On April 29, Crofters Yarn founder Jan Aitken had to close her doors after a complaint to the Dunedin City Council revealed that, unbeknownst to her, she had been ‘‘breaking the law’’ by selling the odd spool of wool and running knitting classes out of her home.
‘‘According to the district plan, you cannot run a retail property ... a retail business ... [or] an educational centre out of your property.’’
Unfortunately, Ms Aitken was doing both from her Wakari home — albeit on a very small scale — and the doors were shut straight away.
Now, Ms Aitken and her 200-strong community of knitters are searching for a new place to meet.
‘‘We are currently working through how to move forward with the council and Crofters Yarn.
‘‘They told me they haven’t shut me down, but ... I definitely cannot continue to have people in my house.
‘‘But that’s OK, it just means we pivot.’’
She did not quite know what they would pivot to, but the fun had not died just yet.
Yesterday, for the first time in ‘‘two and a-bit weeks’’, the knitters were able to meet and ‘‘spin a yarn’’ thanks to Cobb & Co letting them use their meeting room for free.
‘‘We just have to come and eat and drink and have a great time.
‘‘None of us are going to have an issue with that.’’
Toitū Cafe had also offered them a slot.
Ideally, she would love the community to be able to go into a space where they could hang their crafts on the wall and sell their works, teach knitting to anyone who wanted to learn and meet together.
‘‘But, we have no money to do that.’’
She had never taken a profit or wage from Crofters Yarn.
‘‘I was made redundant, so I said ‘what do I do now?’
‘‘We started with people’s second-hand wool stashes that they didn’t want, and then it flew out the door.’’
It quickly morphed into a centre of all things fibre.
There were community knitting groups, classes where members learn different techniques, knitting-based field trips and a small amount of wool and knitting needles were sold on the side.
‘‘I’ve never taken a wage from it, this never makes any money, and it’s never been about money.
‘‘It all goes back into the coffers for kindergarten and Queen Mary Ward knits.’’
The ordeal had initially been quite stressful, but now she was hopeful for the future.
‘‘I don’t feel stressed now. It is what it is.’’
