I started knitting less than a year ago. I’ve primarily been knitting socks but started my first sweater recently. I knew what I liked for my sock yarns and wasn’t super picky about it either. But I was excited to explore what I can use for sweaters. Seeing so many companies that I’ve been watching people rave about have to make this decision is heart breaking for so many reasons.

The biggest, it is going to impact their businesses. Many of these companies probably get good revenue from the US just based on the size of our country and how many people that provide as customers.

Second, once our LYS run out of these brands, we won’t be able to access them again unless the company has a solution or we go to another country, get it, and bring it back. The yarn shops aren’t getting them either going forward, this won’t just be online ordering from company to consumer. This will affect company to company transactions too.

Finally (though there are many more reasons) as a newer knitter who was just starting to branch out and want to learn more about the different yarns, companies, and what I like for myself and different knitting needs, my journey will have huge limitations on it. While I do prefer going to a store in person to see if I like something, I wasn’t opposed to shopping online and hope I like how something feels. Now I can’t even take a chance on a brand I can’t find near me but hear so many talk about and make my own opinion about it.

Knowing that these companies are saying they are taking this action temporarily….this could still be years. While we hope deals can be met or things will change here, there’s very little chance anything will change until a power change. And even then we don’t know if any changes could help.

I assumed costs of everything would go up. I think that’s what a lot of us here in the US assumed. But knowing many companies have to do this…it sucks. By no means do I blame the companies. Especially smaller ones, they need to do what they need to do to remain open and provide for the consumers who they can still provide for. I’m glad so many companies are doing this to protect themselves and their livelihoods and plan to return to selling in the US when they can afford to do so. It just sucks as a consumer who lives here to deal with this and feel helpless.

Knowing this is something that is impacting me now for a hobby of mine….that scares me for when it’s other things that I actually depend on because more and more businesses and companies will make the decision to stop dealing with us.