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How has the Shutdown Affected the Fiberarts in Metro DC?

Michael highlighted in his post the other day the effect the government shutdown of various offices has had on the fiberarts industry. Following that, I became interested in how the shutdown has affected various fiberarts businesses and the community at large. With things being so uncertain, I wondered, would people be shopping and knitting less?  The stories I heard from DC area stores were surprising.

Student at Fibre Space

Fibre Space (in Old Town, Alexandria) has (and still is) offering free beginning knitting lessons to any government employee who comes in between the times of 1-5 pm at the store.  Danielle, the owner, told me that there have been between 50 and 75 beginning students coming through the store each day – so much so that they had to recruit more teachers!

Fibre Space isn’t the only store that has been offering support to furloughed government workers. The Yarn Spot in Wheaton, MD, offered afternoon tea on Friday the 4th, and has its doors open to people affected by the shutdown.  Last week, Knit & Stitch =Bliss ran a 20% off for people who are on furlough from the Federal Government; Looped Yarn Works offered 10% off to those with a government ID.

Many other stores are acting as knitting and crochet “sanctuaries” where stitchers can seek refuge from the political stress.  Dianna, from the Knitting Boutique in Glen Burnie, MD, has many federal employees who frequent her store.  She’s been listening carefully to her clientele to figure out what is the best way to help and support them in the shutdown.  “They are happy to have a place and time to knit and crochet,” Dianna accounts, “we’ve been seeing a lot more completed projects.”  This week, based on conversations with her customers, Dianna is running “Free Furlough Fridays,” where customers are invited to come in and enjoy lunch and great company.

More completed projects seem to be the case for many furloughed employees.  While they might not be pleased with the inability to go to work, they are taking advantage of the time to work on their projects.  There’s a thread on the DC/MD/VA Fiber Arts group on Ravelry called Furlough Along.  Various people have been posting their stories and sharing their knitting/crochet progress.  As a government worker related, she isn’t sure if it would be better to be working for no pay or have the time off.  Another explains that she’s back to work without pay, but the anxiety in her workplace is rampant.

This is probably why so much knitting and crochet is getting done, and why Fibre Space’s free knitting lessons are so popular.  Danielle, when asked why she is offering the free lessons said, “[I] wanted to give my craft and main stress reliever back to the community… especially those who need it most – those that are furloughed!”  Victoria, one of the owners of The Yarn Spot, echos this sentiment, “people are just sick of it [the shutdown]; they are coming here [to the store] for therapy.”

Perhaps this attitude – of serving the customers – is why many of the Local Yarn Stores haven’t noticed a downward trend in people shopping.  Perhaps it’s also because the holiday season is upon us.  Either way, I love how the fiberarts community has come together to support those people who have been hurt by the shutdown by looking to see how they can contribute.  It’s one of the things I love about the fiberarts community.

How have you been affected by the shutdown? Have you had a great expeirence at one of your Local Yarn Stores during the shutdown? I’d love to hear; comment, tweet or facebook me!

Government Shutdown and the Fiber Arts Industry

As you  might have heard, my husband, Michael, is joining the Tinking Turtle team!  For a couple of months now, he’s been behind the scenes, helping the business run smoothly, and enabling me to concentrate on the things only I can do: knitting, crochet, finishing, designing and teaching.  Michael was scheduled to start contributing to the blog later this month, but was inspired by recent political events to begin writing early.  I hope you will welcome him now and in the future as he bring a unique perspective to the Fiberarts.

Shutdown.

For the past week, Washington, DC, and the nation in general, has dealt with the uncertainty in the government. Various news outlets have highlighted different sectors that have been affected, and I began wondering, what has been the affect on the Fiberarts Industry.  Below follows a list of government departments whose services have been impacted by the shutdown, and how they may have an affect on small Fiberarts businesses.

You’ll find a landing page like this at a lot of government websites.

Being just outside of Washington DC, Tinking Turtle has the unique perspective of a front-row seat, and in a roundup wanted to share our observations as to how these events directly impact those involved in the Fiberarts industry.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, and for more information CNN interactive has a great overview by department, agency, or program that is kept up to date for future reference.

The most noticeable impact to designers and publishers is the closure of the US Copyright Office.  While the physical Copyright Office remains closed, and any pending copyright applications are frozen in their current state, new applications can, as of the time of writing, be filed via the Electronic Copyright Office to start the copyright process and establish an initial date of registration should that be necessary.  In the same vein, while it is currently open, the US Patent and Trademark Office is planning on staggered reduction of services as the shutdown situation continues without a resolution.  In discussion with a friend who is a Patent Examiner with the Patent and Trademark Office, the Office has funds to sustain itself for another business week before an orderly draw-down of staffing and services would occur over the next several weeks.

For new publishers, business owners, or yarn store owners, the Small Business Administration is closed for all serves except providing for disaster loans, so any applications for financial assistance will not be processed until funding is restored.  Additionally, for any organization or entity which is required to file quarterly taxation statements with the IRS, while the physical filings can be submitted, the IRS is not available via telephone or in-person appointments for consultations, advice, or assistance.

There are a couple of pieces of good news for retailers, publishers, and other vendors: because the United States Postal Service is not subject to congressional appropriation, it does remain open for business, and mail is continuing to be delivered.

Locally in the DC area, many of the LYSs are taking advantage of having a cadre of furloughed government employees finding themselves with more time on their hands. For example, Fibre Space, in Old Town Alexandria, VA is offering free beginning knitting lessons for any government employee. You can reference Jennifer’s post to find out about more businesses who are running specials or offering deals in light of the shutdown.

We can all hope for a swift resolution to this unfortunate situation.  However, no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, I’d encourage you to think about or find ways to help people who are affected by the shutdown.