Yarn For Me & Sew Much More

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Yarn for Me & Sew Much More, located at 5111-50 Street (across from Pharmasave), started in the basement of owner Jennifer Temple’s home. “I started crocheting in 2015, and I was frustrated because there was no selection here in town. I had to go to Edmonton for everything. I started thinking about opening up a business, and I talked to some friends about it because I thought, I can’t be the only one frustrated by the lack of local selection.” After speaking with her husband, she decided to bring in some products and see what other residents thought.

“Having it in the basement was a good and a bad thing. I did not have overhead, obviously, but it also kind of deterred people because they had to come into my home to shop. The people coming were people I already knew and knew that I carried yarn, but I couldn’t promote it as a home-based business, so that kind of hindered me.” When Temple heard about the Whitecourt & District Chamber of Commerce’s Business Incubator Program, she decided to apply. “The worst thing they could say was no.”

Fast-forward a bit, and Temple moved into the Chamber building as their newest incubator business. “It was awesome! You have no overhead for a year because they give you free rent. The goal is to see if you can succeed, and they give you the tools you need to do it. Where you can go with the program is endless. It just comes down to the amount of work you put into it.”

Once she had a storefront, her business went up. “Pretty much right away, I saw more of a bump in everything because I had a set location with set hours and people knew where I was. With it not being in my home, people were more comfortable to come and see my selection. People loved coming out and, as my friend calls it, petting the yarn,” she laughed. “They clearly enjoyed the experience of coming in and having a local yarn shop.”

What started as a hobby quickly turned into a full-fledged business, and as clientele grew, Temple knew she needed a bigger space. “This spot became available, and it was perfect. Every day I’m still getting new customers. Even now, I hear that they love my shop, the inventory, the atmosphere, and the prices. Everyone is frustrated with the circumstances happening right now with COVID, but they still love coming in and seeing all the pretties that I have.” She credits the Chamber’s Incubator Program for getting her to where she is.

With people hanging out at home more, Temple said her clientele base has increased as people get back into old hobbies or start new ones. She hopes that people stick with their hobbies even once things get back to normal. Sometime in the future, Temple plans to hold classes to help share her love for textiles. “I have a lot of interest in classes for knitting, crocheting, quilting, and sewing. Hopefully, this fall, we will be able to do some of that. I would love to have a stitch night so that people can get together to do any hobby that involves stitching so they can pop in and meet other people that enjoy it too.”

Temple said that the crafters in the area are a big group and a welcoming group and that she looks forward to playing a part in building an even bigger community. One art form that has jumped in popularity is cross-stitching. “I was surprised by the number of people that cross-stitch. That was one of the main things I was asked about bringing in was cross-stitch supplies. I ask people for their input on what they would like to see in the store. With crafting, the possibilities are endless.”

Though the pandemic has impeded her ability to get some supplies, her store remains stocked and ready to serve. She has yarn, knitting and crocheting supplies, DMC floss, fabric and quilting items, cross-stitch supplies, macrame, and so much more. She also has gift cards. “I’m open 10-4 Monday to Friday and 11-3 on Saturdays. I’m at 5111-50 Street. I always tell people that I’m right across the street from Pharmasave,” smiled Temple. “If I can save you that trip to the city and if you can support a small business and support local then even better. It is so important, especially right now.”