What you do when you are stuck at home with a broken foot but you have a creative streak? Perhaps you should ask 24-year-old Emani Outterbridge, because she had an awesome idea. It seems as if she was stuck at home last spring and she wanted to find out how to help crafters in Philadelphia to get some designer yarn.
In the end, she designed a yarn dispensing vending machine, and then social media took the ball and ran with it. It wasn’t long before she had an enthusiastic following and a fundraising campaign got things moving in the right direction.
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Three machines were ordered by Outterbridge and they are ready to be stocked with brightly colored skeins of yarn. The first one is now available at a Philadelphia barbershop, Elements of Grooming. One of her friends owns the shop, but it wasn’t long before customers were coming in to buy yarn.
Since the first machine is a success, two other local businesses are looking into the possibility of ordering more. It is likely that those additional vending machines will also be inside when they find their new home.
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Eventually, Outerbridge is hoping to own a store in the area to provide people with 24/7 access to yarn. “With the salons and the shops-they close,” she says, according to TexCovy. “But if I had my own store, I can have it open 24/7, so that’s what I’m pushing for.”
Until her dream becomes a reality, she will continue to offer yarn skeins on her website. In Philadelphia, she has plenty of opportunities to knit people some scarves and mittens, but she loves the summer weather. She says that it provides an option for a more “creative range,” such as coverups, bathing suits, and skirts.