Knitted Wit

To quote R&B legends Boyz 2 Men, "it's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday..."

We are writing this email with heavy hearts, that after 18 years of dyeing, 5 years of the shop, and so many joy-filled crafternoons and events, the time has come to close down both the dyeing business and the retail shop.

Your support and encouragement has helped us remain hopeful despite these challenging times. However, we've come to the decision that closing the businesses is the right thing to do.

We'd love to close out this chapter with a bang! Please come support us by shopping in-person or online, and sharing this with everyone you know! More information is on the following slides, including new store hours and sale information. Editing to add: equipment and display stuff will be for sale after 8/1. Please wait for more info.

Please carefully read through all slides before reaching out; we tried to pre-answer all potential questions, but it's possible we missed something.

If you are coming in person, we have some cards you can fill out to say goodbye!

Craft on, friends!
Love,
Lorajean & Shannon
Craftemporiumpdx.com

We're so excited to start our journey to visit all the park colors we've dyed over the years!! We're a huge fan of Parks, and the beautiful, sacred spaces they contain. We are holding two truths: the land is stolen from the Indigenous people that once cared for it, and the Parks system have allowed preservation of that land from industry.
Everyone has access (with a park pass) to the space, and most spaces were at one time used for ceremonies and daily living by Indigenous people. We're going to lean into the uncomfortable, and celebrate beauty with hard histories.
The road trip will take some time as we work our way across the US so buckle up in the lego-brick RV and let's hit the road!
We're starting with Salt River Bay National Historic Park & Ecological Preserve, located on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Whose land does it reside upon? I'm so glad you asked! In prehistoric times, the area was inhabited by all three major pottery-making cultures found in the Virgin Islands. This was an area Columbus “discovered,” so once the 1490s hit, the Indigenous population was subjected to colonization, disease, slavery, and other horrors of western civilization.
Why is it amazing? Salt River Bay NHP & Ecological Preserve is both a natural history and a human history wonderland. It’s home to many mangrove forests, as well as a barrier reef that provides protection, AND a sub-marine canyon. This park is also a comprehensive example of human habitation in this part of the world. Every major period of human habitation in the Virgin Islands is represented: several South American Indigenous cultures, the 1493 encounter with Columbus, Spanish capture and removal of the island’s Amerindian peoples, attempts at colonization by several European nations, and enslaved West Africans and their descendants. Our color is inspired by the walls of the submarine canyon and coral reefs.
You can order this colorway in any of the yarn bases we offer, and in fact, most of our parks colorways are available in our online shop. Check out our Craft Emporium blog, where we’ve linked to a document that includes all of the parks colorways we’ve made.

I love a rainbow! 🌈

Monthly Rainbow Goodness, delivered to your mailbox with free shipping!

We're choosing a 6-color rainbow a month, and pairing Rashida Coleman's delectable Speckled fabric with our bursting-at-the-seams Knitted Wit solids.

We have many rainbow options, both fabric and yarn!

Each month, you get 6 each of whichever option you choose (so, 6 Fat Quarters, 6 Gems mini skeins, etc).

Fabric Options: Fat Quarters, Half Yards, and Full Yards.

Yarn Options: 10g Gems Fi*****ng, 20g Gems Fi*****ng & Gems DK, Full skeins of Sock, and Full skeins of DK.

This listing is for a monthly subscription, and it will auto-renew every month. You get free shipping for subscribing, and if you want a bigger discount, consider signing up for either a 6-month subscription (where you pay for 6 months at once, and get a 5% discount), or a 12-month subscription (where you pay for 12 months at once, and get a 10% discount). If you sign up after the first month ships, you'll get that one when the current month ships.

Friends! We are off to a great start with the debt reduction sale. Thank you to everyone who has shared, and purchased! Please continue to share! We love meeting new people!
We have until 12/11 to raise as much extra funds as possible to save 20% on a chunk of debt. Since the start of pandemic I’ve taken on debt to stay in business. I love what I do, this community, and I want to continue being a port in the storm. Buying a discounted FUNdle (a fun four skein bundle of yarn), dyed to order Singular Sensation (a brand new yarn base at a discounted price through 12/11), or throwing money at us with debt relief option will help us continue to be here. Thank you again for being here and being apart of our community!!
If you’re in the Portland area, stop by 10-4 today to shop in person! (Me and Shannon will be there next Saturday 🥰)

Today is my birthday, and !!! Can you believe we share the same birthday?! Of course we do! When we twin, we twin hard. Also, big shout out to Shannon for EVERYTHING. She does so much behind the scenes to keep the boat rowing. She has so many bright 💡 ideas, so much joy, and so much color 🌈 I love you so much!!