Purls and Pop-Ups: Whatcom County Gets Its Own Annual Yarn Crawl

A group of Whatcom County local yarn stores announced that the first ever Purls & Pop-Ups, a one-day Whatcom County yarn crawl, will occur on September 16, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at three locally owned yarn stores: Apple Yarns and Northwest Yarns in Bellingham, WA, and Wear on Earth in Lynden, WA. A yarn crawl is an event for knitters, crocheters and other yarn lovers in which participants are encouraged to travel to as many participating yarn stores as possible during the crawl to explore and discover new yarn, fun and community at their local yarn shops. Popular with fiber artists and crafters across the country, this is the first yarn crawl to focus specifically on the local yarn shops in Whatcom County. This Purls & Pop-Ups yarn crawl will be the first in a series of annual yarn crawls put on by this group of local yarn stores, and the organizers expect a wide variety of yarn enthusiasts to arrive from all over the Puget Sound and Vancouver, B.C. area. Purls & Pop-Ups will include a presentation of popular new fall yarns, a stitch-marker swap, and several prize drawings. In addition, each store will be giving out collectible stitch-markers to yarn crawl participants, while supplies last. Apple Yarns, Northwest Yarns, and Wear on Earth will also be supporting local crafters and creators by providing space for a number of pop-up shops during the yarn crawl, including yarns from Zen Yarn Garden, Rorschach Fibers, and Biscotti Yarns, as well as handmade soaps from Bubbles & Ewe, yarn bowls from Michael Topolski, featured artwork by Ingmar Freske, and cupcakes from Pure Bliss. As well as providing local yarn and fiber fun, Purls & Pop-Ups will also be selling raffle tickets for a fiber arts gift basket containing beautiful products from three yarns stores, which will benefit Blue Skies for Children, an organization that provides essentials and enrichment programs for homeless, low-income and foster children in Whatcom County. For more information about Purls & Pop-Ups, please visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/purlsandpopups.

We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.