When JOANN announced in February that it would close all of its stores nationwide, many crafters went into mourning. For quilters, knitters and scrapbookers, JOANN had been the go-to for supplies for decades — in Utah alone, there were 13 franchise locations.
For Kellie Daniels, walking into JOANN was a nostalgic experience. “I come from a generation where my mother … sewed my clothes. I started sewing my clothes in junior high,” Daniels says. She remembers taking trips to JOANN and poring over thick pattern catalogs, looking for just the right garment.
Overall, Daniels has mixed feelings about JOANN closing. As the owner of Knitting Hive, a yarn shop less than a mile from what used to be Salt Lake City’s JOANN location, she hopes the closure will encourage Utah crafters to shop for their supplies at local businesses like her own…