Local business Slipstitch is under threat of closure and needs our support to stay open. Here's the recent email from founder and local resident Rosie Fletcher:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-this-craft-shop-open
Mayday! Mayday! Save Our Slipstitch!
Hello! I’m Rosie. I’m a knitter, teacher, and owner of Slipstitch , an independent wool shop and craft workshop in north London. I may be biased but I think Slipstitch is brilliant. Since we opened in 2019, we’ve become an integral part of our local community.
We’ve taught hundreds of people to knit and crochet. Our weekly socials bring people together through craft. We champion British wools and ethically sourced yarns. Our customers come back time and time again to show us what they’ve made and keep us updated on their lives. Our Queer Craft socials make us a safe space for LGBTQ+ crafters. Customers bring us cake, pop in with their dogs, chat over the counter.
But like a lot of businesses, we’re struggling.
How did we get here?
Opening in 2019 meant we were still a young, fragile business during months of lockdown. Our staff didn’t qualify to be furloughed but I’m really proud that I paid all my staff’s wages all the way through lockdown. The complications of Brexit meant we had to stop stocking one of our main brands, disappointing our customers and meaning we had to start from scratch with new suppliers. Rising inflation has driven up our costs and we’ve done the best we can to absorb them.
On top of those financial pressures, our Queer Craft events have led to us being the repeated target of anti-trans graffiti. Some people don’t think that we should be welcoming everyone: we’d like to prove them wrong.
All of this has finally caught up with us. Without a major change in fortunes, Slipstitch is at risk of closing, putting multiple people out of work. Muswell Hill would lose not just a shop but an important part of its social fabric. We know the health benefits of craft and of being together with other people; it would be disastrous to lose them.
I love being part of the craft community, the local community, the queer community - and now we’re asking our communities for help.
How you can help
We’re a business, not a charity, so if you’d like to support us, you can of course just shop with us . We have a range of kits ready to go that are great for new crafters and make an easy way to support us.
If you’re not a crafter but think we’re a good thing to have in the world, we’d really appreciate any support you can give us. Just sharing this page would be brilliant.
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