Seek out new things — and perhaps involve your LYS in helping you find them.
• Support smaller local events, fiber festivals, fiber shows, locally created learning venues (added).
• Send a note to vendors/teachers letting them know you support them (it is very low cost).

I rarely encourage anyone to go out and buy new yarn when they have a stash to work through, but I think this is the time to spend your money. If you are an attendee who lost their registration dollars, you still have the dollars you would have spent in the marketplace. So sorry they took your money knowing where they were headed.

Responding to Major Change, 2

These are the things I want to focus on:

1. How do we replace the interaction that students and teachers experience?
2. How do we replace the interaction that knitters have with each other?
3. How do we introduce new products to knitters?
4. How do we generally change our mindset from one of “how cheaply can I get this?” to “how do I value what I do and those who make it possible?”
5. Be loyal to brands you love.
6. How do we support those who are already making this industry possible?
7. Consider the value that each product that you purchase (classes, supplies, yarn, patterns, etc.) gives you as well as your time in creating things.

That is it for right now. Please value all the makers who make it possible for you to make.

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