In the World of Crochet
One of the many advantages of yarn shows such as Chain Link and sheep and wool festivals is the presence of independent yarn companies. These small (compared to craft store yarn companies) businesses usually present finer yarns found only in local yarn stores or online; yarns are often made from luxury fibers, might be hand-dyed and/or spun, and some are sustainably made. It was at the 2019 CGOA show that Crochet World’s editor, Jackie Daugherty, met the dynamic owners of Good Loops Yarn. Remarkably, it was also the first time that the owners of this rising star company met each other! Jennifer Botha of Pretoria, South Africa, and Stephanie Shelton of New Mexico partnered online in early 2018 to form their business. Their “doors” officially opened in February 2019. At the time of this writing, they offer yarns of a single brand produced in South Africa— Nurturing Fibres. Their website features patterns and kits, mostly in crochet. They expect to offer knit patterns and kits and sell other brands, tools, accessories and non-yarn items. Jennifer was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and grew up in various countries before settling in South Africa. Her husband, Stefan, is a Christian pastor, and they have a young son, Kieran. Jennifer runs her own LYS, The Yarn Room. And, as if all this weren’t enough, she also cares for 15 orchids! Stephanie was born into a Marine Corps family and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina. She’s lived in many different places and has traveled to every continent except Antarctica. She has 2 grown daughters, a grandson, and a 16-year-old Jack Russell terrier that she says is just as much her child as her daughters. She’s the host of It’s Crochet O’Clock on YouTube.
Neither partner had a background that would inevitably have led to running a yarn company. Jennifer has degrees in physics and architecture and studied education and photography. Her varied learning has given her skills that come together wonderfully and “make all the difference in my running of a yarn company!”
Stephanie studied history and art, focusing on 16th century fashion. Her knowledge didn’t relate beyond her hobbies until she applied them to Good Loops Yarn. She previously worked as a bookkeeper, which has proved to be helpful with GLY. She gained internet marketing and blog management experience while working for digital artists who create assets for video games.
Both women crochet. Stephanie was 11 years old when she learned. She recalled how calming it was. As she grew older, she moved into embroidery but picked up her hook a few years ago with serious intent. Crocheting continues to calm her mind and keeps her centered. Many of us can identify with how crochet impacts her: “I need my hands busy, I like squish and at the end I’ve got something beautiful. It’s also a plus that it greatly increases my mood levels so those around me are happier as
well.” (She defines “squish” as “that moment when you get a new batch of yarn—bright, beautiful, inviting and so fluffy that you cannot help but squish it in all the ways a thing could be squished.”) Jennifer is not only bi-stitchual, but she also produces her own brand of hand-dyed yarn in South Africa. She learned to crochet after Kieran was born by the owner of her LYS. A dear friend taught her to knit.
So, how did these women get together and start a business? After a trip to visit her brother in California and participating in a yarn crawl, Jennifer’s initial concept for GLY was to export South African yarns for sale in American LYSs. Although she offered wonderful products, she realized that good business owners wouldn’t risk investing in yarns with no sales “track record” here in the U.S. She searched for an American social media influencer who knows South African yarns. She found Stephanie, who had written a blog post about South African yarn. Jennifer sent messages via email, which Stephanie ignored, admitting she thought they were from an Nigerian prince trying to scam her. Finally, Jennifer’s message on Facebook, where Stephanie could see that she was a real person, convinced her to respond. They had an instant connection and shared a lot of the same goals in life.
After much long-distance discussion, Good
Loops SA was registered in January 2018, as the exporting “sister” of Good Loops Yarn, which was established as a legal entity in California in August of the same year.
Jennifer is the Yarn Boss of GLY. She’s in charge of logistics, finances, exports, social media, aesthetics and the “back end” of the website. Stephanie is the self-proclaimed Director of Squish. She receives and inventories shipments from South Africa, as well as packs and ships orders. She remains a social media influencer and is the design manager.The women joke that Stephanie is the charm of the company and Jennifer is the brains!
Both women consider GLY a family business althought they are biologically not related. They are “sisters from another mister” and in Stephanie’s words, “Two families that have become one.” Stephanie’s cousin, Ame—aka, Yarn Minion—helps when she’s needed at festivals or conferences, assisting at their booth, answering questions from patrons as well as “being generally awesome at all the things we need her to be awesome at.”
The decision to sell Nurturing Fibres seemed to be an easy choice. Carle Dehning, its founder, taught Jen how to dye yarn at a dyeing retreat and they developed a great friendship. She says, “Nurturing Fibres is the largest and most successful hand-dyeing, small-scale, family-run business in South Africa … widely known and respected in the South African yarn industry. They support sustainable manufacturing and dyeing practices … Socially, economically and environmentally aware and responsible is a good way to describe them. Their products are consistent, dependable and of the best quality. Nurturing Fibres has great colours and a wide range of both animaland plant-based natural fibres.”
They hope to offer brands from other compatible companies with whom they can have a personal relationship and of a size large enough to be reliable and ready to export.
In addition to the lovely yarn, they offer patterns and kits by designers whom they follow closely. In some cases, says Stephanie, a designer may be tracked for years; they watch the quality and type of items produced and the materials favored by the designer. If all looks good, they eventually approach the designer, sending samples to see if the yarn appeals to her. If it does, Good Loops provides yarn for the model and a pattern is written. Stephanie only crochets so her network of extremely talented designers is, at the time of this writing, nearly all crocheters. Knitting designs will be added, albeit slowly. She prefers “to establish relationships and learn about people and how our craft is viewed through their eyes before I jump in feet first,” committing to a designer’s pattern.
You can see everything offered on their website at https://www.goodloopsyarn.com.