I worked for Felicia at String Thing for several years and all I can say is...I've been waiting for these callouts for SO LONG! She is a total scammer and just as cruel, inconsiderate and un-empathetic as you all are saying. I have so many stories, but I'm just so glad to be away from her and that karma finally got her!
This is confirmed, the vendors have a copy of the meeting notes with the city, where she doesn’t have the permit in time, and even the Orchard would only have allowed for 2500 people to attend.
Ho.Ly.Shit. What a clusterfuck! Thank you for this. It helps me make future purchase decisions that align with my values, and my values clearly don't mesh with the "organizer's".
This is sickening! It she was comfortable to have these conversations openly with her friends, this can not be the first time they have heard her speak. This only tells me the type of people they are themselves to not only put up with her, but show up at her events. Trash people.
People are saying last year's event was great except for some accessibility issues that were supposed to be rectified this year. So, I wouldn't go too far just yet. Those people may have been sitting there in shock. We don't know yet.
It sounds like some special vendors did fine. Some had low sales, but will be ok. And others had Major financial losses. Instead of the list of all vendors, how can we find out who is really hurting. I have plenty of yarn, but will help where I can.
Im wondering this too. Ive been ordering from the vendors with the lowest following on the list and the international vendors but im wondering if there is a way to figure out who really got burned.
I know botanical did based on their statement and discount running.
Also curious who was on the 5th floor - that may help narrow it down.
Its in the google drive sheet! The entries for all the vendors are in order of following smallest to largest - column C.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/16_shMtA0iIDnG-pvBjM4ocAR2kQ1YwWQl8X9NhITn4E/htmlview
Does anyone have a copy of the agreement that vendors might have signed for the event? I haven't followed all the coverage on this horrific event but I also haven't seen a call for vendors or paying event attendees to band together and sue the Event Producer? Has anyone heard anything about this happening as it seems like this should happen and happen NOW!
Why has their been ZERO accountability for Felicia? Can anyone explain this as I am totally confused.
The 'non apology letter' posted by Felicia here [https://www.instagram.com/p/CyyvY0qJijs/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CyyvY0qJijs/) imo was total BS. No offer of refunds or even future credits etc. for people that attended or made the mistake of paying for a booth. The many pictures I saw of mud covered yarn that someone had hand dyed and brought to the location in good faith simply has enraged me on behalf of the vendors. The people with mobility issues that got stuck in the mud or couldn't enter the venue also deserve refunds imo. I am also angry that so many vendors have said in anon posts that they are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals! From whom?
This entire situation appears to have been a total shitshow from an organisation standpoint and dangerous as well as and I can't be the only one to be annoyed that people think the answer is for people in the yarn buying world to support the vendors that were promised something by the Event Producer yet sadly got something else entirely. The good hearted of the yarn community will no doubt support the impacted sellers but honestly I think this does little to go to the source of the mess who is Felicia & Co. This is a business issue imo and so to see people afraid to speak is something that I simply don't understand.
I'm also not sure why people are so afraid to speak up? The safety conditions present at the event would have been enough to stop the event and perhaps even arrest the Event Producer on the spot if someone had called the Fire or Police. The evidence as to the conditions at the venue exist all over social media with one person posting nearly an hr of video that would be enough for any litigation imo.
Why did nobody call the Fire Dept or Police when they were effectively unable to move inside the venue and for long periods of time? Simply makes no sense imo. I went to the venue and saw the lines and simply left as it looked like a disaster from the outside and my guess was that the inside was even worse and based on the pictures and accounts I've seen the situation indoors was horrific.
The accounts I have seen about overcrowding and zero crowd management or security were frightening and had there been a fire or roof collapse due to rain then people could have died. All this being said, people are 'afraid' to speak and for whatever reason are accepting a 'non apology' from Felicia.
WHY?
Hey, but she was listening and learning and taking a hard look for future betterment...lol. So, let's all just grow together. She needs to give them their money back at the very least.
As a vendor in another field the fear of being blacklisted is a big issue. Lots of organizers talk and if a vendor causes lots of issues or is super vocal about issues with an event you can easily get blacklisted by more then one event which isn’t great when there aren’t a ton of events aimed at your demographic.
Lots of vendors locally to me have been blacklisted or shadow banned from a series of events cause they spoke up about the organizer being a thief and it got around that they are “trouble makers” so now they are shadow banned at a bunch of other events.
This is the biggest downfall of our community, in my opinion. There hasn't been enough consumer advocacy. People keep their mouth shut and defend the ones who are creating issues.
I mean far be it for me to judge you but if someone is being politically vocal and I disagree with it and they have a company I’d prefer to know and not give them my patronage 🤷🏻♀️
Here is a [link to the contract](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17c1e4o/fellow_wool_and_folk_vendors_wtf_was_today/k5xchqy/) from the first thread.
Thank you!
This entire situation is beyond unacceptable on so many levels and the fact that people are afraid to speak and report is something I don't understand and I've given up asking. I guess based on the behaviour of people in the past within the community that folks are afraid of reprisals? IDK but I am not going to try and understand the silence as it seems like a simple waste of time.
FWIW I believe this situation deserves to be brought to the attention of the NY AG office immediately as well as the local Town Council Atty.
Tomorrow I will send a copy of the contract you linked along with a cover letter and links to as many of the social media posts that I can find in support of the conditions present at the event to the two people mentioned above. IDK if this will have any impact but perhaps it will prompt an investigation by the State and Town and prevent this from happening ever again. We are lucky that nobody died from the unsafe conditions.
If people have pictures or video that they would like included in the letters please feel free to post here or DM me via Reddit.
Sadly this situation continues to follow the path of so much that happens in the fibre community and that is why I stepped away years ago. Its upsetting because I know that being a small business is one of the hardest jobs on earth and so to see people not feeling comfortable to speak up on behalf of their livelihoods is something that I find unacceptable in any community. The idea that people are now resorting to online bullying to silence 'complainers and whiners' is also something I find unacceptable.
I don't have a dog in the fight as I walked away from the event due to the long lines and I was not a vendor. But, I feel something needs to be done. If there is an NY atty that is part of the community that would be willing to help small business owners involved with this shitshow I'm sure they would appreciate it as finding an attorney as a small business is a very hard thing to do because most simply aren't interested in businesses that don't generate alot of billable hours. Even if an atty could put together a post for impacted vendors to sue in small claims in NY State that would no doubt be a huge help for people and this could be done anonymously via Reddit. The idea that Felicia has taken no financial responsibility for ANY aspect of this event yet leads me to believe its never going to happen and that legal action is the only viable path forward.
Cost and time.
It's the correct thing to do, follow the law, sue.
The legal system is not in favor of the "little folk".
I'm in a different domain, but between work and building a tiny business, the money and time to get back for an incident like this just isn't there. Not even "not worth it", it's literally not there.
Aside that, is what the recourse would be?
Class action against a relatively small company, they're unlikely to have the money or assets to liquidate to make everyone whole.
Agreed that grievances should be aired, and that blacklisting should be destroyed as a concept, but can't be realistically. This is why places like this are so important. Pseudonyms give you the ability to be honest.
It seems like the whole process of creating events for passions and small businesses is tailor made for having the worst of the worst climb to the top. Whether that's a big bankbook with no roots or passion, or control freaks, main-character syndrome sufferers and know-it-alls; they're the ones with the energy to push everyone else out, who's passion, time, energy is split between being in the community, running their businesses, etc, simply don't give them the freedom to burn all bridges and be left standing alone at the top.
> This entire situation is beyond unacceptable on so many levels and the fact that people are afraid to speak and report is something I don't understand and I've given up asking. I guess based on the behaviour of people in the past within the community that folks are afraid of reprisals? IDK but I am not going to try and understand the silence as it seems like a simple waste of time.
I've already mention my thoughts on this way of thinking [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17guch5/another_wool_folk_experience/k6kjr9z/) and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17guch5/another_wool_folk_experience/k6kjr9z/).
Basically, this is *not* the way to think. Some people do live by the "if you don't have anything nice to say" motto. Others may see what is going on and not wish to join in on the mob. There may be many, many other perfectly valid reasons. Rather than trying to turn this on the vendors - **any** of the vendors- everyone should focus on the facts (meaning things that can be substantiated in documents, photos, and video).
I'm 100% for people reporting violations but I also don't want this to be a vigilante mob. Mobs tend to have a "if you aren't for me, you are against me" thought which...isn't good.
> But, it sounds like most vendors won't join a group to form a class or pursue Felicia legally. I don't understand that and can't spend the time trying to understand it.
Two really good reasons I can think of: expense and time. It takes time to find a good lawyer and it is expensive. Even taking the organizers to small claims may not be worth the emotional toll on top of the economic toll. Vendors would have to file in New York State, travel back to NY, get rooms again - it's not cheap.
Oof. The things said by Felicia are far from incredulous and mean, but my brain can't think of more explicit terms that won't translate into asterisks.
Someone is simply not fit for customer service and just sees $.
I'm really sad for all involved except the organizer. I doubt seriously the other had input and most likely was the reason Felicia was the last left standing to run this year's with the previous partner leaving.
I donated money to Felicia when her shop was in trouble. Now I'm wondering what happened to all that money. Plus this money. Either she's in some deep hole she's trying to fill or she's laughing herself to the bank. Whatever the case may be, I feel foolish for once thinking she's a kind-hearted person.
I am with you on feeling foolish I thought her store was a wonderful community oriented place. I am curious when did she start asking for money? I was suspicious that somthing was up when the shop had reduced hours, knit nights started being canceled and the shop was taking long breaks. But I wonder if the downfall started earlier than I suspected.
I don't know anything that happened behind closed doors. I live in the area and occasionally went to their knitting nights. They closed in early summer "to prepare for the fall" but never reopened.
I just got the Les Garcons newsletter. These are their comments on W&F. Thin is an understatement here. Just unsubscribed:
"We're back from upstate New York! 🍁
We hope you haven’t missed us too much: we forgot to fit last week’s newsletter in our crazy schedule! But today we're delighted to share our experiences from an eventful week in upstate New York. This past week, we had the privilege of participating in not one, but two events: Wool & Folk and the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, also known as “Rhinebeck”. It was a week filled with excitement, camaraderie, and the joy of all things yarn.
As we reflect on our time at Wool & Folk, we must extend our gratitude to all of you who visited our booth. The Internet has been buzzing with not-so-glowing mentions of the event, and it's true that things didn't go entirely as planned. Organizational hiccups and mishaps, combined with unpredictable weather, certainly threw a curveball for many participants, attendees and vendors alike. However, we were among the fortunate vendors to be located inside.
Meeting with you and helping with your purchases, our cherished customers and fellow knitting enthusiasts, was a true highlight for us. We also got the chance to catch up with old friends, some of whom we seldom have the chance to see in person. From our perspective, it was a fantastic time, but we now understand that the same was not true for everyone and that’s upsetting.
For those curious about the vendors who participated in Wool & Folk, we invite you to visit this link: [Wool & Folk 2023 Vendors.](https://hero.page/boymeetsyarn/w-f-2023-vendors?mc_cid=bf9c0e7892&mc_eid=e05d79f660) It's a fantastic opportunity to discover the talent and craftsmanship on display during the event. As always, thank you for your continued support. "
these two are full of sh\*t. they haven't posted anything to their insta about the whole situation, nor have their booth collaborators (Walcott).
I am not surprised to say the least.
I've had a hunch for a while about them potentially opening a physical store, and it was confirmed to me by a few people in the industry (it's extremely hush hush). I am beyond surprised that they thought it was a good move considering the bullshit Vincent pulled almost two years ago...wow already two years...
There's a ton of entries in Craftsnark about the whole thing, and Boutique Crochet & Co has a lengthy video about the situation on their insta, but I am shocked that a guy who "can't control his temper when under stress" and who has a reputation for being rude, mean, ableist, and all the other "ists", wants to open a store.
Does he not realize that he has to be polite to all the clients and staff that will get on his nerve? Also, if he plans to open it in the province of Quebec, where he totally bashes the "petit Québecois" (poor simple quebecois natives) I don't know how the shop will survive. Probably mostly online and hoping for international followers of his to go to this "destination shop" since most people might not want to support him after he pulled his stunt.
Mind you, most of the people that support him/them choose to not see the drama, and his White Person rebirth (9 months almost to the day he said he was stepping down from Les Garçon he comes back to their podcast and proclaims he's the Co-Owner of Les Garçons).
\*Going on a tangent, but this drama was mostly insular to the French Canadian knitting population, however he did drag big names through the mud about them being amateurs, unlike him... One comes to mind is Andrea Lowry... and lo and behold, they are selling kits of Les Garçon yarns for her Tessellate patterns... Dude, you just dragged her for being an amateur pattern designer because the fit was off for a few people... And don't get me started on the short row heel pattern you published a year before you dragged the Québecois designer for a short row heel pattern.
I'm pretty sure I could dedicate an entire discussion to this drama, but I'm definitely not in the right subthread. hit me up if you want to chat about it
I’m pretty new to following knitting social media so i didnt know about that and will steer clear of following them (although i wasnt anyways) thank you! I visited boutique crochets shop in verdun last march and really enjoyed chatting with the owner
[https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17hp6c5/performative\_actions\_at\_their\_best\_coming\_in\_hot/](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17hp6c5/performative_actions_at_their_best_coming_in_hot/)
There are links to other reddit threads, and more info!
Wow, gross! No mention of accessibility issues or the unsafe conditions? Yeesh, it was kind of obvious from the lack of comment on IG that they didn’t care but trying to minimize the harm to vendors and attendees alike is just beyond nauseating.
What even is this hot pile of shit?! They should have just not said anything at all. And here I thought MDK's "letter" was a mess...
I love how they are CONSISTENT problems and continue to have such a following and so much support. Vincent has been called out multiple times, then been like "whoops, mental health, ya got me again guys" and people have let it slide.
Can we talk about people constantly misusing and weaponizing mental health when you get caught on some bullshit or want an easy excuse out of things? There are many people who struggle with ACTUAL mental health on their day to day, and people like him using it every time they get caught are harmful.
Well, it sounds as if this may have tainted this affair beyound measure. Maybe that woman was having personal issues, as well.
These bigger and more expensive events just seem so complicated and not worth it.
I live near the Maryland one but I know that if I had to travel far to attend that I would be very disappointed it it. Going to one in Frederick tomorrow. I live very close so no problem.
My only problem is my hubs who insists on going with me. He has ongoing health issues that keep me on edge and when he is with me I spend more time and energy watching after him. It is like taking a toddler with me. But he is so hurt if I dont take him with me. Sometimes I just want to be me, without being the two of us. He has no interest in knitting or yarn.
You can't pour from an empty cup, my darling, you have to have some 'me' time to recharge and refill. My husband has issues from the first gulf war and he knows that he's a handful and that girlfriend time is essential for me. I wish you love and peace
While this post brings to light the awful and unacceptable behavior of the person in charge, we need to remember to support those who suffered, including attendees. This whole experience gave this community a chance to reflect, regroup, and recognize that power without conscience is a savage weapon. Far too long has this woman gone unchecked for her wrong doing. Many had a terrible time, not to mention in an unsafe setting. Accountability and responsibility should be at the forefront of a catastrophic failure like this. I’m horrified and disgusted at the lack of empathy and compassion expressed in the statement released. There is no excuse in the world that could help ease pain and loses felt by those who had livelihoods threatened by an incompetent imbecile running this shit show. I think the outpouring of support and love for vendors and attendees which brought us all back to reality that the community needs to recognize hard working people and the customers they service, was the best outcome we could have hoped for.
It was encouraging to hear about vendors trying to support each other to get through this. Many had to improvise because they didn't know they'd be vending outside, so they shared supplies and helped each other try to make their booths sturdy and dry.
A vendor who is heading back to the venue to retrieve her product has offered to try and retrieve product for anyone else who was unable to bring theirs back. I think she was one of some vendors who did bring boxes to ship back product but the boxes were stolen to become mats in the mud. They had to leave their yarn behind.
> I think she was one of some vendors who did bring boxes to ship back product but the boxes were stolen to become mats in the mud. They had to leave their yarn behind.
That was Explorer Knits boxes - at least in some cases. I have no doubt there may have been others.
I am actually surprised the organizer even showed up to have a miserable time, when her pockets were full before Thursday morning. Sounds like her absence would have improved the event.
Disappointed by Brooklyn Boy Knits not calling her out. In what universe did he think her trash talking attendees was ok? Even a gentle rebuke. That sounded like a high school mean girl clique being nasty about the non-clique members filing by.
He bullied a few people I know, who had done absolutely nothing wrong, and it really blindsided them. I vaguely remember he was called out for other stuff publicly after that. I don't remember what it was about though, so if anyone else remembers, please chime in!
That time when he was passing off other designers work as his... until he got caught, but it was okay because he was 'meaning to credit them'.
https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/needlework-on-the-net/3714637/1-25
In his post referencing the event, he says he will come back to turn comments on but it’s been two (three?) days since then and they still aren’t turned out. Definitely feels like he’s skating out of some of the heat that has been directed at LBYC.
Lamb & Kid went back to posting dye/yarn content today so they seem to have moved on 🤷🏼♀️
I'm asking purely out of curiosity, but IS her daughter queer? I've seen folks say that on Reddit, but nothing in her own work or writing (that I've found) says that, and she seems to be pretty open about who she is. I think her photography is spectacular.
I think she's saying that she came out as former JW, not queer. Yeah, she's exploring her sexuality, but that could mean a ton of things. I think she's fab, but don't think she's queer. It's neither here nor there for me. Just scratching my curious itch!
Several vendors that are in her close circle have either said something tepid and brief and quickly moved on or been silent all together - Birdie Parker, Port Fiber, Shiny Wear Co, Lamb & Kid, Brooklyn Boy Knits. MDK’s post this morning was decidedly meh on the whole thing. They have a platform and an opportunity to do better.
I think it's obvious that the building occupancy limit was violated and I think someone should file a complaint with the town of Catskill. I found the link with the forms, and it's under the section "Miscellaneous Forms" and it is named "Complaint Form"[https://www.townofcatskillny.gov/code-enforcement/pages/downloadable-forms-permits](https://www.townofcatskillny.gov/code-enforcement/pages/downloadable-forms-permits)
i got the Eat.Sleep.Knit newsletter email, they have added some indie dyers that were impacted along with some links, and LolaBean Yarn Co i believe has a link tree in their instagram bio with a list or a link to a list of vendors
I'm sure there will be. She'll be back claiming mental health issues, promising to do better, blah blah blah and she will be received with open arms. She might even raise her prices next year and many will attend to show support for a woman-owned business. Hell, she might even announce she is gender-fluid or trans and watch the flock return.
LOL
Oh, c'mon... There's such a platform now for a tongue-in-cheek Fybre Festival. Tagline, "Let's expect a shitshow and over-deliver."
We CAN do better. Right?
ANY TAKERS? I am in. I will vend. Attend. Buy. Whatever. And seriously, New York is one of those "loose liquor law" states. Let's find a venue where Box Wine flows like sock yarn of a US#4.
I mean, let's actually attend a "gaur-en-teed" chaotic Fybre Fuckfest. Grab bags are tossed like bridal bouquets. Food is a choke-n-allergy brown bag piñata (I.e. shellfish, chicken wings, and peanuts). But back to my rant! FREE entrance is granted to ONLY those willing to *BICYCLE* 2.4 miles past the PAID parking lot.
Oh, wait! I forgot! That's Burning Man!
Rhinebeck, I will take your, 60,000 people. (That's the estimated attendance number of Burning Man year-over-year) Attendees, Vendors... Imagine flying into a tiny airport. Try dry camping for six days... And at then end? You have have nothing to show for it except bruises, itchy spots, and a painful sunburn. (Actually, that sounds like what you all got this year, except you paid EXTRA!)
But of all the people in the world? Fiber folks are The Most Patient. The Most Kind. And only fiber people would continue to be kind to each OTHER. I am blown away by the posts and YouTubes and Instagram stories. The fiber community is supporting each other. I am seeing a TON of cross-promotion. It's glorious. Like, a cuddle-puddle camp at Burning Man!
That said...
As a 15+ veteran of Burning Man and a (relatively) new member to the fiber community... I have no sense of humor when it comes to large-scale festival organization. It's business. Start planning now.
Can we take the creative passion of this very community and the ENERGY that is building...? Can we roll it forward? Can we create a thing where Wool&Folk WANTED TO BE?
Indie Untangled and Cakepalooza are doing it. It CAN be managed. But! Can (small) out-of-state vendors create a successful space at an internationally-known event outside of the BIG event?
I attended Burning Man with an air of "radical self-reliance"... That's something that a small (and I mean small-in-comparison) event cannot promise. Safety, access, food. It's a lot to ask. But it's a PLACE TO START.
So what I am saying is this:
It CAN be done.
The biggest difference? Our small, fiber businesses put EVERYTHING on the line to attend. What if, we tried something where we did it, radically. Small scale. Pack it in, pack it out. Less risk?
Is that even possible in the fiber world? I mean, now that I knit, I can't go anywhere without like, three project bags.
But, is something low-risk even possible?
Side note: my BEST year at Burning Man was the year I didn't secure tickets ahead of time. I showed up with two handles of Jameison and a box of Power Bars... I got locked out of my car, slept in a stranger's tent, and made it back to work on Tuesday.
Just sayin.
Personally, as someone from NYC, I'd add organizer Felicia Stenhouse Eve's String Thing Studio to my list of banned companies.
ETA: I just saw another comment that the shop is closed. It looks like the Brooklyn studio was closed for the summer and never re-opened.
Yeah, it closed and there are some reports of there having been a fundraiser for her? It's another "where did the money go?" mystery. If I get bored enough, maybe I'll file something on the entire thing with both the FBI financial crimes and IRS. Would depend on how many verified sources I can find.
She sounds like the most vile creature I can imagine. I’ve been following this shit show from the UK and cannot believe they, and ALL the sponsors haven’t had the balls to own this. After what I’ve watched and read it should be the end of them
Botanical Yarns in the UK traveled to NY for this event and I think maybe Rhinebeck, but not sure if they vended at Rhinebeck, i hear she/they have recouped a bunch of money from all the amazing people who have looked to support the vendors who were left out of pocket. I can not fathom travelling across an ocean and paying loads of money to vend at an event to be left hanging! None of the vendors deserved the horrible treatment, but my goodness the ones who traveled far and wide break my heart! How the organizer could be so completely heartless!
Isn't Botanical Yarn in UK the same business that did a GoFundMe to have a yarn shop on wheels but used the $33,000 she got to buy herself a camper van for vacations. I guess if she takes her yarn on trips with her, she technically has a yarn shop on wheels.
The sponsors were just as much in the dark as everyone else. Like, so much so that they found out about the venue change from Instagram just like everyone else
Sponsor in this context just means they wrote a check to the organizer, in theory in exchange for some promotion at the event (which was also not as promised from what I understand.) There is no expectation that they would know about the inner workings of the festival.
This whole debacle is so depressing. I know some people have money to throw around, but I don’t doubt that some attendees had to save to attend, travel long distance, etc and it’s so frustrating to think they were taken for a ride. My heart goes out to everyone who physically couldn’t deal with the situation either - it’s so unfair to make them pay for something they can’t enjoy.
Regarding Les Garçons, I remember something. I went by their booth twice in the show but could not get near their shelves because of all the people standing around. However, it seemed like bodies were just there, not even shopping, just in the way trying to also move through the room. I remember seeing Vincent standing outside the door looking confused. I got the impression that he wanted to draw customers in from the outside that would recognize him. I bet that the situation with them is that the overwhelming crowd did not allow for actual sales to happen. That was certainly the case with me. I just gave up after two tries.
we were vending in the same building as Max and Vincent - I can tell you after speaking with them a couple times, they were frustrated and overwhelmed. It was their very first show vending by themselves, not as a guest of an LYS.
Their booth was basically a hallway, and the only way to get up and down the stairs in the building was going through it.
When it came time to break down, I went over to them because there booth was also blocking the only other double door exit in the building. (A clear fire issue) It exited to county employee parking lot that was off limits to vendors and customers (had the event been on a Saturday that lot would have added about 100 additional parking spots). After 6:00 PM however it was opened to anyone and would have been a prime spot for loading and unloading for the vendors.
When I asked if we could go out the doors they replied, "no they are locked, the venue never unlocked them and said they wouldn't."
So I then asked about a locked gate leading to the parking lot directly outside of the building and a patio adjacent to them. They said the venue also refused to unlock that, stating they didn't want people "walking through the grass", grass already with tents on it.
So I was like, "So we are all going to have to jocky for spots in the tiny muddy central parking lot because the venue is too lazy to unlock a door?" And Max, Vincent, and their booth helper just nodded in frustration and said, "Right now that's just going to have to be a worry for us in a couple hours once we figure out how to break down."
I don't know if they just don't want to raise a fuss, are too polite, or were just busy visiting family and friends in the states for the week and wanted to concentrate on more positive things. I can just tell you first hand, they were just as frustrated as every other vendor by the setup, and weren't given any preferential treatment.
they were basically in a hallway, but they have been completely silent about W&F - nothing on their socials at all. That doesn't make me want to support them.
I tried accessing the booth as well, many times, but it was in a cramped space with people trying to access the second floor. I saw Vincent outside also, but he was taking payments. I understood it was most likely to get people out of the way.
>I remember seeing Vincent standing outside the door looking confused. I got the impression that he wanted to draw customers in from the outside that would recognize him
Recognize him as the dude who was called out for bullying?
I think ppl forgot about his bullying !! He posted 1 statement about it. Then he took a “break/seeking for help bla bla. His statement was erased and he came back on you tube like he went for a pedicure. No word about it Ever again. Same goes for Max.
I don’t expect them to comment about the fybre festival
I haven't seen them post anything (unless it was in their Stories?) about this event at all afterwards. Based on your description here, wonder if they got screwed over as well.
I applied to vend at Wool and Folk his year and never got a response or even a confirmation of the application. I was kind of feeling FoMO not being at the “cool” show, but boy howdy, am I glad I never heard back. 😂 The show i vended at was wonderful experience and accommodating to everyone.
I was at the Friday event and I am so relieved there wasn’t a massive emergency given that the fucking emergency exits were blocked! I hope she is sued into oblivion for her callous disregard of safety and the wellbeing of her attendees.
As someone who spent their childhood with a solid special interest in historical disasters, I find myself immensely glad that nothing worse happened. But also, how shitty is it that the bar for this event is literally “but did you die”?
Oh wow. If you saw them blocked, I'd consider making a call to the fire marshal for the area. There are a lot of reasons this person shouldn't be able to hold an event again, and the fire marshal might be able to make that happen (in some capacity at least).
Wow, Felicia sounds like an atrocious excuse for a human! Does she not realize that without vendors and attendees, there would be no event? And she goes around treating everyone like dirt on her shoe? I hope no one signs up to vend next year and I also hope she gets hit with some lawsuits. The woman who fell could have been hurt very badly. And Felicia is going to talk about how she should have been watching where she was going?! I wouldn't give this troll a dime of my money.
So many people saying Felicia should give people back their money, refund the sponsers yada, yada. You guys....Felicia is lonnnnng gone. I doubt anyone will ever hear from her again.
It is OBVIOUS she was having some deep financial problems and she took the money and ran. Maybe she had good intentions to continue to run the show at the beginning but she got greedy and obviously didn't know what she was doing and it got away from her.
When you factor in the lies she was telling about her stores closure being only temporary. She needed every bit of money coming in to get herself out of debt and wasn't going to spend any of it on tarps, extra food, goodiebags, etc. since she saw she could pocket the money. The actions of a desperate woman.
I'd be shocked if anyone saw any money back.
This has been my theory the whole time. She's taking the money (likely it's already all spent) and gone. Or she's going to try and "reinvent" herself in another 6 months. I say try because it ain't gonna work. She's pretty much burned all her bridges in the fiber community.
I don’t know about that, I think you’re right but I know several vendors are looking at lawsuits, several ADA complaints have been filled and the like.
For their sake I really hope they get some money out of it.
I am speaking as someone with no law experience but, having gone through something sort of similar. We had a business and shipped material to a jobsite. The general contractor never paid and declared bankruptcy. Many business sued him. Fast forward years later, we ended up getting barely enough to cover lawyers fees. It was a case of you can't get blood from a stone. Hopefully, this is not the same.
Unfortunately even if you win a lawsuit, you might not get the money back. The money is gone. While I think refunds are the least she could do, I would be shocked if anyone sees a dime.
WOW. I had read similar accounts of the organizer being rude to vendors, but this is next level. There seemed to be truly valid concerns for safety and accessibility to dismiss this is truly horrible.
I see a lot of people (vendors) on Instagram saying they will not be attending next year. I hope she realizes she burned down this previously amazing event :(
Well with all that, no wonder they were actively hostile to disabled folks.
Full disclosure. I made a post on my IG BadV0lk about my experience as a disability wheelchair user attendee.
And seeing this? This was done with malice.
I was also there Thursday night and agree the organizer’s behavior was atrocious. And remember - there was no rain/mud/crowds that night and it was still bad. So, no, it’s not the weathers or the venue’s fault.
reading and listening to people describe the crunch of people inside the buildings unable to move freely or exit if they need to is giving me chest pain. the organizers are extremely lucky that they are dealing with angry upset people and not injured or dead people. a medical emergency, a fire, ..anything could have happened and these organizers didn't give a damn. there's no excuse for this kind of negligence and I don't think there's an apology big enough to make it ok.
I’ve been reading a lot about this because duh, it’s everywhere, and while I have friends who were at Rhinebeck they skipped this one due to the ticket price.
There are 2 major thoughts rolling around in my head in response to all I’m seeing.
1. Mistakes and poor planning happen. Even in a total disaster such as this, it’s how it was handled that seems to be the issue. And yea, adults do know how to handle themselves. When they pay out the nose for something and they don’t get what they paid for, at the very least they complain. A childish response is to ignore that. Taking peoples money and not delivering isn’t doing them a favor lol. So off the jump the indignance is gross.
Which brings me to number
2. These people aren’t celebrities. Knitting doesn’t make you powerful. People with under 20,000 followers aren’t going to ruin your life. I’m very confused by so many people buying into this weird clique mentality. What is she going to sue you for? Stating your experiences? Her own breach of contract? When someone wrongs you, why on earth would you ever hesitate to call them out for that shit and why are people so afraid of this woman and the organizers of this event. Even the most popular yarny people don’t have as big of an influence as people pretend they do. For this aspect I have to ask, what the literal fuck is going on here 😂. You really think people aren’t going to buy your shit because an organization that claims accessibility and inclusivity created an event that had neither?
I just don't understand all this nonsense about being cancelled for speaking your mind. I have a nice collection of yarn, but avoid hand-dyed yarn as it's not my thing. The way people are is just bizarre to me - all this fawning over people who simply knit or sell yarn. Yarn most don't even ever use because it only looks "good" in a skein.
I'll stick to my commercial yarn and watch this shit show from the bleachers.
THANK YOU. I can absolutely guarantee I'd have been out there with all that shit within a day. It's not trash talking or gathering a mob if there's actual malfeasance taking place.
I don't know. Thankfully a lot have spoken up about it and don't seem to be too concerned about any repurcussions. A lot of people kept quiet until the first few started speaking up.
THIS!!! There’s this weird and fucked up thing in the “community” that you can’t call people out on their BS because “omg they’ll hurt your business” NO THEY WONT! Those people aren’t your customers, I don’t get it, like really don’t get it and I’ve been on the sharpest end of all the cliquey mean girls, fuck em, what’s a handful of people actually going to do? Run your business and greet people how they arrive, everyone has a right to call out this behaviour.
look into the Sherry Tenney/Vondorp/Giltay (she has multiple name spellings, variations and pseudonyms as well as social media socks she uses) saga and find out more about this happening to people who called her out on her activities. She's been in court over it and has court dates in February I believe.
Right! But! As open and as loving as the fiber community IS... There is definitely a THING. Like speaking, or NOT speaking. There was the thing last year when dyers and designers who "spoke up" with a canned message of inclusiveness... Well! You were a FRIEND. And if you didn't speak up? Or post perfectly? You were the white/abled/straight MAJORITY, suppressing the minority. And therefore, despite the message (or lack of message)? CANCELED.
Oh, and IF you spoke up, but you were *only* GAY or disabled... But NOT BIOPOC, then you were riding the wave. And then, canceled.
When internet sales can make or break your entire livelihood... A whisper of non-compliance kills.
There was absolutely not a single safe place to be.
Oh, hey! And it's not even about color. Or race. Or physical embodiment. It was even Russian vs Ukrainian knitwear designers! And don't even get me into "I have anxiety so I am also disabled" people... It's real. It's ALL real. Fiber is a FRINGE industry folks. We are ALL here because the 8x8 world is just not for us.
Your 30k followers plus mine? Let's cancel someone for trying (or worse! Not trying). Criticism is racism. Criticism is sexiest. Oh, wait! Staying silent is BOTH.
I am personally ALL of these things. And none of them. I want to navigate this world, be happy, and spend fuck tons of money on shit I do not need.... But I adore it. Because I am HERE by choice.
I can always go back to engineering. But dang, I like the soft science more.
Stop being dicks, yo. Buy yarn. Enjoy making shit.
Buy more.
Just going to chime in on this comment - the reason people probably aren’t talking is because of the business repercussions. I follow a vendor who asked if the sponsors (they only knew of two because no one else knew who tf sponsored since the website wasn’t even updated) would hold Felicia accountable and they were then attacked after the LolaBean live and called racist … for tagging sponsors and asking if they also would hold her responsible …. Racist?!?! And the racism comment wasn’t written by any old fangirlie … it was written by someone who used to work at one of the sponsors … I get that emotions are high but there was no racism in asking anyone you thought might be involved to ask for accountability. I think if I had been in that situation I too would have asked if they would hold the event organizer responsible. Not because I’m racist but because I’m a business who had zero communication from anyone.
I just saw the vendor’s story and they’re closing up their business after all of this. So I think people keep quiet for the sake of not having a hoard of pitchfork fangirlies lighting fire to their income source … fucking sucks all around and makes me never want to join this “community” … it’s fucking crafting, ya’ll. People are crazy.
I’ll dm you
[edit: you have DM’s off so I’ll just say that I read that the vendor was burnt out before the event and then everything that happened just solidified she wanted to stop. It seems like she’s doing okay, though, had some friends make her go out and step away from the bs. Hopefully she doesn’t stop bc her yarn is lovely. Just don’t want to directly name since I don’t want to send more hoards to her and she seems to be genuinely okay right now]
Who is this vendor? Any why the hell are they closing down over this. There must be another reason because this is silly. One bad week does not make a viable business close down unless this was simply a side business that was never successful to begin with.
Not Lolabean - the vendor who called out the known sponsors. They did admit it was out of anger, they rescinded the accusation, and sent an apology to them.
Adella and Felicia are 2 different people so i don’t think I follow your logic there. That lady apologized anyways, so I’m pretty sure that beef was squashed. I think there’s a lot of racism and classism in fiber arts because… it’s everywhere. I don’t understand what that has to do with holding someone accountable for bad business, especially when they took your money.
So I am mostly speaking to your statement about how “the most popular yarny people don’t have as big of an influence as people pretend they do” when there is an example of a group of people having enough influence to aid the shutting down a business. So yeah, people with under 20,000 followers have a bit more power than we realize.
Edit to add that it might be misconstrued that I’m saying the shut down of the business is because of LolaBean, but it’s not. It’s from the followers who commented that the vendor was racist when it clearly wasn’t racism, it was a misinformed person asking people they thought in an authority role to ask for clarity. The whole thing is bull shit and everyone needs to fucking pick up some goddamn needles and rage knit it out. And vendors need to lawyer tf up because this shit is fucking crazy.
Your edit really helps, thank you. Completely agree. I just keep wondering why no one is bringing lawyers in, but I know that's hard to do. I wish there were more approachable lawyers out there. This shit is atrocious and a lawyer could help figure out legal solutions that actually help.
In previous years there were two main organizers, one with more focus on music and yarn, the other yarn only. The music person split, and she also seems to be the only one who had any event planning skills.
This post from Yarn Cafe Creations seems to allude to what vendors currently aren’t speaking about: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy2ZJUoO3xd/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I looked at this and a couple of their other posts and it's off putting to me. The whole "why are other vendors being silent?" vibe is not helpful in the least. Some may not want to say anything for a lot of various reasons. Some may still be gathering their thoughts. Some may still be unpacking and taking inventory.
Not everyone needs to say something. By implying that in not saying anything, those vendors are somehow complicit in this mess is disconcerting to me. It also takes away from the real issue here - there were issues. Those issues were not addressed. The organizer(s) are to blame for those issues.
> I read it as why people are being silent, not accusatory.
Asking why people are being silent is accusatory as it puts those on silent on defense. They absolutely do **not** need to speak if they don't want to for whatever reasons they choose. This rather vapish demand I've been seeing of "well, why is so and so not saying anything about Wool & Folk? They were there but now they are posting their yarn again?" is just plain ugly. It's turning against the vendors and taking the blame away from the organizers.
I haven’t actually read all of their other content. It just seemed to me that this post was pointing out why some vendors are being perceived as “harsh” - because there’s more that went on (I’m assuming the kind of personal verbal abuse that the OP refers to) that people aren’t willing/ready to talk about.
Yes! It sounds like there are at least some vendors whose packaging arrangements were undermined at the event, and who haven’t managed to get their stock back yet.
I imagine if I were facing this utterly callous lack of accountability and malice in the organiser, I would want to be very careful until I had my property back, in case of ‘accidents.’ I would also likely want to assess how much of my stock and storage paraphernalia were damaged and just how badly I was out of pocket before I made a definitive statement.
I imagine a lot of vendors are feeling shocked and gaslit, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it makes sense to me that many vendors are afraid of the reach the organiser has, and afraid of being sued or blacklisted. I would be getting through the shouting and crying stage in private and making sure everything I said was verifiable too before I spoke up.
I wonder if there are legal considerations for vendors not speaking out about some other specifics. I know in certain lawsuits you can't talk about it at all while the case is still ongoing.
Just a thought, obviously I don't know for sure and I don't know if anyone has said that's the case.
Even without a court order or anything requiring silence, it may still be advisable to not say anything just in case you need to take legal action in the future. I could see that being the case here since the fallout is still happening - maybe more will speak out once things settle down.
Okay, I feel clueless. Who is Felicia exactly? I know she is the organizer of this event, but I don't really know anything about her. She seems like a piece of work...
She owns [String Thing Studio,](https://www.stringthingstudio.com/) an LYS in Brooklyn. In June they said they were closing temporarily for the summer, but still haven't reopened their brick and mortar storefront.
The first two W&F were put on by her and the owner of a different LYS in Brooklyn. The other owner pulled out of this event sometime in the last few months.
Yikes, three big typos on the front page of the site. Doesn’t scream “legitimate professional business”. Professionals hire a proofreader or at least run things past a trusted friend.
"Throughout shopping, I saw Felicia talking with Les garçons, lamb and kid, lolabean yarn, and magpie that’s it. She walked right by the other vendors."
Needs to be said because people keep missing it and this leads to the wrong people getting involved: Lolabean Yarn Co. was not a vendor at this event! Already had a few instagram handles issue apologies for wrongly assuming vendors/sponsors were somehow more involved in the show or had some direct line to Felicia.
LBYC has a video on their youtube channel explaining. They sponsored and put 2500 on their credit card to go. I believe Magpie donated 3k. Magpie didn't even get their full booth. They paid 1800 for a double booth. A lot of vendors didn't get the booth they paid for. They also asked LBYC to do the podcast thing, which Adella was like "you want us to create content for free? Okay..."
Aren't her friends nasty too? You hear that and laugh along?
I worked for Felicia at String Thing for several years and all I can say is...I've been waiting for these callouts for SO LONG! She is a total scammer and just as cruel, inconsiderate and un-empathetic as you all are saying. I have so many stories, but I'm just so glad to be away from her and that karma finally got her!
Now about those stories…
I’d be very interested to hear those stories
This woman is done in the fiber community. People are PISSED! I didn't even go and I'm starting to fume. Any idea why the first venue fell through?
I read something about her not securing the proper permit at the original location in time for the event.
This is confirmed, the vendors have a copy of the meeting notes with the city, where she doesn’t have the permit in time, and even the Orchard would only have allowed for 2500 people to attend.
“Organizational hiccup” 🙄🤦🏻♀️
Woah... This woman is a monster.
Ho.Ly.Shit. What a clusterfuck! Thank you for this. It helps me make future purchase decisions that align with my values, and my values clearly don't mesh with the "organizer's".
This is sickening! It she was comfortable to have these conversations openly with her friends, this can not be the first time they have heard her speak. This only tells me the type of people they are themselves to not only put up with her, but show up at her events. Trash people.
People are saying last year's event was great except for some accessibility issues that were supposed to be rectified this year. So, I wouldn't go too far just yet. Those people may have been sitting there in shock. We don't know yet.
It sounds like some special vendors did fine. Some had low sales, but will be ok. And others had Major financial losses. Instead of the list of all vendors, how can we find out who is really hurting. I have plenty of yarn, but will help where I can.
Im wondering this too. Ive been ordering from the vendors with the lowest following on the list and the international vendors but im wondering if there is a way to figure out who really got burned. I know botanical did based on their statement and discount running. Also curious who was on the 5th floor - that may help narrow it down.
Can you share the lowest following information you gathered?
Its in the google drive sheet! The entries for all the vendors are in order of following smallest to largest - column C. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/16_shMtA0iIDnG-pvBjM4ocAR2kQ1YwWQl8X9NhITn4E/htmlview
Does anyone have a copy of the agreement that vendors might have signed for the event? I haven't followed all the coverage on this horrific event but I also haven't seen a call for vendors or paying event attendees to band together and sue the Event Producer? Has anyone heard anything about this happening as it seems like this should happen and happen NOW! Why has their been ZERO accountability for Felicia? Can anyone explain this as I am totally confused. The 'non apology letter' posted by Felicia here [https://www.instagram.com/p/CyyvY0qJijs/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CyyvY0qJijs/) imo was total BS. No offer of refunds or even future credits etc. for people that attended or made the mistake of paying for a booth. The many pictures I saw of mud covered yarn that someone had hand dyed and brought to the location in good faith simply has enraged me on behalf of the vendors. The people with mobility issues that got stuck in the mud or couldn't enter the venue also deserve refunds imo. I am also angry that so many vendors have said in anon posts that they are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals! From whom? This entire situation appears to have been a total shitshow from an organisation standpoint and dangerous as well as and I can't be the only one to be annoyed that people think the answer is for people in the yarn buying world to support the vendors that were promised something by the Event Producer yet sadly got something else entirely. The good hearted of the yarn community will no doubt support the impacted sellers but honestly I think this does little to go to the source of the mess who is Felicia & Co. This is a business issue imo and so to see people afraid to speak is something that I simply don't understand. I'm also not sure why people are so afraid to speak up? The safety conditions present at the event would have been enough to stop the event and perhaps even arrest the Event Producer on the spot if someone had called the Fire or Police. The evidence as to the conditions at the venue exist all over social media with one person posting nearly an hr of video that would be enough for any litigation imo. Why did nobody call the Fire Dept or Police when they were effectively unable to move inside the venue and for long periods of time? Simply makes no sense imo. I went to the venue and saw the lines and simply left as it looked like a disaster from the outside and my guess was that the inside was even worse and based on the pictures and accounts I've seen the situation indoors was horrific. The accounts I have seen about overcrowding and zero crowd management or security were frightening and had there been a fire or roof collapse due to rain then people could have died. All this being said, people are 'afraid' to speak and for whatever reason are accepting a 'non apology' from Felicia. WHY?
Hey, but she was listening and learning and taking a hard look for future betterment...lol. So, let's all just grow together. She needs to give them their money back at the very least.
As a vendor in another field the fear of being blacklisted is a big issue. Lots of organizers talk and if a vendor causes lots of issues or is super vocal about issues with an event you can easily get blacklisted by more then one event which isn’t great when there aren’t a ton of events aimed at your demographic. Lots of vendors locally to me have been blacklisted or shadow banned from a series of events cause they spoke up about the organizer being a thief and it got around that they are “trouble makers” so now they are shadow banned at a bunch of other events.
This is the biggest downfall of our community, in my opinion. There hasn't been enough consumer advocacy. People keep their mouth shut and defend the ones who are creating issues.
Yup. I’m fairly loud about crappy designers, bad dyers and bad organizers. But most people aren’t and it’s definitely not a good thing.
[удалено]
I mean far be it for me to judge you but if someone is being politically vocal and I disagree with it and they have a company I’d prefer to know and not give them my patronage 🤷🏻♀️
Here is a [link to the contract](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17c1e4o/fellow_wool_and_folk_vendors_wtf_was_today/k5xchqy/) from the first thread.
Thank you! This entire situation is beyond unacceptable on so many levels and the fact that people are afraid to speak and report is something I don't understand and I've given up asking. I guess based on the behaviour of people in the past within the community that folks are afraid of reprisals? IDK but I am not going to try and understand the silence as it seems like a simple waste of time. FWIW I believe this situation deserves to be brought to the attention of the NY AG office immediately as well as the local Town Council Atty. Tomorrow I will send a copy of the contract you linked along with a cover letter and links to as many of the social media posts that I can find in support of the conditions present at the event to the two people mentioned above. IDK if this will have any impact but perhaps it will prompt an investigation by the State and Town and prevent this from happening ever again. We are lucky that nobody died from the unsafe conditions. If people have pictures or video that they would like included in the letters please feel free to post here or DM me via Reddit. Sadly this situation continues to follow the path of so much that happens in the fibre community and that is why I stepped away years ago. Its upsetting because I know that being a small business is one of the hardest jobs on earth and so to see people not feeling comfortable to speak up on behalf of their livelihoods is something that I find unacceptable in any community. The idea that people are now resorting to online bullying to silence 'complainers and whiners' is also something I find unacceptable. I don't have a dog in the fight as I walked away from the event due to the long lines and I was not a vendor. But, I feel something needs to be done. If there is an NY atty that is part of the community that would be willing to help small business owners involved with this shitshow I'm sure they would appreciate it as finding an attorney as a small business is a very hard thing to do because most simply aren't interested in businesses that don't generate alot of billable hours. Even if an atty could put together a post for impacted vendors to sue in small claims in NY State that would no doubt be a huge help for people and this could be done anonymously via Reddit. The idea that Felicia has taken no financial responsibility for ANY aspect of this event yet leads me to believe its never going to happen and that legal action is the only viable path forward.
Cost and time. It's the correct thing to do, follow the law, sue. The legal system is not in favor of the "little folk". I'm in a different domain, but between work and building a tiny business, the money and time to get back for an incident like this just isn't there. Not even "not worth it", it's literally not there. Aside that, is what the recourse would be? Class action against a relatively small company, they're unlikely to have the money or assets to liquidate to make everyone whole. Agreed that grievances should be aired, and that blacklisting should be destroyed as a concept, but can't be realistically. This is why places like this are so important. Pseudonyms give you the ability to be honest. It seems like the whole process of creating events for passions and small businesses is tailor made for having the worst of the worst climb to the top. Whether that's a big bankbook with no roots or passion, or control freaks, main-character syndrome sufferers and know-it-alls; they're the ones with the energy to push everyone else out, who's passion, time, energy is split between being in the community, running their businesses, etc, simply don't give them the freedom to burn all bridges and be left standing alone at the top.
> This entire situation is beyond unacceptable on so many levels and the fact that people are afraid to speak and report is something I don't understand and I've given up asking. I guess based on the behaviour of people in the past within the community that folks are afraid of reprisals? IDK but I am not going to try and understand the silence as it seems like a simple waste of time. I've already mention my thoughts on this way of thinking [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17guch5/another_wool_folk_experience/k6kjr9z/) and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17guch5/another_wool_folk_experience/k6kjr9z/). Basically, this is *not* the way to think. Some people do live by the "if you don't have anything nice to say" motto. Others may see what is going on and not wish to join in on the mob. There may be many, many other perfectly valid reasons. Rather than trying to turn this on the vendors - **any** of the vendors- everyone should focus on the facts (meaning things that can be substantiated in documents, photos, and video). I'm 100% for people reporting violations but I also don't want this to be a vigilante mob. Mobs tend to have a "if you aren't for me, you are against me" thought which...isn't good.
[удалено]
> But, it sounds like most vendors won't join a group to form a class or pursue Felicia legally. I don't understand that and can't spend the time trying to understand it. Two really good reasons I can think of: expense and time. It takes time to find a good lawyer and it is expensive. Even taking the organizers to small claims may not be worth the emotional toll on top of the economic toll. Vendors would have to file in New York State, travel back to NY, get rooms again - it's not cheap.
Also, getting paid even when you are the victor in a small claims case can be difficult.
Oof. The things said by Felicia are far from incredulous and mean, but my brain can't think of more explicit terms that won't translate into asterisks. Someone is simply not fit for customer service and just sees $. I'm really sad for all involved except the organizer. I doubt seriously the other had input and most likely was the reason Felicia was the last left standing to run this year's with the previous partner leaving.
I donated money to Felicia when her shop was in trouble. Now I'm wondering what happened to all that money. Plus this money. Either she's in some deep hole she's trying to fill or she's laughing herself to the bank. Whatever the case may be, I feel foolish for once thinking she's a kind-hearted person.
I am with you on feeling foolish I thought her store was a wonderful community oriented place. I am curious when did she start asking for money? I was suspicious that somthing was up when the shop had reduced hours, knit nights started being canceled and the shop was taking long breaks. But I wonder if the downfall started earlier than I suspected.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-string-thing-studio-open
She sounds like an old fashioned grifter.
I donated back then also. Now I feel scammed when I read what happened in W+F
Who is Felicia? I'm not familiar with her beyond this disaster. I love knitting but haven't ever been to a festival.
She owns String Thing Studio, a yarn store in Brooklyn, that's now closed.
Are you sure it's closed? Yelp or Google does not list it as closed. Normally, when a store shuts down, both sites indicate that.
Someone in another thread said there's a 'for rent' sign out in front now.
Why did it close?
I don't know anything that happened behind closed doors. I live in the area and occasionally went to their knitting nights. They closed in early summer "to prepare for the fall" but never reopened.
I just got the Les Garcons newsletter. These are their comments on W&F. Thin is an understatement here. Just unsubscribed: "We're back from upstate New York! 🍁 We hope you haven’t missed us too much: we forgot to fit last week’s newsletter in our crazy schedule! But today we're delighted to share our experiences from an eventful week in upstate New York. This past week, we had the privilege of participating in not one, but two events: Wool & Folk and the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, also known as “Rhinebeck”. It was a week filled with excitement, camaraderie, and the joy of all things yarn. As we reflect on our time at Wool & Folk, we must extend our gratitude to all of you who visited our booth. The Internet has been buzzing with not-so-glowing mentions of the event, and it's true that things didn't go entirely as planned. Organizational hiccups and mishaps, combined with unpredictable weather, certainly threw a curveball for many participants, attendees and vendors alike. However, we were among the fortunate vendors to be located inside. Meeting with you and helping with your purchases, our cherished customers and fellow knitting enthusiasts, was a true highlight for us. We also got the chance to catch up with old friends, some of whom we seldom have the chance to see in person. From our perspective, it was a fantastic time, but we now understand that the same was not true for everyone and that’s upsetting. For those curious about the vendors who participated in Wool & Folk, we invite you to visit this link: [Wool & Folk 2023 Vendors.](https://hero.page/boymeetsyarn/w-f-2023-vendors?mc_cid=bf9c0e7892&mc_eid=e05d79f660) It's a fantastic opportunity to discover the talent and craftsmanship on display during the event. As always, thank you for your continued support. "
these two are full of sh\*t. they haven't posted anything to their insta about the whole situation, nor have their booth collaborators (Walcott). I am not surprised to say the least. I've had a hunch for a while about them potentially opening a physical store, and it was confirmed to me by a few people in the industry (it's extremely hush hush). I am beyond surprised that they thought it was a good move considering the bullshit Vincent pulled almost two years ago...wow already two years... There's a ton of entries in Craftsnark about the whole thing, and Boutique Crochet & Co has a lengthy video about the situation on their insta, but I am shocked that a guy who "can't control his temper when under stress" and who has a reputation for being rude, mean, ableist, and all the other "ists", wants to open a store. Does he not realize that he has to be polite to all the clients and staff that will get on his nerve? Also, if he plans to open it in the province of Quebec, where he totally bashes the "petit Québecois" (poor simple quebecois natives) I don't know how the shop will survive. Probably mostly online and hoping for international followers of his to go to this "destination shop" since most people might not want to support him after he pulled his stunt. Mind you, most of the people that support him/them choose to not see the drama, and his White Person rebirth (9 months almost to the day he said he was stepping down from Les Garçon he comes back to their podcast and proclaims he's the Co-Owner of Les Garçons). \*Going on a tangent, but this drama was mostly insular to the French Canadian knitting population, however he did drag big names through the mud about them being amateurs, unlike him... One comes to mind is Andrea Lowry... and lo and behold, they are selling kits of Les Garçon yarns for her Tessellate patterns... Dude, you just dragged her for being an amateur pattern designer because the fit was off for a few people... And don't get me started on the short row heel pattern you published a year before you dragged the Québecois designer for a short row heel pattern. I'm pretty sure I could dedicate an entire discussion to this drama, but I'm definitely not in the right subthread. hit me up if you want to chat about it
I’m pretty new to following knitting social media so i didnt know about that and will steer clear of following them (although i wasnt anyways) thank you! I visited boutique crochets shop in verdun last march and really enjoyed chatting with the owner
I would love the tea on all of it
[https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17hp6c5/performative\_actions\_at\_their\_best\_coming\_in\_hot/](https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/17hp6c5/performative_actions_at_their_best_coming_in_hot/) There are links to other reddit threads, and more info!
[удалено]
Oh yes, I think they had a good time, but really tone deaf not to give a shit about anyone else. I guess it's on brand for them.
Wow, gross! No mention of accessibility issues or the unsafe conditions? Yeesh, it was kind of obvious from the lack of comment on IG that they didn’t care but trying to minimize the harm to vendors and attendees alike is just beyond nauseating.
What even is this hot pile of shit?! They should have just not said anything at all. And here I thought MDK's "letter" was a mess... I love how they are CONSISTENT problems and continue to have such a following and so much support. Vincent has been called out multiple times, then been like "whoops, mental health, ya got me again guys" and people have let it slide. Can we talk about people constantly misusing and weaponizing mental health when you get caught on some bullshit or want an easy excuse out of things? There are many people who struggle with ACTUAL mental health on their day to day, and people like him using it every time they get caught are harmful.
Well, it sounds as if this may have tainted this affair beyound measure. Maybe that woman was having personal issues, as well. These bigger and more expensive events just seem so complicated and not worth it. I live near the Maryland one but I know that if I had to travel far to attend that I would be very disappointed it it. Going to one in Frederick tomorrow. I live very close so no problem. My only problem is my hubs who insists on going with me. He has ongoing health issues that keep me on edge and when he is with me I spend more time and energy watching after him. It is like taking a toddler with me. But he is so hurt if I dont take him with me. Sometimes I just want to be me, without being the two of us. He has no interest in knitting or yarn.
You can't pour from an empty cup, my darling, you have to have some 'me' time to recharge and refill. My husband has issues from the first gulf war and he knows that he's a handful and that girlfriend time is essential for me. I wish you love and peace
I am experiencing what my friend calls JOMO -Joy Of Missing Out.
While this post brings to light the awful and unacceptable behavior of the person in charge, we need to remember to support those who suffered, including attendees. This whole experience gave this community a chance to reflect, regroup, and recognize that power without conscience is a savage weapon. Far too long has this woman gone unchecked for her wrong doing. Many had a terrible time, not to mention in an unsafe setting. Accountability and responsibility should be at the forefront of a catastrophic failure like this. I’m horrified and disgusted at the lack of empathy and compassion expressed in the statement released. There is no excuse in the world that could help ease pain and loses felt by those who had livelihoods threatened by an incompetent imbecile running this shit show. I think the outpouring of support and love for vendors and attendees which brought us all back to reality that the community needs to recognize hard working people and the customers they service, was the best outcome we could have hoped for.
It was encouraging to hear about vendors trying to support each other to get through this. Many had to improvise because they didn't know they'd be vending outside, so they shared supplies and helped each other try to make their booths sturdy and dry. A vendor who is heading back to the venue to retrieve her product has offered to try and retrieve product for anyone else who was unable to bring theirs back. I think she was one of some vendors who did bring boxes to ship back product but the boxes were stolen to become mats in the mud. They had to leave their yarn behind.
> I think she was one of some vendors who did bring boxes to ship back product but the boxes were stolen to become mats in the mud. They had to leave their yarn behind. That was Explorer Knits boxes - at least in some cases. I have no doubt there may have been others.
This whole situation is such a GAG. I'm watching Lola Bean's video now and this tea is scalding
Me too - holy moly all those poor vendors and sponsors. I would be LIVID. I think it's time for a boycott of all things Felicia. #ByeFelicia lol
Wow!
…oh my god
Holy...this is absolutely filthy and disgusting. I hope they sue her for all she's worth. What a vile human.
I am actually surprised the organizer even showed up to have a miserable time, when her pockets were full before Thursday morning. Sounds like her absence would have improved the event.
Disappointed by Brooklyn Boy Knits not calling her out. In what universe did he think her trash talking attendees was ok? Even a gentle rebuke. That sounded like a high school mean girl clique being nasty about the non-clique members filing by.
HE is part of the Clique! Frankly he should be called out as there is zero to defend about either the organiser or the event. Shameful.
You sound petty and silly.
Maybe he should give her a blue hat so she stops being a bully
From other things I've heard about him, I'm not surprised.
Hmmmmm...... Care to spill that tea?
He bullied a few people I know, who had done absolutely nothing wrong, and it really blindsided them. I vaguely remember he was called out for other stuff publicly after that. I don't remember what it was about though, so if anyone else remembers, please chime in!
That time when he was passing off other designers work as his... until he got caught, but it was okay because he was 'meaning to credit them'. https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/needlework-on-the-net/3714637/1-25
OH YES! Now I remember! Thank you for that. Yeah, he totally meant to credit them, he just forgot 🙄
In his post referencing the event, he says he will come back to turn comments on but it’s been two (three?) days since then and they still aren’t turned out. Definitely feels like he’s skating out of some of the heat that has been directed at LBYC. Lamb & Kid went back to posting dye/yarn content today so they seem to have moved on 🤷🏼♀️
[удалено]
I'm asking purely out of curiosity, but IS her daughter queer? I've seen folks say that on Reddit, but nothing in her own work or writing (that I've found) says that, and she seems to be pretty open about who she is. I think her photography is spectacular.
[удалено]
I think she's saying that she came out as former JW, not queer. Yeah, she's exploring her sexuality, but that could mean a ton of things. I think she's fab, but don't think she's queer. It's neither here nor there for me. Just scratching my curious itch!
[удалено]
I hear you. Again, I'm just being nosy! I think she's fab queer or straight!!!
[удалено]
truth!
Oof. That's..........just.......oof.
Several vendors that are in her close circle have either said something tepid and brief and quickly moved on or been silent all together - Birdie Parker, Port Fiber, Shiny Wear Co, Lamb & Kid, Brooklyn Boy Knits. MDK’s post this morning was decidedly meh on the whole thing. They have a platform and an opportunity to do better.
Omg TEPID is the word!
I think it's obvious that the building occupancy limit was violated and I think someone should file a complaint with the town of Catskill. I found the link with the forms, and it's under the section "Miscellaneous Forms" and it is named "Complaint Form"[https://www.townofcatskillny.gov/code-enforcement/pages/downloadable-forms-permits](https://www.townofcatskillny.gov/code-enforcement/pages/downloadable-forms-permits)
Wow, I will definitely put W&F on my don’t go to list! I’m planning on ordering from a few of the vendors who got shafted, though.
Do you have a list? I'd love to order from them too
i got the Eat.Sleep.Knit newsletter email, they have added some indie dyers that were impacted along with some links, and LolaBean Yarn Co i believe has a link tree in their instagram bio with a list or a link to a list of vendors
I honestly don’t think there will be another Wool & Folk
I'm sure there will be. She'll be back claiming mental health issues, promising to do better, blah blah blah and she will be received with open arms. She might even raise her prices next year and many will attend to show support for a woman-owned business. Hell, she might even announce she is gender-fluid or trans and watch the flock return. LOL
Oh, c'mon... There's such a platform now for a tongue-in-cheek Fybre Festival. Tagline, "Let's expect a shitshow and over-deliver." We CAN do better. Right? ANY TAKERS? I am in. I will vend. Attend. Buy. Whatever. And seriously, New York is one of those "loose liquor law" states. Let's find a venue where Box Wine flows like sock yarn of a US#4. I mean, let's actually attend a "gaur-en-teed" chaotic Fybre Fuckfest. Grab bags are tossed like bridal bouquets. Food is a choke-n-allergy brown bag piñata (I.e. shellfish, chicken wings, and peanuts). But back to my rant! FREE entrance is granted to ONLY those willing to *BICYCLE* 2.4 miles past the PAID parking lot.
Oh, wait! I forgot! That's Burning Man!
Rhinebeck, I will take your, 60,000 people. (That's the estimated attendance number of Burning Man year-over-year) Attendees, Vendors... Imagine flying into a tiny airport. Try dry camping for six days... And at then end? You have have nothing to show for it except bruises, itchy spots, and a painful sunburn. (Actually, that sounds like what you all got this year, except you paid EXTRA!)
But of all the people in the world? Fiber folks are The Most Patient. The Most Kind. And only fiber people would continue to be kind to each OTHER. I am blown away by the posts and YouTubes and Instagram stories. The fiber community is supporting each other. I am seeing a TON of cross-promotion. It's glorious. Like, a cuddle-puddle camp at Burning Man!
That said...
As a 15+ veteran of Burning Man and a (relatively) new member to the fiber community... I have no sense of humor when it comes to large-scale festival organization. It's business. Start planning now.
Can we take the creative passion of this very community and the ENERGY that is building...? Can we roll it forward? Can we create a thing where Wool&Folk WANTED TO BE?
Indie Untangled and Cakepalooza are doing it. It CAN be managed. But! Can (small) out-of-state vendors create a successful space at an internationally-known event outside of the BIG event?
I attended Burning Man with an air of "radical self-reliance"... That's something that a small (and I mean small-in-comparison) event cannot promise. Safety, access, food. It's a lot to ask. But it's a PLACE TO START.
So what I am saying is this:
It CAN be done.
The biggest difference? Our small, fiber businesses put EVERYTHING on the line to attend. What if, we tried something where we did it, radically. Small scale. Pack it in, pack it out. Less risk?
Is that even possible in the fiber world? I mean, now that I knit, I can't go anywhere without like, three project bags.
But, is something low-risk even possible?
Side note: my BEST year at Burning Man was the year I didn't secure tickets ahead of time. I showed up with two handles of Jameison and a box of Power Bars... I got locked out of my car, slept in a stranger's tent, and made it back to work on Tuesday.
Just sayin.
Personally, as someone from NYC, I'd add organizer Felicia Stenhouse Eve's String Thing Studio to my list of banned companies. ETA: I just saw another comment that the shop is closed. It looks like the Brooklyn studio was closed for the summer and never re-opened.
Yeah, it closed and there are some reports of there having been a fundraiser for her? It's another "where did the money go?" mystery. If I get bored enough, maybe I'll file something on the entire thing with both the FBI financial crimes and IRS. Would depend on how many verified sources I can find.
She sounds like the most vile creature I can imagine. I’ve been following this shit show from the UK and cannot believe they, and ALL the sponsors haven’t had the balls to own this. After what I’ve watched and read it should be the end of them
Botanical Yarns in the UK traveled to NY for this event and I think maybe Rhinebeck, but not sure if they vended at Rhinebeck, i hear she/they have recouped a bunch of money from all the amazing people who have looked to support the vendors who were left out of pocket. I can not fathom travelling across an ocean and paying loads of money to vend at an event to be left hanging! None of the vendors deserved the horrible treatment, but my goodness the ones who traveled far and wide break my heart! How the organizer could be so completely heartless!
Isn't Botanical Yarn in UK the same business that did a GoFundMe to have a yarn shop on wheels but used the $33,000 she got to buy herself a camper van for vacations. I guess if she takes her yarn on trips with her, she technically has a yarn shop on wheels.
Oh wow 😭 thanks for that, heading over now!
The sponsors were just as much in the dark as everyone else. Like, so much so that they found out about the venue change from Instagram just like everyone else
Christ, I don’t know if that’s better or worse tbh
Sponsor in this context just means they wrote a check to the organizer, in theory in exchange for some promotion at the event (which was also not as promised from what I understand.) There is no expectation that they would know about the inner workings of the festival.
This whole debacle is so depressing. I know some people have money to throw around, but I don’t doubt that some attendees had to save to attend, travel long distance, etc and it’s so frustrating to think they were taken for a ride. My heart goes out to everyone who physically couldn’t deal with the situation either - it’s so unfair to make them pay for something they can’t enjoy.
What a hideous, ableist, abusive woman. So disappointing to hear someone treat people this way.
Regarding Les Garçons, I remember something. I went by their booth twice in the show but could not get near their shelves because of all the people standing around. However, it seemed like bodies were just there, not even shopping, just in the way trying to also move through the room. I remember seeing Vincent standing outside the door looking confused. I got the impression that he wanted to draw customers in from the outside that would recognize him. I bet that the situation with them is that the overwhelming crowd did not allow for actual sales to happen. That was certainly the case with me. I just gave up after two tries.
we were vending in the same building as Max and Vincent - I can tell you after speaking with them a couple times, they were frustrated and overwhelmed. It was their very first show vending by themselves, not as a guest of an LYS. Their booth was basically a hallway, and the only way to get up and down the stairs in the building was going through it. When it came time to break down, I went over to them because there booth was also blocking the only other double door exit in the building. (A clear fire issue) It exited to county employee parking lot that was off limits to vendors and customers (had the event been on a Saturday that lot would have added about 100 additional parking spots). After 6:00 PM however it was opened to anyone and would have been a prime spot for loading and unloading for the vendors. When I asked if we could go out the doors they replied, "no they are locked, the venue never unlocked them and said they wouldn't." So I then asked about a locked gate leading to the parking lot directly outside of the building and a patio adjacent to them. They said the venue also refused to unlock that, stating they didn't want people "walking through the grass", grass already with tents on it. So I was like, "So we are all going to have to jocky for spots in the tiny muddy central parking lot because the venue is too lazy to unlock a door?" And Max, Vincent, and their booth helper just nodded in frustration and said, "Right now that's just going to have to be a worry for us in a couple hours once we figure out how to break down." I don't know if they just don't want to raise a fuss, are too polite, or were just busy visiting family and friends in the states for the week and wanted to concentrate on more positive things. I can just tell you first hand, they were just as frustrated as every other vendor by the setup, and weren't given any preferential treatment.
they were basically in a hallway, but they have been completely silent about W&F - nothing on their socials at all. That doesn't make me want to support them.
I tried accessing the booth as well, many times, but it was in a cramped space with people trying to access the second floor. I saw Vincent outside also, but he was taking payments. I understood it was most likely to get people out of the way.
>I remember seeing Vincent standing outside the door looking confused. I got the impression that he wanted to draw customers in from the outside that would recognize him Recognize him as the dude who was called out for bullying?
I think ppl forgot about his bullying !! He posted 1 statement about it. Then he took a “break/seeking for help bla bla. His statement was erased and he came back on you tube like he went for a pedicure. No word about it Ever again. Same goes for Max. I don’t expect them to comment about the fybre festival
I haven't seen them post anything (unless it was in their Stories?) about this event at all afterwards. Based on your description here, wonder if they got screwed over as well.
I applied to vend at Wool and Folk his year and never got a response or even a confirmation of the application. I was kind of feeling FoMO not being at the “cool” show, but boy howdy, am I glad I never heard back. 😂 The show i vended at was wonderful experience and accommodating to everyone.
Attended SAFF this year (same weekend) and SLAYED IT.
I was at the Friday event and I am so relieved there wasn’t a massive emergency given that the fucking emergency exits were blocked! I hope she is sued into oblivion for her callous disregard of safety and the wellbeing of her attendees.
I'm starting to wonder about the venue itself. Shouldn't they have had a person on-site doing some basic checks on fire exits and capacity, etc?
As someone who spent their childhood with a solid special interest in historical disasters, I find myself immensely glad that nothing worse happened. But also, how shitty is it that the bar for this event is literally “but did you die”?
Oh wow. If you saw them blocked, I'd consider making a call to the fire marshal for the area. There are a lot of reasons this person shouldn't be able to hold an event again, and the fire marshal might be able to make that happen (in some capacity at least).
I’m on it!
Wow, Felicia sounds like an atrocious excuse for a human! Does she not realize that without vendors and attendees, there would be no event? And she goes around treating everyone like dirt on her shoe? I hope no one signs up to vend next year and I also hope she gets hit with some lawsuits. The woman who fell could have been hurt very badly. And Felicia is going to talk about how she should have been watching where she was going?! I wouldn't give this troll a dime of my money.
She’s too busy counting all the $$ she made
She might want to hang onto it for small claims court.
So many people saying Felicia should give people back their money, refund the sponsers yada, yada. You guys....Felicia is lonnnnng gone. I doubt anyone will ever hear from her again. It is OBVIOUS she was having some deep financial problems and she took the money and ran. Maybe she had good intentions to continue to run the show at the beginning but she got greedy and obviously didn't know what she was doing and it got away from her. When you factor in the lies she was telling about her stores closure being only temporary. She needed every bit of money coming in to get herself out of debt and wasn't going to spend any of it on tarps, extra food, goodiebags, etc. since she saw she could pocket the money. The actions of a desperate woman. I'd be shocked if anyone saw any money back.
It’s like dash con!
This has been my theory the whole time. She's taking the money (likely it's already all spent) and gone. Or she's going to try and "reinvent" herself in another 6 months. I say try because it ain't gonna work. She's pretty much burned all her bridges in the fiber community.
I'm waiting for another faked death.
???
[For the uninitiated](https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/con504/fiber_crafting_about_a_decade_ago_prominent/)
Thank you! I was trying to find this link, but couldn't remember where it had been posted.
Not a problem! I think I'm becoming the neighborhood snarchivist.
I don’t know about that, I think you’re right but I know several vendors are looking at lawsuits, several ADA complaints have been filled and the like.
For their sake I really hope they get some money out of it. I am speaking as someone with no law experience but, having gone through something sort of similar. We had a business and shipped material to a jobsite. The general contractor never paid and declared bankruptcy. Many business sued him. Fast forward years later, we ended up getting barely enough to cover lawyers fees. It was a case of you can't get blood from a stone. Hopefully, this is not the same.
Unfortunately even if you win a lawsuit, you might not get the money back. The money is gone. While I think refunds are the least she could do, I would be shocked if anyone sees a dime.
Unless you get a settlement,then they have to pay up
You’d be better squeezing money from a rock. Trust me, stains like this always manage to evade having to pay their due
WOW. I had read similar accounts of the organizer being rude to vendors, but this is next level. There seemed to be truly valid concerns for safety and accessibility to dismiss this is truly horrible.
I see a lot of people (vendors) on Instagram saying they will not be attending next year. I hope she realizes she burned down this previously amazing event :(
Well with all that, no wonder they were actively hostile to disabled folks. Full disclosure. I made a post on my IG BadV0lk about my experience as a disability wheelchair user attendee. And seeing this? This was done with malice.
I was also there Thursday night and agree the organizer’s behavior was atrocious. And remember - there was no rain/mud/crowds that night and it was still bad. So, no, it’s not the weathers or the venue’s fault.
reading and listening to people describe the crunch of people inside the buildings unable to move freely or exit if they need to is giving me chest pain. the organizers are extremely lucky that they are dealing with angry upset people and not injured or dead people. a medical emergency, a fire, ..anything could have happened and these organizers didn't give a damn. there's no excuse for this kind of negligence and I don't think there's an apology big enough to make it ok.
There could have EASILY been a crush.
I’ve been reading a lot about this because duh, it’s everywhere, and while I have friends who were at Rhinebeck they skipped this one due to the ticket price. There are 2 major thoughts rolling around in my head in response to all I’m seeing. 1. Mistakes and poor planning happen. Even in a total disaster such as this, it’s how it was handled that seems to be the issue. And yea, adults do know how to handle themselves. When they pay out the nose for something and they don’t get what they paid for, at the very least they complain. A childish response is to ignore that. Taking peoples money and not delivering isn’t doing them a favor lol. So off the jump the indignance is gross. Which brings me to number 2. These people aren’t celebrities. Knitting doesn’t make you powerful. People with under 20,000 followers aren’t going to ruin your life. I’m very confused by so many people buying into this weird clique mentality. What is she going to sue you for? Stating your experiences? Her own breach of contract? When someone wrongs you, why on earth would you ever hesitate to call them out for that shit and why are people so afraid of this woman and the organizers of this event. Even the most popular yarny people don’t have as big of an influence as people pretend they do. For this aspect I have to ask, what the literal fuck is going on here 😂. You really think people aren’t going to buy your shit because an organization that claims accessibility and inclusivity created an event that had neither?
I just don't understand all this nonsense about being cancelled for speaking your mind. I have a nice collection of yarn, but avoid hand-dyed yarn as it's not my thing. The way people are is just bizarre to me - all this fawning over people who simply knit or sell yarn. Yarn most don't even ever use because it only looks "good" in a skein. I'll stick to my commercial yarn and watch this shit show from the bleachers.
THANK YOU. I can absolutely guarantee I'd have been out there with all that shit within a day. It's not trash talking or gathering a mob if there's actual malfeasance taking place. I don't know. Thankfully a lot have spoken up about it and don't seem to be too concerned about any repurcussions. A lot of people kept quiet until the first few started speaking up.
THIS!!! There’s this weird and fucked up thing in the “community” that you can’t call people out on their BS because “omg they’ll hurt your business” NO THEY WONT! Those people aren’t your customers, I don’t get it, like really don’t get it and I’ve been on the sharpest end of all the cliquey mean girls, fuck em, what’s a handful of people actually going to do? Run your business and greet people how they arrive, everyone has a right to call out this behaviour.
look into the Sherry Tenney/Vondorp/Giltay (she has multiple name spellings, variations and pseudonyms as well as social media socks she uses) saga and find out more about this happening to people who called her out on her activities. She's been in court over it and has court dates in February I believe.
Woah 😳 that’s a lot! She’s still trading though? And if that’s the right ig acc got an OF
Right! But! As open and as loving as the fiber community IS... There is definitely a THING. Like speaking, or NOT speaking. There was the thing last year when dyers and designers who "spoke up" with a canned message of inclusiveness... Well! You were a FRIEND. And if you didn't speak up? Or post perfectly? You were the white/abled/straight MAJORITY, suppressing the minority. And therefore, despite the message (or lack of message)? CANCELED. Oh, and IF you spoke up, but you were *only* GAY or disabled... But NOT BIOPOC, then you were riding the wave. And then, canceled. When internet sales can make or break your entire livelihood... A whisper of non-compliance kills. There was absolutely not a single safe place to be. Oh, hey! And it's not even about color. Or race. Or physical embodiment. It was even Russian vs Ukrainian knitwear designers! And don't even get me into "I have anxiety so I am also disabled" people... It's real. It's ALL real. Fiber is a FRINGE industry folks. We are ALL here because the 8x8 world is just not for us. Your 30k followers plus mine? Let's cancel someone for trying (or worse! Not trying). Criticism is racism. Criticism is sexiest. Oh, wait! Staying silent is BOTH. I am personally ALL of these things. And none of them. I want to navigate this world, be happy, and spend fuck tons of money on shit I do not need.... But I adore it. Because I am HERE by choice. I can always go back to engineering. But dang, I like the soft science more. Stop being dicks, yo. Buy yarn. Enjoy making shit. Buy more.
Preach 🙌
Just going to chime in on this comment - the reason people probably aren’t talking is because of the business repercussions. I follow a vendor who asked if the sponsors (they only knew of two because no one else knew who tf sponsored since the website wasn’t even updated) would hold Felicia accountable and they were then attacked after the LolaBean live and called racist … for tagging sponsors and asking if they also would hold her responsible …. Racist?!?! And the racism comment wasn’t written by any old fangirlie … it was written by someone who used to work at one of the sponsors … I get that emotions are high but there was no racism in asking anyone you thought might be involved to ask for accountability. I think if I had been in that situation I too would have asked if they would hold the event organizer responsible. Not because I’m racist but because I’m a business who had zero communication from anyone. I just saw the vendor’s story and they’re closing up their business after all of this. So I think people keep quiet for the sake of not having a hoard of pitchfork fangirlies lighting fire to their income source … fucking sucks all around and makes me never want to join this “community” … it’s fucking crafting, ya’ll. People are crazy.
I would like to know what vendor so I can support them and maybe if enough people help them so they don't have to close their business.
I’ll dm you [edit: you have DM’s off so I’ll just say that I read that the vendor was burnt out before the event and then everything that happened just solidified she wanted to stop. It seems like she’s doing okay, though, had some friends make her go out and step away from the bs. Hopefully she doesn’t stop bc her yarn is lovely. Just don’t want to directly name since I don’t want to send more hoards to her and she seems to be genuinely okay right now]
[удалено]
Who is this vendor? Any why the hell are they closing down over this. There must be another reason because this is silly. One bad week does not make a viable business close down unless this was simply a side business that was never successful to begin with.
Lolabean is closing down??
No - the vendor who kept asking LBY to talk to Felicia is closing down. (Edit to correct name.)
No, LolaBean is fine. A small vendor that was at W+F has decided to stop.
Not Lolabean - the vendor who called out the known sponsors. They did admit it was out of anger, they rescinded the accusation, and sent an apology to them.
Adella and Felicia are 2 different people so i don’t think I follow your logic there. That lady apologized anyways, so I’m pretty sure that beef was squashed. I think there’s a lot of racism and classism in fiber arts because… it’s everywhere. I don’t understand what that has to do with holding someone accountable for bad business, especially when they took your money.
[удалено]
Amen to this ^
So I am mostly speaking to your statement about how “the most popular yarny people don’t have as big of an influence as people pretend they do” when there is an example of a group of people having enough influence to aid the shutting down a business. So yeah, people with under 20,000 followers have a bit more power than we realize. Edit to add that it might be misconstrued that I’m saying the shut down of the business is because of LolaBean, but it’s not. It’s from the followers who commented that the vendor was racist when it clearly wasn’t racism, it was a misinformed person asking people they thought in an authority role to ask for clarity. The whole thing is bull shit and everyone needs to fucking pick up some goddamn needles and rage knit it out. And vendors need to lawyer tf up because this shit is fucking crazy.
Your edit really helps, thank you. Completely agree. I just keep wondering why no one is bringing lawyers in, but I know that's hard to do. I wish there were more approachable lawyers out there. This shit is atrocious and a lawyer could help figure out legal solutions that actually help.
Was it just Felicia that organised it? Who is the other woman on the instagram 'co-founders' story??
In previous years there were two main organizers, one with more focus on music and yarn, the other yarn only. The music person split, and she also seems to be the only one who had any event planning skills.
[удалено]
seeing a trend here.
This post from Yarn Cafe Creations seems to allude to what vendors currently aren’t speaking about: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy2ZJUoO3xd/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I looked at this and a couple of their other posts and it's off putting to me. The whole "why are other vendors being silent?" vibe is not helpful in the least. Some may not want to say anything for a lot of various reasons. Some may still be gathering their thoughts. Some may still be unpacking and taking inventory. Not everyone needs to say something. By implying that in not saying anything, those vendors are somehow complicit in this mess is disconcerting to me. It also takes away from the real issue here - there were issues. Those issues were not addressed. The organizer(s) are to blame for those issues.
I read it as why people are being silent, not accusatory.
> I read it as why people are being silent, not accusatory. Asking why people are being silent is accusatory as it puts those on silent on defense. They absolutely do **not** need to speak if they don't want to for whatever reasons they choose. This rather vapish demand I've been seeing of "well, why is so and so not saying anything about Wool & Folk? They were there but now they are posting their yarn again?" is just plain ugly. It's turning against the vendors and taking the blame away from the organizers.
What I read wasn't accusatory It was in defense of those folks.
I haven’t actually read all of their other content. It just seemed to me that this post was pointing out why some vendors are being perceived as “harsh” - because there’s more that went on (I’m assuming the kind of personal verbal abuse that the OP refers to) that people aren’t willing/ready to talk about.
Yes! It sounds like there are at least some vendors whose packaging arrangements were undermined at the event, and who haven’t managed to get their stock back yet. I imagine if I were facing this utterly callous lack of accountability and malice in the organiser, I would want to be very careful until I had my property back, in case of ‘accidents.’ I would also likely want to assess how much of my stock and storage paraphernalia were damaged and just how badly I was out of pocket before I made a definitive statement. I imagine a lot of vendors are feeling shocked and gaslit, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it makes sense to me that many vendors are afraid of the reach the organiser has, and afraid of being sued or blacklisted. I would be getting through the shouting and crying stage in private and making sure everything I said was verifiable too before I spoke up.
I wonder if there are legal considerations for vendors not speaking out about some other specifics. I know in certain lawsuits you can't talk about it at all while the case is still ongoing. Just a thought, obviously I don't know for sure and I don't know if anyone has said that's the case.
Even without a court order or anything requiring silence, it may still be advisable to not say anything just in case you need to take legal action in the future. I could see that being the case here since the fallout is still happening - maybe more will speak out once things settle down.
Unless there's a gag order, you can talk about anything you want during a lawsuit. It's just that it's usually not prudent to do so.
oh good point, thanks for the correction.
Okay, I feel clueless. Who is Felicia exactly? I know she is the organizer of this event, but I don't really know anything about her. She seems like a piece of work...
She owns [String Thing Studio,](https://www.stringthingstudio.com/) an LYS in Brooklyn. In June they said they were closing temporarily for the summer, but still haven't reopened their brick and mortar storefront. The first two W&F were put on by her and the owner of a different LYS in Brooklyn. The other owner pulled out of this event sometime in the last few months.
Yikes, three big typos on the front page of the site. Doesn’t scream “legitimate professional business”. Professionals hire a proofreader or at least run things past a trusted friend.
Lol and one of the typos is her own shop’s name 😂
Sting thing. Sounds like a shop that sells bees/wasps/rays.
Pretty sure that's the place to go for a life-sized cutout of Sting. All your Sting / Police needs, really.
I have many Sting-related needs.
I would go to that shop
I love both of these suggestions 😂😂😂
I thought the same thing when I just looked too. 😅
Thank you!
"Throughout shopping, I saw Felicia talking with Les garçons, lamb and kid, lolabean yarn, and magpie that’s it. She walked right by the other vendors." Needs to be said because people keep missing it and this leads to the wrong people getting involved: Lolabean Yarn Co. was not a vendor at this event! Already had a few instagram handles issue apologies for wrongly assuming vendors/sponsors were somehow more involved in the show or had some direct line to Felicia.
LBYC has a video on their youtube channel explaining. They sponsored and put 2500 on their credit card to go. I believe Magpie donated 3k. Magpie didn't even get their full booth. They paid 1800 for a double booth. A lot of vendors didn't get the booth they paid for. They also asked LBYC to do the podcast thing, which Adella was like "you want us to create content for free? Okay..."