Pink Friday, Black Friday and more in Bellingham: Why Keeping Your Holiday Dollars Local Matters

Andrew, Team Apple and I celebrated 19 years of Apple Yarns this September. When we opened in 2007, we hoped to build a yarn shop where people felt welcome, whether they'd been knitting/crocheting for years or picking up needles/hooks for the first time.

We still like to think of ourselves as your favorite aunt. We're happy to see you, we've got lots of knitting and crochet advice, and we'll help you pick up that dropped stitch.

We've grown since then, with appleyarns.com, our hand-dyed Apple Fiber Studio yarns, classes in the Stitch Studio, and retreats. But my favorite part is still the people.

Thank you for 19 years

Some of my best memories are of the friendships that started here. Someone comes in for yarn, sits down at the table, and gets to talking. Before long, they're coming back to see their friends as much as they're coming for a project.

We've celebrated finished projects, worked through mistakes, and helped each other through some hard times. Our Thursday Facebook Chats have brought us more friendships, too. 

So before the holiday shopping gets busy, I want to say THANK YOU. 

What shopping small makes possible

When you buy from Apple Yarns, you help pay our team, who live and shop here in Whatcom County. You also help us keep supporting organizations we care about.

• We're proud sponsors of Knitted Knockers, which provides free handmade breast prostheses to women who have had mastectomies.
• We provide warehouse space for Knitted Knockers and Blue Skies for Children.
• We've donated more than 400 pounds of yarn to nonprofits this year.
• When we wind yarn purchased elsewhere, the $3-per-skein winding fee goes directly to selected nonprofits.

These are things your purchases help us do throughout the year, and we don't take that support for granted.

There's research behind shopping small, too. American Express's 2022 Small Business Economic Impact Study found that about 68 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community, generating another 48 cents in local business activity. Its 2018 study found that every 10 small-business jobs support about seven more in the community. Civic Economics' Indie Impact Study Series found that independent retailers recirculate about 47.7% of their revenue locally, compared with 13.6% for national chains.

For us, that means being able to employ people, keep the shop going, and give back here in Bellingham.

Pink Friday, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday

If you haven't heard of Pink Friday, it's the Friday before Black Friday. This year, that's November 20, it's a day to shop small first, before the big holiday sales get going.

Black Friday is on November 27, and Small Business Saturday is November 28. We love putting together holiday specials, and we'll have promotions throughout November and December. Keep an eye on your Apple Yarns emails so you don't miss them.

And if you're shopping with us online, thank you, too. You don't have to live in Bellingham to be part of our fiber community.

Come to our Snowball & Skeins Holiday Open House

We're kicking off the season all day Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Apple Yarns in Bellingham, with refreshments from 3 to 5 p.m.

We'll be featuring our Winter Wishes Hat, a Wool & Wick candle, and a custom hand-dyed color. Come take a look, get some ideas for your holiday knitting and crochet, and have a treat with us.

We're also working on an online celebration. We'll share more when it's ready.

Thank you for choosing Apple Yarns, telling your friends about us, and spending time with us, in the shop and online. Nineteen years is a lot of yarn and a lot of friendships. We're so glad you're part of it.

With love and lots of yarn,
Andrea and the Apple Team
Apple Yarns