At 65, Libby is turning her lifelong passion for craft into The Yarn Barn, a new Kingston space bringing Canberrans together through creativity, friendship and conversation. Photo: Oliver Street Photography.
You don’t need to know how to knit, crochet or even buy a ball of yarn to walk into Kingston’s newest craft store. All you need is a little time and a willingness to have a chat.
Opening on 27 November in Green Square, The Yarn Barn promises to be more than a shop. Its founder, 65-year-old Libby, wants to create a place where Canberrans of all ages can make friends, learn skills and find company.
“You won’t need to buy anything to feel welcome,” she said in a message shared by the Kingston and Barton Residents Group.
And she wants the community to help build it.
Experienced knitters and crocheters are being invited to teach classes, help beginners who get stuck on a stitch and share skills passed down through generations. Others can suggest workshops, recommend yarn brands or simply come along to learn something new.
“We are a learning community and our dream is to have all ages involved and skills passed from generation to generation,” Libby said.
She imagines a shop where a beginner can sit beside someone who has been knitting for decades, where people who work during the day can find company in the evening, and where men feel just as comfortable picking up a pair of knitting needles.
In fact, a planned Monday night session for men has already attracted considerable interest.
Thursday evenings will be set aside for Stitch and Yarn, a two-hour gathering from 6 pm where people can bring whatever they are working on, share ideas or simply enjoy a conversation over coffee. The sessions will cost $10, with discounted refreshments and products.
There will also be beginner classes, weekend workshops and opportunities to meet the people who create yarns, patterns and craft books.
But Libby hopes some of the friendships formed around those tables will lead to something beyond the shop.
Every few weeks, she wants crafters to work together on a project for people who need a helping hand. One of her first ideas is making beanies for Mother Ignacia Hospital in Soe City, West Timor, a project founded by her friends Dr David and Sue-Anne O’Rourke.
The invitation has already struck a chord. Her first social media announcement drew around 4000 views and more than 400 likes, while local crafters have offered to teach, supply products and lend a hand.
The Yarn Barn, a new Kingston space, aims to bring Canberrans together through creativity, friendship and conversation. Photo: Oliver Street Photography.
For Libby, that response has been particularly encouraging because opening The Yarn Barn is a considerable personal and financial gamble.
She has just turned 65, still works in the Australian Public Service and is recovering from double knee replacement surgery. “Like many women of my generation, I will need to work probably into my 80s,” she said.
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Rather than wait for retirement, she decided to build something she could eventually transition into while continuing her regular job. The idea had been with her for years, but it was during her recovery from surgery that she finally asked herself: If not now, when?
“All I have is going into it,” she said.
Her love of crafting began at 11, when her mother, a keen knitter who also loved sewing, encouraged her to make her own clothes. Over the decades, she explored pottery, painting, patchwork and quilting before finding a particular love for crochet.
As a single mother, crafting with friends became an important source of companionship. During difficult or lonely periods, making something for others helped her find calm.
Following her knee surgery, she crocheted two baby blankets while managing the pain. “I enjoy the creative process, the way it stills your mind and there is a sense of accomplishment when you finish something,” she said.
Turning that passion into a business has brought unfamiliar challenges, from finding wholesalers to hiring staff. “I have all the ideas and NO idea !!!” she joked.
With help from business mentors, she is preparing for an opening weekend featuring country music, cookies and lucky door prizes. Her plans include craft retreats, a 24-hour charity craftathon and taking The Yarn Barn in her van to regional communities without yarn shops.
But when asked what she hopes to see in the store a year from now, Libby didn’t mention profits or sales, just “happy people”.
The Yarn Barn will open on 27 November at Green Square, Shop 30, 72 Jardine St, Kingston. Follow Yarn Barn on Facebook.
