Fibre Frolic opens Kurrajong yarn shop

Sharon Holstein had dreamed about opening a yarn shop "forever" and saw her opportunity when a shopfront went up for lease in Kurrajong during the height of the crafting boom.

"A lot of the locals seem really happy we've opened a yarn store in the [Kurrajong] Village. It's been really great and has given me that warm and fuzzy feeling," Ms Holstein told the Gazette.

Fibre Frolic specialises in hand-dyed yarns from indie dyers, including some from Tasmania - where Ms Holstein lived as a child.

"I've got Louie & Lola, and Daffodil Road Artisan Yarns from Tasmania, as well as 24 Mile Hollow Yarn Co from NSW, and Fiber Lily - they're not commercially-produced yarns, they're all hand dyed," Ms Holstein said.

"So you can come out to Kurrajong for the day, have a look and a bite to eat, and go home with some yummy yarn as well."

Fibre Frolic is based at the front of The Village Kitchen Kurrajong, and Ms Holstein plans to launch events in conjunction with the cafe, where people can socialise, have something to eat, and knit or crochet as a group.

"I'm also going to be running small classes of between four and six people," said Ms Holstein, who previously ran knitting and crocheting classes in Lawson and Parramatta.

Ms Holstein's grandmother taught her to knit and crochet, and while she said the craft "fell out of favour" with the masses years ago, Ms Holstein's love for the addictive passtime never waned.

"There's a younger generation coming through, too - it's not just something for nannas," she said.

"The businesses that sell commercial yarns can't keep up with production at the moment, knitters have increased so much."

She said people who had stopped knitting and crocheting years ago would be pleasantly surprised at the variation and quality of yarns available these days.

"Wool has changed so much from what it has been years ago - you can do something quite simple now, but with the new wools available it can look quite spectacular," Ms Holstein said.

"A lot of people are using the craft as a stress release. You come home from a stressy job and do a couple of rows of knitting or crocheting and because you have to focus it makes you forget all about the day you've had."

Fibre Frolic is at 83A Old Bells Line of Road, Kurrajong. To express your interest in knitting/crocheting classes, email fibrefrolic@gmail.com, or search Fibre Frolic on Facebook.