3 Kittens Needle Arts Joins 'Yarn Around the World'

Twin Cities knitters will celebrate the Twin Cities yarn community and help feed the hungry during Yarn Around the World 2012 this weekend.

Fourteen of the metro area’s approximately 30 yarn retailers are partaking in the annual shop hop. The event is structured to encourage customers to explore the many yarn shops across the Twin Cities.

“It’s nice to get people into your store that maybe haven’t been there before,” said Laura Rasmussen, co-owner of  in Mendota Heights.

Participating shoppers get access to limited edition yarns, complimentary patterns and the chance to win several door prizes. Customers who visit every shop-hop location and record their visits on the event’s punch card are entered to win a grand prize, valued at more than $2,000.

Each participating business is collecting donations for the food shelf of their choice. 3 Kittens will give their donations to the Neighborhood House in St. Paul.

Shoppers who give a nonperishable item or a suggested donation of $5 will receive a free charm at each location to which they donate. Last year, the shop hop collected 3,300 pounds of nonperishable items and $1,329.

Yarn Around the World began in 2006, when seven shops came together to host the event. The Twin Cities metro area is home to a vibrant yarn community and has more yarn stores per capita than anywhere else is the U.S., according to the Craft Yarn Council of America.

“It’s a great experience to visit the shops and also give back to the community,” said Bobbi Kreb, owner of Amazing Threads in Maple Grove.

The event’s organizers anticipate that approximately 1,000 people will participate in the 2012 hop.

The hop runs April 12-15. For more information, visitminnesotayarnshophop.com.