Today we’d like to introduce you to Dayle Kendall.
Hi Dayle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In the few year leading up to th epa remix Pittsburgh had 2 local yarns shops in the city. Both closed in a short amount of time- 1 to a bad landlord, 1 to rising rent due to gentrification. This left a large hole in the city. If you wanted yarn you had to travel across the Allegheny river, a miserable drive to a shop with poor parking or drive 10+ miles out of the city.
I had grown up working in a yarn store in the 90s and had always dreamt of opening one. During the pandemic my mother and I were complaining about the lack of yarn in the city and I decided to open a shop. It took us several years to get the shop together and we opened Wildchild Stitches. It was rough at first mostly bc I am not a social media person and making content is my least favorite thing to do. We were also hit with severe infrastructure problems in our space to the point that I wanted to give up. Eventually our lawyer was able to get us out of our lease and we moved a few blocks up the street where we are now happily located and thriving.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some of the biggest issues we have had involve landlords and buildings. Pittsburgh is teetering on a line of 100+ year old buildings in need of renovations(which of course landlords don’t want to do) or extremely expensive new spaces created in gentrified neighborhoods. Our original space had problems that I am legally bound not to disclose but I can say that the sound of dripping/running water now sends panic through my whole body. We moved into a new space this past March and while it is an older building the landlord believes that happy tenants means tenants that will stay for the long run. We have been very happy in this space and will be wrapping up our own mini remodel in this location over Labor Day weekend.
As you know, we’re big fans of Wildchild Stitches. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our major goal at WildChild is to see our customers succeed. We don’t want you to come in and buy yarn for a project and then give up. We tell people all the time if you get stuck come back and let us help you. If you are beginner just starting out, an experienced stitcher struggling with a pattern, a former knitter/crocheter returning to the craft we want you to reach your goal. We offer classes for beginners all the way through advanced stitchers. Every Monday we meet at the pub a few doors down and we encourage everyone to join us. Being with other crafters really helps beginners to build confidence and it helps everyone to feel part of the community.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
There have been a lot of lessons learned along the way. Learning to bookkeep and file paperwork on a large scale took some time. Negotiating an ever changing tariff market and maintenance amid inflation is something I’m still often learning about. Learning to keep smiling even when you’re having an awful day is an important lesson in a world ruled by social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Wildchildstitches.com
- Instagram: @Wildchild_Stitches
- Facebook: Wildchild Stitches
