BY KADIE VICK
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — All Strung Out Yarn Shop hosted community crafters for Worldwide Knit in Public Day earlier this month and used the opportunity to partner with the Opelika Public Library.
“We collaborated with the library so if you signed up for a card, you got a coupon to use at the shop in the future, and we just kind of set up inside the [yarn] shop, and people brought their knitting and crochet and talked and hung out,” said Larua Barker, owner of All Strung Out.
For crafters who missed out on this fun event this year mark your calendars for 2025, Worldwide Knit In Public Day is always on the second Saturday of June.
“You can bring your knitting, crochet, cross stitch, embroidery, really anything and go out in public places,” Barker said. “People go to coffee shops, some people have gone to baseball games.”
She said she is excited about the growth she has seen in her business since its opening and move from Auburn to Opelika. Opening a yarn shop was always a dream for her and now, her dream is a reality.
“I opened this business about two years ago, in March of 2022. I learned how to knit back in 2010 or 2011 and I’ve always liked it and I’ve liked the atmosphere of knit shops, crochet shops and local yard shops,” she said. “I was working at a law firm in Montgomery and was getting toward the end of my time there, and I just wanted something new. So, I opened up a yard shop, and it’s been a passion project of mine.”
Each week, Barker also hosts a Work in Progress Wednesday which begins around 12 pm. She aims to create opportunities for crafters to enjoy their hobbies in a communal setting and encourages people to bring their crafts to her shop during this time.
“I find it [knitting] relaxing, a lot of people do,” she said. “It does help with stress relief and it’s fun being able to finish something and say you made something. A lot of people make their own clothes, make stuffed animals and make things that they can be proud of.”
Overall, knitting and other similar hobbies can be great for many who want a creative and fun outlet. Barker has recently begun to host a monthly local artist market for artists to share their creative abilities and talents with the community.
“It’s important to bring the community together,” she said. “People can talk about what they’re making, who they’re making it for and things like that. I also get people from all over, on Saturday I had a couple of people come in all the way from Columbus.”
For those interested in purchasing yarn and other craft materials, Barker ensures that she is supporting other small businesses and providing high-quality products to customers when she chooses her yarn providers.
“We offer hand-dyed yarn from across the country and Canada and provide things that you can’t get at other places,” she said. “When you’re buying hand-dyed yarn you’re supporting local or one or two person-owned businesses. You’re supporting small businesses when you buy yarn like that instead of from big companies.
All Strung Out is located at 109 S. 8th Street in Opelika. To find updated information on events visit All Strung Out Yarn Shop on Facebook.
