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Help yelley open a yarn shop in Alameda, CA!

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Hi, my name is yelley (they/them) and I’m raising money to start a new yarn and fiber crafting shop in Alameda, CA. I’ve been working with yarn since my grandma first taught me how to make granny squares and plastic canvas coasters when I was 6 years old. Now I’m an avid knitter and crocheter, budding knitwear designer, and community organizer working to make spaces for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC crafters to come together and share in their love of fiber!

yelley’s yarn shop (not the actual shop title, that’s still a work in progress!) will be a bright, inviting, and welcoming space where people can gather to sit and stitch, get help with projects, learn new skills, connect with the local community, and of course shop for yarn! Some of the key goals of the shop include:
  • Elevating queer makers and BIPOC makers! When selecting items for the shop to sell, priority will be given to dyers and small business owners from marginalized groups.
  • Promoting designers that value size inclusivity! Store samples and patterns recommended by the shop must be available in a range of sizes that includes most bodies.
  • Providing supplies at a range of price points! Fiber crafts can be an expensive, luxury hobby, but there are ways to make it more financially accessible and I have several ideas to reduce costs for projects.
  • Creating a space where people want to gather! A large seating area with comfortable chairs and good lighting, a coffee and tea bar, and a full calendar of events for the shop. Classes, group sit and stitch sessions (including times where masks are required), shop make-alongs, movie nights, game nights, etc.

I have an incredibly supportive network of fiber friends in the San Francisco Bay Area - shop owners, yarn dyers, designers, and accessory makers - helping to guide me along this path. I’m working on drafting my official business plan and will be applying for grants and a loan to cover the full costs of starting up, but gathering donations through GoFundMe will help me get started faster!

The funds raised will be used to:
  • Secure the location of the shop! I have a lovely spot I’m hoping to lease, so this will be the first priority. The location I’ve chosen is on Webster Street, a busy main street that has seen a lot of growth and new businesses over the past few years. If I’m not able to get this location, there are others in the area that I have in mind as well!
  • Furnish the shop! I plan to be as frugal as possible in this area, sourcing shelving, storage, tables, seating, and decorations from places like thrift stores, Facebook marketplace, and my own home to start out.
  • Stock the shop! The shop will primarily sell yarn for knitting and crocheting, plus tools, notions, and accessories for these crafts. Supplies for other crafts, including spinning, small loom weaving, embroidery, and cross stitch are also part of the vision but the first focus is filling the shelves with yarn!
  • Logo and website design! I plan to hire an artist to create a logo for the shop. I will try my hand at website setup on my own, but since I have no experience with this I may need to hire someone to assist with the site development.
  • Other, non-glamorous business expenses! Things like insurance, packaging, cleaning supplies, etc.

About yelley


I’m a queer, nonbinary, neurodivergent, mixed Filipinx American fiber artist - I primarily knit, crochet, spin yarn, and embroider, but I dabble in a lot of crafts! I live with part of my chosen family (my spouse, Jason, and our two pups, Yuki and Beatrice) in Alameda, an island in the San Francisco Bay near Oakland. You might recognize me as the designer of the Reignbeaux sweater or from my Instagram (@yelleyknits) where I share about social issues in the fiber community and my own weird and wonderful polyamorous neurodivergent life. When I’m not crafting, I’m probably playing a nerdy tabletop game like Dungeons and Dragons or Magic the Gathering, meeting my dogs’ endless demands for snuggles, or continuing my quest to find the perfect fresh spring roll and peanut sauce combination in the East Bay.


For over 15 years I’ve had a career in food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance for various food manufacturers. This career choice, while interesting and fulfilling, has been an ongoing source of stress and threat to my overall mental health and well-being. While taking a leave of absence from my job to take care of my mental health, I realized that this would be a continuing cycle for me if I didn’t make some big changes in the things that I can control.

Over the past several years I’ve become more interested in cultivating the community aspect of the fiber and crafting industry. Of course these are all businesses in the capitalist world trying to make money, but we’re also a huge group of people that love the craft and love sharing it with others. To that end, I got more involved with my local Bay Area fiber community and I’ve hosted meetups for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ crafters at fiber events like Lambtown Festival and Stitches West and SoCal. With the closure of Stitches earlier this year, I’ve been trying to come up with alternate venues for meetups and what could be a better place than my own shop?


I think I have a natural ability to bring people together and a strong desire to learn, grow, and develop both as an individual and as a community that will help me build a successful shop. Thank you so much for your support, here’s hoping we will be sitting and stitching together at my place soon!

With love,
yelley

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Donations 

  • Aiden Sielias
    • $100
    • 7 mos
  • Leah Prestamo
    • $250
    • 1 yr
  • Sheri Karobonik
    • $100
    • 1 yr
  • Justin Perilli
    • $25
    • 1 yr
  • Demeter Lamb
    • $25
    • 1 yr
Donate

Organizer

Danielle LaFramboise-Dodd
Organizer
Alameda, CA

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